east-lothian-1924/05-231

Transcription

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

1 Cast. and Dom. Archit. v., p. 424 ; 2 Reg.
Mag. Sig. s.a., No. 498; 3 Reg. Pr. Co. viii.,
(Second Series) p. 36; 4 Inquisit. Special.
Hadd. No. 283.

xi. N.W. 24 April 1920.

DEFENSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS.

218. Fort near the White Well, Johns-
cleugh.-About 3/4 mile north-west of Johns-
cleugh and 600 yards south-east of the White
Well, at an elevation of 1000 feet above sea-

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 178.-Fort, Friar's Nose (No. 219).

level, between the Whitadder and the Garvald
and Priestlaw road, is a small hillock, the
summit of which is enclosed by two concentric
walls of earth 64 feet apart, the enceinte
measuring 48 feet in diameter. The inner
rampart is 9 feet broad and 1 foot in height,
and the outer is 6 1/2 feet broad and 1 foot in
height, the highest part of the interior rising
5 1/2 feet above the base of the outer bank. To
the north-west there is a gap in the outer
rampart to provide an entrance, which has been
banked on either side as far as the inner
rampart, which it does not penetrate. On

136

either side the passage is 4 feet broad and 9
inches high, and the sides converge regularly
from the outer rampart, where the distance
between them is 20 feet, to the inner rampart
where they are only 7 feet apart.

xvi. N.E. (unnoted). 14 June 1913.

219. Fort, Friar's Nose, Kilmade Burn.-
This fort (fig. 178) is situated on a promontory
called " Friar's Nose " (locally " Knowes")
the eastern extremity of Priestlaw Hill, which
lies in the angle formed by the Whitadder
Water and its tributary on the right bank,
the Kilmade Burn, at an elevation of 800 feet
above sea-level, and within a stone-throw of
the Berwickshire boundary.

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 179.-Fort Sections, Friar's Nose (No. 219).

The fort is pear shaped, with its narrowest
end to the south and its longest axis north and
south, and measures internally, from crest to
crest, 410 feet with a greatest width from east to
west of 285 feet. The east side falls away
steeply to the Kilmade Burn 60 feet below,
and this steep natural face continues round the
north side above the valley of the Whitadder.
On these sides, therefore, the fortifications have
been economised. There is an entrance on the
east from which a rampart runs southwards,
fully 30 feet in from the crest of the natural
slope, leaving a terrace between itself and the
crest. This single rampart continues north-
wards from the entrance as the inmost defence
of the fort, but two outer ramparts (fig. 179),
respectively 47 and 78 feet distant from the
crest of the inmost one, also begin, and are
continued round the north sector to the north-
west entrance, the outmost being somewhat
down the face of the slope. About 150 feet
before reaching this north-west entrance the
outmost forks inwards to merge with the inner
rampart, thus forming a traverse, while the

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Douglas Montgomery

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