MHG2039 - Possible Promontory Fort - Bay of Girston
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- PROMONTORY FORT? (Early Bronze Age to Pictish - 2400 BC? to 900 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
At head of the Bay of Girston land rises to a height of 150ft at cliff edge. From the cliff edge landwards, the ground falls in a steep slope 8ft high to a flat terrace, in front of which is a V-sectioned ditch, 6ft deep, running in a slight curve for about 40 yds from edge to edge of the cliff. These features are probably the defences of a fort, most probably destroyed by the sea.
R G Lamb 1971.
ND 3636 4737. This appears to be a natural formation rather than an artificial work. A doubtful fort.
Visited by OS 8 March 1972.
This fort was at least bivallate, if not multivallate, but nearly all of it has fallen into sea. The V-sectioned ditch may follow a fault-line, but it appears to be artificial. It is probable that the overhanging cliff is all that remains of what was once a promontory.
R G Lamb 1980.
Natural. C E Batey 1981.
An unusual feature, probably natural as suggested above but not conclusively so. The 'ditch' is about 45m long, 6.5m wide and 2.4m deep. If artificial, there is a possible causeway near S end. The ditch does not close on cliff at S end, which may confirm its natural origins, or be evidence of an un finished work. The ditch is considerabaly longer than is normal in promontory forts in north Scotland. The enclosed area now measures 44 by 14m.
Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS 2 September 1982.
The site is included in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland online database. See link below for site entry. <1>
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SHG1146 Text/Publication/Article: Lamb, R G. 1971. 'Near Wick, Bay of Garston, remnant of promontory fort', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1971, p.15. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 15. 15.
- --- SHG1958 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Batey, C E. 1984. Caithness Coastal Survey 1980-82: Dunnet Head to Ousdale. University of Durham, Department of Archaeology. 30/01/1984. Digital (scanned as PDF).
- --- SHG2597 Text/Publication/Volume: NSA. 1845. The new statistical account of Scotland by the ministers of the respective parishes under the superintendence of a committee of the society for the benefit of the sons and daughters of the clergy. Vol. 15, (Caithness),.
- --- SHG310 Text/Publication/Monograph: Lamb, R G. 1980. Iron Age promontory forts in the Northern Isles. BAR British Series. 79. 53, 76.
- <1> SHG27950 Interactive Resource/Online Database: Lock, G. & Ralston, I.. 2017. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. SC2829.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 3636 4737 (100m by 100m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND34NE |
| Civil Parish | WICK |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC2829.html (Link to online Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland site entry)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8959 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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