MHG13707 - Fort - Achingale
Summary
Cropmarks have revealed a fort, appearing as three concentric ditches, located on a river terrace.
Type and Period (1)
- PROMONTORY FORT (Early Iron Age to Early Medieval - 550 BC? to 1057 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
Promontory fort seen on oblique APs taken by the SDD in 1986.
Cropmarks have revealed site of a fort exploiting an angle in the escarpment of the river terrace above the haughland on the E bank of the Strath Burn to the WNW of Achingale. Effectively a promontory fort, a shallow natural hollow extends across the neck of the promontory on the E, from which the ground rises towards the edge of the escarpment to form a low hillock. The defences comprise three concentric ditches drawn in a shallow arc that crosses over to the E side of this hollow to bar access from the NE and E, enclosing an oval area against the lip of the escarpment measuring about 130m from NW to SE by 70m transversely (0.63ha). The ditches are about 4m in breadth, the intervals between them being 5m for the inner two, and about 7m to the outer. No features are visible within the interior, which allowing for the presence of an internal rampart would have enclosed about 0.57ha, and the position of the entrance is unknown. <1>
Sources/Archives (9)
- --- SHG11717 Image/Photograph(s): Aerial View :. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11718 Image/Photograph(s): Aerial View :. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11778 Image/Photograph(s): AP : Fort, Achingale. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11852 Image/Photograph(s): AP : Fort, Achingale.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11864 Image/Photograph(s): AP : Promontory Fort (cropmarks). Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11865 Image/Photograph(s): AP : Promontory Fort (cropmarks). Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG3756 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph: B/W Negative. .
- --- SHG3757 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph: B/W Negative. .
- <1> SHG27950 Interactive Resource/Online Database: Lock, G. & Ralston, I.. 2017. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. SC4214.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 2410 5370 (100m by 100m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND25SW |
| Civil Parish | WATTEN |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC4214.html (Link to online Atlas of Hillforts in Britain and Ireland site entry)
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