Angus HER - NO54SE0007 - ELLIOT WATER

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNO54SE0007
NameELLIOT WATER
NRHE Card No.NO54SE7
NRHE Numlink 34709
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. NULL
Site Form Earthwork
Site Condition Incomplete
Details Remains of a possible promontory fort. The NSA describes the remains of a camp called 'Dunhead' on a promontory between the Black Den and Den of Guynd. The remains were triangular and defended by a ditch or the natural precipitous slope, a description of a classic promontory fort. Alleged to be a Roman Camp and marked as such on both the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps (circa 1846 and circa 1888) this is was recorded by Melville in 1754. Crawford noted that the plateau had been cultivated as there was rig and furrow visible when he visited the site. He also described the bank as being low, having no ditch and having large beech trees growing on it, and suggested that it was a former field boundary. The OS, when visiting the site in 1958 concurred with Crawford. The bank, running from NO 5751 4179 to NO 5769 4170 was dismissed as an old field, or plantation, bank. 'It's present state is so mutilated by forestry operations as to be scarcely traceable, but where seen is 2-3 m wide and only 0.3 m high. The bank running from north to south at NO 5769 4171 extends from one precipitous side of a promontory to the other, thus forming a triangular area centred at NO 5775 4172. This bank can be traced for 52 m. The ditch, on the east of the bank, also extends to the escarpment edge. The bank generally measures 5.8 m broad at base and 1.5 m high but at the northern extremity it is only 3 m wide and 0.5 m high. The ditch is 3 m wide and only 0.3 m deep, 2 m east of this the west edge of a kerb of stones is exposed in two places parallel to the ditch. Towards the south there is a scatter of stones on the line of the kerb, circa 5 m wide, which would appear to represent the course of another wall or rampart. If this is so, then it appears that here existed two strong walls or ramparts with medial ditch, cutting off a precipitous promontory. There are no indications of a wall around the perimeter of the promontory, and no internal structures were noted'. When revisited by the OS in 1966 the 'kerbing' and scatter of stones were not evident anymore.
Last Update24/08/2022
Updated Byjnicholson
Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NO54SE0007

National Grid Reference: NO 5773 4172



Event Details


Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
BANKS REMAINS OFB100
RIG & FURROW REMAINS OFC100
BANKSPLANTATIONREMAINS OFD80
FORTSPROMONTORYREMAINS OFA90