Dunduff
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RCAHMS pencil plane table survey plan and profile drawing, and half size reduction. RCAHMS Date 8/9/1955 Copyright RCAHMSItem DP147613
Organisation
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
Canmore ID40936
Site TypeEARTHWORK
CountyAYRSHIRE
ParishMAYBOLE
CouncilSOUTH AYRSHIRE
NGRNS 2700 1635
Latitude, Longitude55.41046N, 4.734258W
Images
Archaeological Notes
NS21NE 6 2700 1635.
(NS 2700 1635) Fort (NR)
OS 6" map (1970)
There is a fort (Smith) or enclosure (NSA) near Dunduff Castle. A rocky knoll, locally called the Danes' Hill, has two ramparts and a medial ditch drawn round its SW end. The area of the fort is 37 paces by 52; its surface is very irregular, and its sides are precipitous and rocky, except next to the rampart.
J Smith 1895; NSA 1845 (G Gray)
This fort is as described. The remains comprise a broad, flat-bottomed ditch with a high outer rampart and a lesser one on the SW side of the fort above the scarp of the ditch. The latter stands 1.0m above the interior of the fort in one place, but elsewhere it is only a course of stones for a short distance to the S. The outer rampart is 2.0m high. There are no traces of any fortifications above the craggy slopes on the N and E. The entrance was probably from the W where there is a gradual slope leading to a break in the ramparts. Any possible outer ditch has been obliterated by ploughing.
Visible on APs (540/680/3073-4).
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JLD) 13 December 1955 and (RD) 14 March 1967
This may have been an early medieval ring-work.
E J Talbot 1974
This fort is basically as described above and measures internaly some 50.0m N-S by 35.0m transversely. The medial ditch on the W side is flat-bottomed and must once have been considerably deeper; it extended northwards to meet the steep rockface along the N side. The interior is undulating with protruding living rock in places but is otherwise featureless. The steep rockfaces provide natural defences on three sides. The entrance is not evident but it was probably on the W side
(cf NS20NE 6 and NX18NW 12).
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JRL) 22 July 1977
This earthwork is situated on a rocky knoll 170m W of Dunduff Castle. The only visible defences are on the SW, where there are twin ramparts with a medial ditch, but elsewhere the earthwork is protected by steep rocky slopes. On the WSW the inner rampart measures up to 4.7m in thickness by 1m in height; to the S, however, it has been reduced to little more than a scarp, and to the N it stops 12m short of the rocky outcrop that forms the NW side of the knoll, possibly marking the site of the entrance. The ditch is flat-bottomed, measuring up to 9.2m in breadth by 0.9m in depth, and its inner lip, a scarp about 0.6m high, runs past the gap in the inner rampart unbroken. The outer rampart measures up to 7.9m in thickness by 1.3m in height. The interior measures about 43m from NNW to SSE by 28m transversely. There is no evidence to support the suggestion that this is a medieval ring-work (Talbot 1975) and the date and purpose of the earthwork are unknown.
RCAHMS 1985, visited (SH) March 1985
NS21NE 6 2700 1635.
(NS 2700 1635) Fort (NR)
OS 6" map (1970)
There is a fort (Smith) or enclosure (NSA) near Dunduff Castle. A rocky knoll, locally called the Danes' Hill, has two ramparts and a medial ditch drawn round its SW end. The area of the fort is 37 paces by 52; its surface is very irregular, and its sides are precipitous and rocky, except next to the rampart.
J Smith 1895; NSA 1845 (G Gray)
This fort is as described. The remains comprise a broad, flat-bottomed ditch with a high outer rampart and a lesser one on the SW side of the fort above the scarp of the ditch. The latter stands 1.0m above the interior of the fort in one place, but elsewhere it is only a course of stones for a short distance to the S. The outer rampart is 2.0m high. There are no traces of any fortifications above the craggy slopes on the N and E. The entrance was probably from the W where there is a gradual slope leading to a break in the ramparts. Any possible outer ditch has been obliterated by ploughing.
Visible on APs (540/680/3073-4).
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JLD) 13 December 1955 and (RD) 14 March 1967
This may have been an early medieval ring-work.
E J Talbot 1974
This fort is basically as described above and measures internaly some 50.0m N-S by 35.0m transversely. The medial ditch on the W side is flat-bottomed and must once have been considerably deeper; it extended northwards to meet the steep rockface along the N side. The interior is undulating with protruding living rock in places but is otherwise featureless. The steep rockfaces provide natural defences on three sides. The entrance is not evident but it was probably on the W side
(cf NS20NE 6 and NX18NW 12).
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JRL) 22 July 1977
This earthwork is situated on a rocky knoll 170m W of Dunduff Castle. The only visible defences are on the SW, where there are twin ramparts with a medial ditch, but elsewhere the earthwork is protected by steep rocky slopes. On the WSW the inner rampart measures up to 4.7m in thickness by 1m in height; to the S, however, it has been reduced to little more than a scarp, and to the N it stops 12m short of the rocky outcrop that forms the NW side of the knoll, possibly marking the site of the entrance. The ditch is flat-bottomed, measuring up to 9.2m in breadth by 0.9m in depth, and its inner lip, a scarp about 0.6m high, runs past the gap in the inner rampart unbroken. The outer rampart measures up to 7.9m in thickness by 1.3m in height. The interior measures about 43m from NNW to SSE by 28m transversely. There is no evidence to support the suggestion that this is a medieval ring-work (Talbot 1975) and the date and purpose of the earthwork are unknown.
RCAHMS 1985, visited (SH) March 1985
