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Roman Temporary Camp and prehistoric enclosure, 200m south west and 190m ENE of Girvan Mains farm

A Scheduled Monument in Girvan and South Carrick, South Ayrshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.253 / 55°15'10"N

Longitude: -4.8505 / 4°51'1"W

OS Eastings: 218927

OS Northings: 599128

OS Grid: NX189991

Mapcode National: GBR 40.C5G0

Mapcode Global: WH2QR.G7HB

Entry Name: Roman Temporary Camp and prehistoric enclosure, 200m SW and 190m ENE of Girvan Mains farm

Scheduled Date: 17 February 1993

Last Amended: 9 May 2023

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM5596

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: enclosure (domestic or defensive); Prehistoric ritual and funera

Location: Girvan

County: South Ayrshire

Electoral Ward: Girvan and South Carrick

Traditional County: Ayrshire

Description

The monument comprises the buried remains of two overlapping Roman temporary camps, probably dating to the late first century AD, and a prehistoric enclosure visible on oblique aerial photographs as cropmarked features. The monument is located on gently sloping cultivated ground overlooking the Ayrshire coastline, at approximately 15m above sea level.

The north, west and parts of its east sides of the easternmost sub-rectangular camp are visible in aerial photographs. For the westernmost camp, only its southeast side is visible as two lengths of ditch,130m and 145m in length. The easternmost camp measures approximately 590m east to west by approximately 370m north to south and it encloses an area of approximately 22 hectares. The remains of a glass vessel found in the area  and thought to date to the late first century AD, indicates that the camps may have functioned  as part of the Agricolan military campaign in Scotland. The remains of a circular enclosure thought to be prehistoric in origin is located to the east of the northeast corner of the easternmost camp. It measures approximately 28m in diameter.  

The scheduled area is irregular and is in two parts. It includes the remains described above and an area around them in which associated remains may be expected to survive, as marked in red on the attached map extract. The scheduling extends up to but does not include modern boundary features such as stone walling and post and wire fencing. The southeastern boundary to the scheduled monument is located at 20m from the property boundaries of Knockavalley cottages located on Golf Course Road.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric settlement and economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation


Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/62049/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/62057/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/71541/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/374263/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/62070/


HER/SMR Reference

11416
11408
12036

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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