Description

The monument comprises the remains of a Roman camp represented by cropmarks visible on oblique aerial photographs.

The monument lies in open arable ground between Burnbrae and St John of the Cross RC Church in Twechar village. The monument lies on the brow of an E-W ridge of higher ground, overlooking the line of the Antonine Wall 200m to the N. Only part of the camp survives in the open field, as the north-eastern half has been built over.

The monument originally comprised a rectangular camp defended by a rampart of turf and earth and a single ditch. The defences have been flattened by ploughing but the ditch still survives and shows up as a dark line on aerial photographs. The camp would have housed soldiers who were building the Antonine Wall, and therefore forms part of the frontier complex.

The area to be scheduled encompasses the temporary camp and an area around it in which traces of associated activity may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 224m N-S by 154m as marked in red on the accompanying map. The above-ground portions of all electricity poles, walls and fences are excluded from this scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of Roman fortifications. The ditches and interior of the camp may be expected to contain material relating to the construction of Roman defensive structures as well as the social and economic background of the sites. The camp is also associated with the internationally important Antonine Wall, and would have housed soldiers employed in construction of the Wall.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NS 67 NE 11.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland