Description

The monument comprises the remains of a fort of prehistoric date represented by cropmarks visible on oblique aerial photographs.

The monument lies on the summit of a NW-SE running ridge at around 180m OD, commanding extensive views over the East Lothian coastal plain. The fort is defined by a series of at least 7 concentric narrow ditches and palisades, none of which appears to be continuous for the whole circuit, making entrances hard to identify. The fort is sub-circular with an approximate diameter of 100m.

Excavations on a small area of the defences demonstrated that the sites had a complex history of construction and refortification, possibly over many centuries. The N and W parts of the circuit are not visible on the available aerial photographs and may have been more adversely

affected by ploughing than the visible part of the circuit.

Although no internal features are visible on the aerial photographs the excavations carried out on the site in the early 1980s demonstrated the presence of sub-circular internal buildings.

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 360m E-W 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 settlement development and domestic organisation in the prehistoric period. The surviving internal structures may also be expected to contain highly significant information on prehistoric house construction and the economy of the site.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT 67 SE 5.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland