Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Drumflower Bridge,enclosures and pit alignments east of

A Scheduled Monument in Mid Galloway and Wigtown West, Dumfries and Galloway

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 54.8808 / 54°52'50"N

Longitude: -4.8958 / 4°53'44"W

OS Eastings: 214332

OS Northings: 557841

OS Grid: NX143578

Mapcode National: GBR GH9T.07J

Mapcode Global: WH2SG.RLW6

Entry Name: Drumflower Bridge,enclosures and pit alignments E of

Scheduled Date: 14 October 1993

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM5790

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: palisaded enclosure; Prehistoric ritual and funerary: pit alignm

Location: Old Luce

County: Dumfries and Galloway

Electoral Ward: Mid Galloway and Wigtown West

Traditional County: Wigtownshire

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a palisaded enclosure (probably a domestic settlement), a pit-defined enclosure and an avenue of pits (probably of ritual significance), all part of an extensive complex of Neolithic and/or Bronze Age date. These features are all represented by cropmarks visible on oblique aerial photographs.

The palisaded enclosure is sub-circular with a diameter of

approximately 70m. There are indications of possible internal circular structures, but the background geology of the field masks much of the detail of these features. Some 60-70m SW of the enclosure are the remains of a series of pit-defined features. An avenue formed by a double alignment of pits runs NNE-SSW for approximately 50m. It appears to be centrally situated within a pit-defined annular enclosure some 120m in diameter, although only the W arc of the latter is unambiguous. Numerous other pits and possible annular features are located around these principal features.

The area to be scheduled encompasses the visible features and an area around them in which traces of associated activity may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 260m WNW-ESE by 240m as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to add to our understanding of prehistoric ritual or religious practice. The pit-defined features form part of a wider ritual landscape including the important regional centre at Dunragit, some 500m to the E. Together these monuments can provide significant information regarding the nature of ritual or religious practice in the Neolithic and/or Bronze Age. The palisaded enclosure has the potential to increase our understanding of the relationships between settlement and ritual in Scottish prehistory. It is possible that the two sites form part of a single, extensive complex. In this context the existence of a possible settlement, represented by the Drumflower palisaded enclosure, may represent a rare settlement component of a large ritual or relgious complex.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NX 15 NW 25.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.