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Latitude: 55.2527 / 55°15'9"N
Longitude: -4.8509 / 4°51'3"W
OS Eastings: 218896
OS Northings: 599095
OS Grid: NX188990
Mapcode National: GBR 40.C5BT
Mapcode Global: WH2QR.G78K
Entry Name: Girvan Mains, Roman camps, linear cropmark and enclosure
Scheduled Date: 17 February 1993
Last Amended: 30 July 1998
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Source ID: SM5596
Schedule Class: Cultural
Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: enclosure (ritual or funerary); Roman: camp
Location: Girvan
County: South Ayrshire
Electoral Ward: Girvan and South Carrick
Traditional County: Ayrshire
The monument consists of the cropmarks of two Roman temporary camps, various linear cropmarks and a circular enclosure which have been revealed by aerial photographs on gravel subsoil in the level fields to the NW, S and E of Girvan Mains farm steading.
The monument is being rescheduled so that the protected area is reduced in size to exclude those parts where fieldwork has demonstrated that archaeological remains are unlikely to have survived.
Of the large, sub-rectangular camp (located at NGR NX192992) much of the E side, about half of the N and W sides and the rounded NE angle have been recorded on aerial photographs. Search has failed to find an E entrance, which may have been destroyed by a railway cutting or recent roadworks, although the W entrance is clear. The camp would have enclosed an area of about 55 acres. The second camp (NGR NX188990) is situated immediately W of the first and on a different alignment. Lengths of the NE and SE sides have been located. The topography of the site makes it unlikely that the area will ever have exceeded 15 acres. The discovery of a fragment of first century AD glass vessel in the primary ditch of this camp, has led to the suggestion that these were bases used by the forces of Agricola during the campaigns mentioned by Tacitus as relating to a planned descent upon Ireland. An arc of ditch, part of a small circular enclosure, has been revealed about 20m E of the NE angle of the Roman temporary camp.
The area to be scheduled measures 940m from its easternmost to its westernmost point and 690m from its northernmost to its southernmost point, to include all the cropmarks and an area around in which associated remains may survive, as marked in red on the attached map extract.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric settlement and economy.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Bibliography
The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NN90NE 5.
Aerial photographs used:
1. RCAHMS (1982)PT/10308
2. RCAHMS (1982)PT/10309
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
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