east-lothian-1924/05-249

Transcription

YESTER.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [YESTER.

at the north-west end of a spur of the Lammer-
muirs, about 300 yards east of Kidlaw steading,
is a fine fort (fig. 189) roughly circular in shape
and measuring some 370 feet in diameter inter-
nally. From the fort the ground falls with a
fairly steep slope to the west and north to the
Kidlaw Burn, which flows round the base of
the hill about 150 feet below ; to the north-
east, before the ground falls away to the
stream, a small knowe intervenes, and to the
south-east the hill rises with a gentle ascent.
There are two well-defined entrances, one to
the south-south-east about 24 feet broad,

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 189.-Fort, Kidlaw (No. 259).

which however does not here continue through
the inmost rampart, and a second to the west-
south-west 22 feet broad. Several other gaps
appear in the northern segment of the outer
wall, but, as they are not continued through the
inner defences, they have probably been made
at a late period. All the ramparts seem to
have been of stone and earth, but the stones for
the greater part have been removed.
Two ramparts encircle the fort. The ends of
the inner rampart at the west-south-western
entrance are not exactly opposite, the western
arc swinging outwards some 50 feet beyond the
line of the southern arc. From the south of
this entrance the second rampart has been
erected about 32 feet distant from the inner

154

rampart, but in passing the south-south-east
entrance it curves outwards, till it is about
75 feet distant, and is continued round the
eastern and northern arcs, closing in again on
the north-western segment. From the entrance
at the south-south-east a smaller rampart
10 feet broad, 1 foot in height, returns north-
wards for 100 yards at a distance of 30 feet
from the inner and 35 feet from the second
rampart. Round the south-western quadrant
a further outer rampart has been formed.
The fort is in this way defended round the
southern half of the circle, where it is most
assailable, by three ramparts (fig. 190), while
on the northern half there are only two. A fine
section of the defences is seen on the south-west,
where the inner rampart 17 feet wide at the

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 190-Section, Kidlaw (No. 259).

base rises 1 foot on the inside and 7 feet on the
outside ; the next 32 feet distant is
broadened out to a width of 21 feet and is
3 feet high on the inside and 6 1/2 feet on the
outside, while the outermost is 16 feet broad,
2 1/2 feet high on the inside, 5 1/2 on the outside and
17 feet distant from the second rampart.
A number of hut circles overgrown with
grass can be traced within the fort, one group
lying in the north-eastern segment of the
circle, 18 feet from the wall, being composed
of three impinging circles, two having an
inside diameter of 21 feet and the third being
rather smaller with an interior diameter of
14 feet. Two others also touching and meas-
uring 17 feet in diameter in the interior, and
probably a third, are placed towards the
south-east, while an oblong enclosure 40 feet
long by 32 feet broad with a hut circle 10 feet
in diameter in the north-western corner lies
against the western arc of the wall.

xv. S.W. 21 May 1913.

ENCLOSURE.

260. Enclosure, Townhead of Duncanlaw.-
On a gentle declivity facing the west at the