Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Crichton Mains

Architectural Fragment(S) (Roman), Souterrain (Iron Age)

Site Name Crichton Mains

Classification Architectural Fragment(S) (Roman), Souterrain (Iron Age)

Canmore ID 54797

Site Number NT46SW 11

NGR NT 4001 6191

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/54797

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

Toggle Aerial | View on large map

Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Midlothian
  • Parish Crichton
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District Midlothian
  • Former County Midlothian

Archaeology Notes

Visited by OS (BS) 30 July 1975.

Activities

Field Visit (31 July 1913)

Earth-house, Crichton Mains.

This fine example of an earth-house, which was discovered and cleared out in the early part of 1869, is situated in a cultivated field on a ridge overlooking a wide stretch of country to the north, about 7/8 of a mile east of Crichton village and some 900 yards west by north of Longfaugh steading, at an elevation of nearly 800 feet above sea-level. The earth-house consists of a single, long, narrow, subterranean chamber, curving on plan in the form of an arc with its convex side towards the south and broadening slightly towards the easterly extremity. Access is obtained through a passage from the northeast, that enters the chamber on its inner curve about one-quarter of its length from the north-western end. The length along the medial line is 49 feet, and the breadth increases from 5 feet 4 inches at the base of the walls at the north-western end to 6 feet opposite the entrance and 6 ½ feet near the inner extremity at the east. The height of the chamber generally is about 6 ¼ feet. The walls incline slightly inwards as they rise, the amount of convergence at the narrow end being about 3 inches and at the broad end over a foot. The roof has been formed of massive lintel stones about 7 feet in length, two of which are seen 15 ½ feet from the narrow end, covering a space 4 feet 10 inches wide, while five, varying in width from 1 foot 11 inches to 3 feet I inch, overlie, in a distance of 17 feet, the inner termination of the chamber. These lintels, several of which are roughly dressed, are placed close together, with the exception of the third and fourth from the extreme easterly end, which are 15 inches apart, the space between these two being occupied by five smaller stones laid crosswise. The rest of the chamber is covered with an arched roof, which was built after the discovery of the earth-house.

In the north-western end of the earth-house is an opening, 2 feet 10 inches in height by 2 feet 8 inches in breadth, with a massive lintel and two finely-chiselled stones for jambs. There is no backing to this opening, which is now filled with earth and stones, and has not yet been fully investigated. Two aumbry-like niches or recesses are seen in the southern wall; the first, 7 ½ feet from the narrow end and 2 feet 4 inches above the floor, is 1 foot 8 inches broad, 1 foot 4 inches high, and seems to be carried through the wall a distance of more than 3 feet; the second, 12 feet 10 inches from the first recess and 3 feet 11 inches from the floor, is 1 foot 1 inch in breadth by 9 ½ inches in height and 1 foot in depth.

The entrance from the north-east is reached through a well-built sloping passage 12 feet 7 inches in length, 4 feet in height, and 3 feet 9 inches in breadth. The sill at the entrance is 5 feet 7 inches below the surface of the ground, and the passage falls about 2 feet 9 inches before the chamber is reached. It is roofed with seven lintels and is in a good st ate of preservation. The doorway at the inner end of the passage is also well built. It measures 3 feet 4 inches in height by 2 feet 8 inches in breadth, each jamb. being formed by two stones, the lower a large, roughly squared and dressed block and the upper a fine dressed st one. The jamb on the northern side of this door projects about 6 inches from the line of the wall of the passage to form a check.

The structure has been built without mortar, many of the slabs used being of large size and showing very little dressing. Sixty-nine stones, however, are finely squared and dressed, and many of them exhibit the diamond and diagonal chiselling so often seen on stones tooled by the Romans. Two of these Roman-worked blocks form the jambs of the opening at the north-west end, and two more are seen at the entrance door; but the greater number have been placed on the top of the wall forming the inner curve of the structure. Besides being dressed and squared, one of the jambs at the opening above mentioned has a channel or groove with rounded bottom, 3 ½ inches broad and 3 ½ inches deep, cut longitudinally across its lower end (1). For the significance of this and of the Roman stones generally see [RCAHMS 1929] Introduction, p. xxix.

One of the lintel stones shows a number of cup-marks, but these seem to be natural. On the underside of another lintel (marked on Fig. 80 with a cross) is cut the front half of a Pegasus or winged horse, the emblem of Legion Augusta (2).

RCAHMS 1929, visited 31 July 1913.

(1) Cf. Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., viii (1868-70), pp. IQ5-9; (2) cf. Ibid., lix (1924-5), pp. 94-95.

OS map: xv N.W. (‘Picts House’)

Publication Account (1985)

Old clothes or waterproofs and a torch are essential for this site-and care in crossing the fields. A short entrance passage below ground leads into the main curving gallery over 15 m long and 1.8 m or more high and wide. Except where it has been arched over after rediscovery, the roof is original-massive stone lintels over 2 m long and generally placed close together. The drystone walls incline inward slightly to meet the roof.

Particularly interesting and important is the re-use of around 70 stones of Roman origin. These are finelysquared and dressed, many of them with characteristic diamond/diagonal chiselling. Two such blocks stand at the entrance door; two more form the jambs of the opening at the north-west end of the gallery. The majority, however, have been placed at the top of the wall that forms the inner curve.

One lintel towards the east end is carved with the figure of a Pegasus or winged horse-the emblem of the Legio II Augusta. Furthermore, one of the door jambs at the north-west end bears a groove or channel suggesting earlier use as a gutter surrounding the open courtyard of a Headquarters building in a typical Roman fort. As yet the site of a fort in the neighbourhood of Crichton has proved elusive, but clearly the souterrain was built after a Roman withdrawal.

Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).

Note (1988)

Crichton Mains NT 4001 6191 NT46SW 11

This well-preserved souterrain, which was partially re-roofed in the 19th century, is situated on the N side of a low ridge 300m WNW of the fort NT46SW 10. The curved chamber measures 15.7m in length and tapers from 2m in breadth at the SE end to 1.5m at the NW end. The partly buried lintel of a possible entrance is visible at the NW end, but today access to the chamber can only be gained from the NE through a side passage with a low 'creep'. The walls of both the chamber and the side passage incorporate numerous blocks of Roman ashlar, and one of the eight original lintels of the chamber appears to bear carving in relief of a roughly executed Pegasus, the emblem of Legio II Augusta. It is probable that the Roman material was removed from an adjacent military road-post, probably of Antonine date.

RCAHMS 1988

(Rosehill 1870; Edwards 1925, 94-5; RCAHMS 1929, 53-4, no. 61; Keppie and Arnold 1984, 21, no. 58; Welfare 1984, 305-23)

References

MyCanmore Image Contributions


Contribute an Image

MyCanmore Text Contributions