Description

The monument comprises the remains of a defended settlement of the Iron Age, visible as a series of earthworks. The site is situated on gently sloping ground on the SSW side of Cockgair Hill, at 275m OD. The monument was first scheduled in 1987 but an inadequate area was included to protect all of the archaeological remains: the present rescheduling rectifies this. The sub-circular settlement measures about 41m in diameter internally, bounded by a stony bank (between 1m and 1.5m above the base of the ditch) with a slight external ditch (up to 3m in width). A low concentric rampart lies some 16m inside the outer bank; within this there are faint traces of a possible secondary settlement. Scoops and platforms within the area seem to show the position of contemporary house stances. A modern track skirts the enclosure on the south and south-east of the outer bank; a small quarry 10m from the N bank seems to have supplied the stone for its construction. Inside the enclosure is a large 19th-century sheepfold; its erection, however, has caused only superficial damage to the monument. The area to be scheduled is irregular in shape, to include the remains described and an area around them within which evidence relating to their construction, use and abandonment may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The above-ground elements of the post-and-wire fences that cross the monument are specifically excluded from the scheduling, as are the above-ground elements of the sheep stell.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the past, in particular later prehistoric settlement enclosures, forts and associated features. This contribution extends to their location within the landscape and the relationship between them, as well as the Iron-Age society that created and inhabited them. Its importance is increased by its proximity to other monuments of potentially contemporary date.The loss of the monument would impede our ability to understand the nature of later prehistoric activity, not just in eastern Dumfries and Galloway but across Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NY28SE 8

Source: Historic Environment Scotland