dumfries-1920/04-079

Transcription

APPLEGARTH.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [APPLEGARTH.

mound at its continuance is only some 2 feet.
Above the fort, some 50 feet back from the
entrance, a broad earthen bank 16 feet wide at
base and 3 feet high passes along the hillside
and turns away in a south-westerly direction.
it is unusually massive for a feal dyke, but it
is impossible to say whether it is contem-
poraneous with the fort, though it is with
enclosures, obviously folds, farther to the
north.
xliii. -- N.E. -- 9 August 1912.

17. Fort, Roseburrain. - This enclosure is
situated on a plateau somewhat less than 1/4
mile to the south-west of the Fir Tree Hill
Fort (No. 16). The ground in front of it on
the east is level and marshy, while on the
south also it is flat. To the north it falls away
in a steep gradient for some 60 feet, and to the
west, declining gradually for about 40 yards, it
drops thereafter sharply to the bed of a burn.
The enclosure appears to have been oblong
with rounded ends, but the defences to the
north and north-west have entirely disap-
peared, if any permanent rampart ever existed
there, while along the west side they are now
very slight. Along the south and east there
exists a massive mound of earth and stone,
with a scarp to the exterior at a very regular
height of from 6 to 8 feet and rising from
2 to 4 feet in height on the interior. Where
the ground rises towards the enclosure from
the outside it is cut through to form a trench.
The entrance, which has been wide, is on the
east side, somewhat to the north of the centre.
At the base of the glacis, leading up to it on
the exterior, is an oblong hut foundation,
apparently of turf, measuring interiorly 22 feet
by 11 feet; and in the interior to the right
of the entrance is another similar foundation
measuring 25 feet by 16 feet. No part of
the interior appears to have been hollowed by
excavation.
xliii. -- N.W. -- 9 August 1912.

18. Fort, "Burrain Skelton," Cleuchheads
Hill. - This fort is placed some 600 feet above
sea-level on the top of Cleuchheads Hill and
on the west side of the Dryfe valley. It is
overgrown with a dense plantation of young
fir trees, which makes a survey impossible.
The O.S. map shows it on plan to be a long

oval with its main axis north and south,
measuring some 380 feet by 215 feet. It is
scarped apparently all round to a height of
from 6 to 8 feet; as far as observable it does
not appear to be hollowed by excavation in
the interior. This was a beacon hill (see p.
xxxiv.).
xliii. -- N.W. -- 12 August 1912.

19. Fort, near Dalmakethar. - This fort is
situated at an elevation of 369 feet above sea-
level, about 1/2 mile west-north-west of Dalma-
kethar farm, on the crest of a long grassy
round-backed ridge, which lies parallel with
the Annan on the east side of the dale and
commands an extensive prospect both up and
down. On the west the ground declines
steeply for some 30 feet, sinking thereafter by
an easier gradient to the river; to the north
and south the ridge extends, running level for
1/2 mile in the latter direction and dipping to a
lower level in the former; while on the east
the surface slopes downwards by an easy
gradient. The fort is oval in form, lying
with its longest axis north and south, and
measures over all some 225 by 175 feet. It
has been surrounded by a massive rampart,
now greatly reduced and probably much
spread, measuring some 40 to 45 feet in width
on the south and east. At the north end the
mound covers an area 53 feet in breadth, on
the top of which is a slight depression; but
whether this is a raised platform within the
outer rampart, or a double rampart levelled
down, it is not possible to tell without ex-
cavation. It is unlikely, however, that the
defences would be duplicated towards the
lower side of the fort and not on the higher.
The entrance has been on the east side, con-
siderably to the north of the centre. The
extension of the mound at the north end has
reduced the interior to somewhat of a shield
form, measuring 132 feet from north to south
by 93 feet from east to west.
An old road with, locally, a Roman attribu-
tion, is said to pass near the entrance of this
fort and has a place on the O.S. map. The fort
itself does not show any features suggestive
of Roman castrametation.
xxxiii. -- N.E. -- 14 August 1912.

20. Fort, Dalmakethar Burn. - About 1/4 mile
east by north of Dalmakethar farm is another

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