Iron Age

Humbleton Hill, Wooler, Northumberland

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Hillfort: OS Grid Reference – NT 96706 28252

Also Known as:

Cup and Saucer Camp

Archaeology & History

On our first visit to Wooler, in seeking out (and not finding!) a cup-and-ring stone alongside the old burn just on the northern side of town, we looked up at the ridged hillside of Humbleton Hill ahead of us and proclaimed, something along the lines of: “That look’s like something man-made up there!” And so it turned out. But the heat of the summer kept us from ascending the hill, so just an old account must be penned, from the quill of the great rock art pioneer George Tate (Home & Tate 1857) who, following a visit here in May 1852 with various members of the Berwickshire Natural History Society, penned the following:

“On the north side of Humbleton burn is a conical hill truncated at the top, and rising abruptly about 100 feet above the level of the burn; the slope, though considerable, is less steep on the other sides. This was one of the strongholds of the ancient Hritons. A rampier (now obliterated) ran around that part of the hill not protected by the ravine of the burn. The summit of the hill is 180 yards in circumference, having a hollow in the centre of the area; it is surrounded by a rampier of stone and earth, which is yet in some parts 3 feet high. This entrenchment is commonly called ‘The Cup and Saucer Camp’.”

The Hillfort itself is in very good condition overall, is very extensive and has a very clear series of walled ramparts all round the summit of the hill. It has yet to be excavated.

Folklore

The local folk-name given to this old hillfort—the Cup and Saucer Camp—related to the shape and lay-out of the enclosure, and with it, the tradition that the chiefs of the tribe inhabited the topmost enclosed section of the hillfort: the so-called ‘Cup’; whilst the tribal familes inhabited the realms immmediately outside and below the chief’s domain: the so-called surrounding ‘Saucer’. On the northern edges of the outer ‘saucer’ walls are several ‘hut circles’ (for want of a better term), that would house people, or their animals—or both.

References:

Home, Robert & Tate, G., “Address to the Members at the Anniversary Meeting, held at Embleton, Sept 8, 1852,” in Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club, volume 3, 1857.

Darnbogue, Cowie, Stirlingshire

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Enclosure: OS Grid Reference – NS 8618 8848

Also Known as:

Castleton (north)
Darnbog

Archaeology & History

In the fields immediately above the northernmost of the Castleton petroglyphs, there was, in bygone times, a prehistoric settlement, forgotten and cast even from folk memory until very recently, when aerial photography revealed the ghostly outline of its former existence. Similar in design, but somewhat smaller than the prehistoric Gallamuir enclosure a half-mile southwest of the Castleton carvings, this double-ringed oval enclosure—thought by archaeologists to have been defined all round with large wooden stakes, or palisaded—measures, from outer edge to outer edge, 65 yards (SE to NW) across its longer axis, by 55 yards (SW to NE). The gap between the trenches that define the inner and outer wooden ‘walls’ is between five and six yards apart all round it. The entrance to the enclosure seems to have been on its southeastern side—although an excavation is needed to be sure about this. Sadly, almost nothing can be seen of the site at ground level. An archaeo-dig would be a good idea. 🙂

‘Palisade enclosures’ tend to be neolithic in origin and were in use for many centuries, sweeping into the Bronze Age. I highlight this long period in time due to the proximity of the extensive and very ornate cup-and-ring carvings that start just 300 yards southwest of the settlement on the first rock outcrop that you meet. It’s a good one too! Petroglyphs were also created mainly during the neolithic and Bronze Age periods; and as the enclosure here is on the slight rise in the land overlooking the various small rocky ridges below, many of which are decorated in ornate cup-and-rings, it’s likely that some of the people who lived here were probably the people who did them…

Gallamuir, Cowie, Stirlingshire

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Settlement: OS Grid Reference – NS 8455 8772

Archaeology & History

Just over a half-mile (1km) south-west of the major rock art complex at Castleton, in the fields just east of Gallamuir Farm on the north side of the B9124 road, could once be seen a decent double-ringed enclosure, prehistoric in nature. At ground level today there is nothing to be seen as agricultural practices have ever so slowly eroded it away. It wasn’t in a good state when the dudes from Royal Commission (1963) had a look at it in October, 1951—although they did tell us that some faint remnants were discernible, but it was fading fast! They wrote:

“No traces of this structure can normally be seen on the surface, but at the date of visit, when the site was covered with wheat stubble, stretches of both ditches were clearly visible, as shown on the plan (below), by reason of the stronger growth of the stubble overlying them. The ditches are from 20ft to 30ft apart, and the enclosed area measures 300ft from ESE to WNW, by about 240ft transversely. Two narrow gaps in the inner ditch on the north and east arcs respectively, may represent original entrances.”

Nothing remains of it today apart from the shadow-marks of its former existence when looked down from above. The double embankment that constituted the enclosure initially suggested it to be Iron Age in nature, akin to the larger hillforts up and down the country, but the outline is more consistent of a standard settlement enclosure. As far as I’m aware, no excavations have taken place here, so we’re at a loss to know whether the people living here had anything to do with the rock art just across the fields at Castleton. If we found that it had a Bronze Age or neolithic date, a connection could be likely. But we may have to look at the enclosure immediately north of the Castleton complex to be more sure of our petroglyphic culprits….

References:

Lock, Gary & Ralston, Ian, An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland, Edinburgh University Press 2022.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments Scotland, Stirling – volume 2, HMSO: Edinburgh 1963.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Stirling District, Central Region, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 1979.

Dewbottoms (6), Malham Moor, North Yorkshire

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Enclosure: OS Grid Reference – SD 9147 6965

Also Known as:

Dewbottoms (northeast)

Getting Here

From Arncliffe village, walk past the front of the Falcon Inn village pub and along the track called the Monk’s Road. After a short distance it becomes a dirt-track where the old house lives. Less than 200 yards past the old house, a footpath takes you over the wall, then you walk 200+ yards southwest and through another wall, then up the curvaceous footpath diagonally WSW up the steep hill until you go over another wall where the land levels out. Follow the footpath along the edge of the steep drop for just over a mile where you’ll cross the fifth wall (the Clowder (1) enclosure is up above you by the rock outcrop to the left) and 100 yards along, just north of the footpath, you’ll see a large hollow defined by rocks and low walling. You’ve arrived!

Archaeology & History

Amidst the scattered remains of the extensive Dewbottoms settlement complex, this large hollowed walled enclosure is pretty clear to see. Measuring 40 yards north-south across its longest axis and 31 yards east-west, the structure is like an erratic rectangle in shape, with entrances in the middle of its northern wall and, perhaps, another along the southern side too. It’s quite deep too, being several feet lower than the land around it, keeping it protected from any strong winds above: an ingredient that would obviously have been taken into consideration when it was being built. The walling that defines the structure is a contrived mix of Nature’s own semi-circle of earthfast limestone rock, with intermittent gaps filled-in with thousands of small stones placed there by humans, 2-3000 years ago. It’s quite impressive when you see it in the flesh.

The site appears to have an Iron Age to Romano-British pedigree – although I’m hedging a bet that the place was probably still in use during medieval times. The enclosure has the appearance of some sort of prehistoric village hall. There are no hut circles or any other walled structures inside the overall enclosure, meaning it may have been used, perhaps, for tribal village gatherings; or it might just have been a large enclosure for cattle. Only an excavation would tell us one way or the other.

Anyhow, if you’re coming up to see the Dewbottoms complex from Arncliffe, this is the first main thing that you’ll come across. From here, to your immediate south and west, there’s a mass of prehistory beneath your feet. Make a long day out of it as you’re gonna be somewhat overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all.

References:

Charlesworth, D., ‘Iron Age Settlements and Field Systems,’ in Proceedings of the Archaeological Journal, 125, 1968.
Dixon, John & Phillip, Journeys through Brigantia – volume 2, Aussteiger: Barnoldswick 1990.
Raistrick, Arthur & Holmes, Paul F., Archaeology of Malham Moor, Headley Brothers: London 1961.

Loch Moraig, Bridge of Tilt, Blair Atholl, Perthshire

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Hut Circles: OS Grid Reference – NN 9047 6722

Getting Here

Along the B8079 road in Blair Atholl village, take the minor road signposted to the Bridge of Tilt. After half-a-mile, where the road splits, keep to the right and head further uphill and, where the almost-track-like road splits again another quarter mile up, bear to the right again and just keep going uphill for nearly two miles until your reach the large car-park on the left. Park here. Note the long straight line of walling on the top-side of the car-park that runs to the NW. Walk along the other side of the wall and, after 100 yards, you go down the marshy dip and, once it rises up onto the small rise, truly truly truly keep your eyes peeled to see what lays beneath your feet. They’re there – honestly!

Archaeology & History

As the years drift by, the remains of these two hut circles—separated barely ten yards from each other—have become increasingly difficult to see. Upon our visit here, the hillside vegetation was at its lowest at the end of the Winter, yet it was still difficult to see them clearly, even when we stood right in them! The land here is marshy and it’s spreading more and more into the soil, slowly but surely taking these old circles back to Earth, where all things return….

The circles—and their half-dozen companions on the far-side of the wall—were shown to the archaeologist Margaret Stewart in the 1960s by the farmer at Monzie, who made notebooks of various places and traditions in this area. Both of them are between 12 and 13 yards across, with the outlining walls that define them still thankfully visible above ground level—just! The hut circle that’s closest to the modern wall is more oval-shaped than its circular companion, both of whom have their respective doors or entrances on the southwestern sides—but these were equally difficult to make out when we came here.

To be honest, if you’re wanting to see the hut circles, I’d head for those on the other side of the wall, two or three hundred yards to the west, which are much easier to find and are in better condition.

Acknowledgements: To my awesome Naomi – for getting us up here.

Balnabroich, Kirkmichael, Perthshire

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Cairn: OS Grid Reference – NO 1008 5695

Getting Here

From Kirkmichael village take the A94 road 2 miles south to the Balnabroich standing stone and another 100 yards past it, on the left (east) take the dirt-track uphill, following the directions to reach the Balnabroich hut circles. You’ll see the large prehistoric rock pile of the Grey Cairn on the near skyline just above the huts and roughly on the same level, 50 yards away to the south, you’ll see this scruffy lumpy dump of a cairn, all overgrown.

Archaeology & History

Amidst the veritable scatter of a thousand clearance cairns (yes, that’s the estimate), there are a few up here that had more funerary functions than the rest. This being one of them. When Allan Stewart (1795) wrote about them all in the Statistical Account, he couldn’t have missed this one—and yet he made no mention of it. We had to wait another seventy years before the outside world became aware of its existence. Then, along with “a band of between twenty and thirty workmen,” John Stuart (1865) set out to see what lay beneath the rocky pile. In truth, much more attention was given to the huge Gray Cairn close by (understandably so), but at least some attention was given here. Stuart described this cairn as,

“about 9 yards across, defined by large boulders, with a raised ridge around, and a cup in the centre. The raised ridges and centre were all formed of small stones and earth. A trench was cut through it from the southeast, which showed that in the centre, at a depth of 2 feet, a deposit had been made, of which the remains were charred wood and fragments of charred bone, with traces of blackish matter, which had filtered into the yellow subsoil, as in the case of the graves at Hartlaw.’ Many fragments of white quartz pebbles appeared near the centre, as in other cairns to the east.”

Indeed, at least one of the “cairns to the east” is made entirely of quartz stones! Since Mr Stuart’s dig into the tomb, it has widened out slightly as rummaging cattle and other damage has been inflicted, and the grasses have coloured the tomb with their life. Check it out when you’re up here!

References:

MacLagan, Christian, The Hill Forts, Stone Circles and other Structural Remains of Ancient Scotland, Edmonston & Douglas: Edinburgh 1875.
Ramsay, John S., Highways and Byways of Strathmore and the Northern Glens, Blairgowrie Advertiser 1927.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, North-East Perth: An Archaeological Landscape, HMSO: Edinburgh 1990.
Stewart, Allan, “Parish of Kirkmichael,” in Statistical Account of Scotland – volume 15, 1795.
Stuart, John, “Account of Excavations in Groups of Cairns, Stone Circles and Hut Circles on Balnabroch, Parish of Kirkmichael, Perthshire,” in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 6, 1865.

Acknowledgements: Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Balnabroich hut (9), Kirkmichael, Perthshire

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Hut Circles: OS Grid Reference – NO 10018 56937

Getting Here

Along the A924 Strathardle road, a couple of miles south of Kirkmichael, about 100 yards south of the Balnabroich standing stone, look out for the dirt-track that runs up the slope on the east side of the road. Go up here, past Stylemouth house and further up the track where it opens out into the fields. Keep heading up the same track and you’ll notice on the near skyline a few hundred yards ahead of you, a mass of stones with a tree growing out of it. That’s the Grey Cairn; and about 75 yards below it, just to the right-side of the path low down in the grasses, you’ll see this hut circle.

Archaeology & History

In an upland area that is literally teeming with ancient remains, this is a good place to start if you’re wanting a day out exploring. It’s the best and easiest of the hut circles to find and is a good indicator of what to look for when you’re seeking out the others close by. This particular prehistoric house has been noted in various books and essays: firstly by the great Scottish antiquarian John Stuart (1868) in his overview of the great mass of sites hereby, saying simply:

“A hut circle on the south-west of the Grey Cairn was dug into around the entrance, in the belief that in this situation articles would probably have been thrown out, but with no result. In the centre, charred wood and minute fragments of bones were found.”

The great Christian MacLagan (1875) came to survey the area shortly after Stuart’s visit, making a series of sketches of some of the circles. She noted fourteen huts hereby, but it’s not totally clear which of them is this particular “hut 9”. It seems to have been her hut circle no.13, which she told “has a central chamber 40 feet in diameter, and its wall is 10 feet broad.” This is pretty close to our modern measurements. From outer wall to outer wall, its east-west axis measures 47 feet, and its north-south axis measures 49 feet. The most notable section of the walling is on is northern and eastern sides where it is deeply embedded into the ground.

When you’re sitting in this hut circle, eating your sandwich or drinking your juice, remember that thousands of years ago someone was doing exactly the same thing in the place where you’re now sat!

Just 70 feet away is hut circle no.10 in this cluster; whilst above this is the massive prehistoric rock pile of the Grey Cairn; and the smaller earth-covered mound above you to the right is another prehistoric burial. A small stone circle is on the moorland level beyond that… There’s plenty to see here.

References:

Coutts, Herbert, Ancient Monuments of Tayside, Dundee Museum 1970.
Harris, Judith, “A Preliminary Survey of Hut-circles and Field Systems in SE Perthshire”, in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 114, 1984.
MacLagan, Christian, The Hill Forts, Stone Circles and other Structural Remains of Ancient Scotland, Edmonston & Douglas: Edinburgh 1875.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, North-East Perth: An Archaeological Landscape, HMSO: Edinburgh 1990.
Stuart, John, “Account of Excavations in Groups of Cairns, Stone Circles and Hut Circles on Balnabroch, Parish of Kirkmichael, Perthshire,” in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 6, 1865.
Thorneycroft, Wallace, “Observations on Hut Circles near the Eastern Border of Perthshire, north of Blairgowrie,” in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 67, 1933.

Acknowledgements: Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Balnabroich hut (10), Kirkmichael, Perthshire

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Hut Circle: OS Grid Reference – NO 09997 56964

Getting Here

From Kirkmichael to the Balnabroich standing stone, take the same directions as if you’re heading up to the Balnabroich hut circle (9). Just over 20 yards NNW of it, on the other side of the faint footpath that takes you to the Grey Cairn, look closely at the ground and you’ll see a broken oval of stones in the grasses.

Archaeology & History

This can be difficult to see in poor light, and I found it easier to look at from above, closer to the Grey Cairn.

It’s one of the twenty (known) hut circles in this archaeologically rich neck o’ the woods. Nothing special to look at, but it is perhaps 4000 years old! This one seems to have been listed by Christian MacLagan (1875) as her hut circle no.12 and which she described briefly, telling that “the central chamber of this circle is 36 feet in diameter, and the surrounding wall is 15 feet broad.” Much of the walling would seem to have been stripped away considerably since MacLagan’s time. The faded remains of its entrance can be seen on its southwestern side.

References:

Coutts, Herbert, Ancient Monuments of Tayside, Dundee Museum 1970.
Harris, Judith, “A Preliminary Survey of Hut-circles and Field Systems in SE Perthshire”, in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 114, 1984.
MacLagan, Christian, The Hill Forts, Stone Circles and other Structural Remains of Ancient Scotland, Edmonston & Douglas: Edinburgh 1875.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, North-East Perth: An Archaeological Landscape, HMSO: Edinburgh 1990.
Stuart, John, “Account of Excavations in Groups of Cairns, Stone Circles and Hut Circles on Balnabroch, Parish of Kirkmichael, Perthshire,” in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 6, 1865.
Thorneycroft, Wallace, “Observations on Hut Circles near the Eastern Border of Perthshire, north of Blairgowrie,” in Proceedings Society Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 67, 1933.

Acknowledgements: Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Down Hill, Glendevon, Perthshire

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Hillfort: OS Grid Reference – NO 0008 0365

Also Known as:

Castle Hill
Dun Hill

Getting Here

Travelling north along the A823 Glendevon road (between Muckhart and Gleneagles), barely 2 miles after Muckhart, on your right you’ll see the large Castlehill reservoir. Park here. Across the waters is the large Down Hill—which the hillfort crowns. So, just walk back the way you came along the road for nearly 600 yards and then turn left to walk onto the other side of the water, round to the very end of the track and then up the path into the trees. Walk along this winding path for 300 yards until you reach the track that takes you (left) up to Downhill Farm. One way or the other, past there, just stagger up to the top of the hill!

Archaeology & History

My only visit here was a short one – when some pretty awesome freezing gales were nearly throwing me off the top once I’d got up there! Twas incredible! On my way to the top, nearly there, on its western side, I stopped and looked each side of me as it looked as if a long overgrown line of embankments was running roughly north-south. It seemed very vague and hillforts aren’t my subject, so with the help of the wind throwing me everywhere, I made my my final zoom to the summit, only to be intruded upon again, perhaps 50 feet from the top by another similar-looking embanked ridge—this time with some stones along it and which I was pretty sure were earthworks, or ramparts as they’re known. And so it turned out to be.

Once on top, the views are superb! But I couldn’t really take it in on my short visit here as the freezing wind was truly incredible and I could barely stand upright. And so I briskly followed to the quite notable stone-walled edges of the main prehistoric “enclosure” and walked round the edges as best I could, hoping that at least one or two of the photos I was taking weren’t too blurred.

The interal “settlement” portion of the hillfort is quite large, obviously, allowing for a good number of people to live here (regardless of the wind!). It’s roughly oblong in shape, aligning northwest to southeast, measuring in length a maximum of 78 yards from outer wall to outer wall, with a maximum width of 30 yards (SW to NE). The collapsed walling is still quite extensive and visible above the long grasses almost all the way round the entire structure, averaging one or two yards across. Near the centre of the fortress is a large pile of stones that seemed to have been a structure of some kind, but when i was here I didn’t hang around for too long to inspect it as I was, by now, bloody freezing! It didn’t seem to be a walker’s cairn, but we need another gander to work out what it might have been.

Curiously this site has had little said about it in archaeo-tomes and to my knowledge, no excavations have happened here. Incredibly, the place wasn’t even recognised as a prehistoric site in official records until the Royal Commission (1963) told of it being “discovered during the survey of marginal lands (1956-58)”! Its very name derives from the word dun, or fort (Watson 1995) and as the place-name writer found out, it was first mentioned in 1542, as Donehill, and many times thereafter in various documents.

Anyhow—check the place out. It’s mightily impressive and the views from the top are excellent. Just avoiding going up there in a freezing gale!

References:

Hogg, A.H.A., British Hill-Forts: An Index, BAR: Oxford 1979.
Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments Scotland, Stirlingshire – volume 1, HMSO: Edinburgh 1963.
Watson, Angus, The Ochils: Placenames, History, Tradition, PKDC: Perth 1995.

Acknowledgements: Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Stroness (3), Fowlis Wester, Perthshire

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Cup-and-Ring Stone: OS Grid Reference – NN 9285 2754

Getting Here

If you can make your way to the Stroness (2) carving, then walk down the slope for less than 50 yards past quite a few other earthfast stones, you’ll eventually run into the stone shown here in the photos. You’ll find it easily enough.

Archaeology & History

This carving was found when I was heading down the hillside to meet up with my antiquarian colleague 500 yards lower down. The sun was just setting, so visibility wasn’t good, but as I rushed from stone to stone feeling each one in the hope of finding a carving, this one gave my fingers that distinct feedback of a cup-marking; then another; and what seemed like another. I had a small amount of water left in a bottle and quickly sprayed it over the surface of the stone and saw that there were indeed a number of cups on it. Two or three certainly – but possibly as many as five. I laid on the wet ground and looked across its even surface from several angles and caught what seemed to be a very faint semi-circle around one of the cups. But I wasn’t sure it was real. However, on a number of quick photos I took, several of them do appear to show such an arc around one of the cups. But I’m very cautious about it. Only when we (or you) go back up and have a look at it in good light will we be able to affirm or discount it.

One additional feature that needs mentioning is a small low arc of walling just above this stone. It’s man-made, it’s very old, but I couldn’t work out what it might be: hut circle, cairn (there’s one further up the hill), enclosure walling. I’m not sure, but it needs to be looked at when we have a full day.