General
History
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Romans
The Roman Road
Double Dykes
The Roman Road
In 80AD Governor Cnaeus Julius Agricola led a Roman army of 20,000 men
into Scotland establishing forts between the Clyde and the Forth. To
control this new frontier the Romans set about building a network of
roads. In Scotland the route of the roads were determined by the
contours of the land along valleys still used today by modern rail and
road networks. Roman roads are evidenced today by their raised surfaces
in the countryside, by observation on maps, farm-tracks, field
boundaries, place-names indicating roads, from the air and quarry pits
used in their building. When an excavation of a Roman road takes place,
a lower stratum of large cobbles are found, some six metres across
topped with small stones and gravel and flanked often by drainage
gullies. Roman roads are well known for their straightness, but due to
the complexity of Scotland’s geographical contours these roads were
often not straight, especially when following a river. Distances along
the roads were marked by milestones, of which only one survives in
Scotland, from Ingliston. Many more may lie undiscovered.
Stonehouse can lay claim to having part of the Roman road system
running through the parish. It is said that of all the Roman roads in
Scotland only 50 miles are proven routes. The stretch through the
parish of Stonehouse is among those in evidence. This road can be seen
at Dykehead by taking the road up Sidehead Road to Avondyke Training
Centre. Two field boundaries South of Dykehead farm lie just beyond the
training centre. Go left through a metal field gate and follow the
fence downhill to another gate. From there onwards the raised mound is
viewed from the left edge of the field. The embankment stands half a
metre high, and can be followed on foot for two kilometres to Gill
farmhouse. A slight ridge is all that remains of this causeway near the
farm of Tanhill. The Roman road can also be evidenced on the opposite
side of the road leading past the Chapel Farm to Sandford Road and
thence to Loudonhill.
The Roman road is situated on the highest point of the parish, peaking
at 735 feet in the area of Dykehead. Unfortunately, the road has
suffered through drainage, ploughing and fencing, and by 1836 evidence
of existence had become confined to the Greenburn area. In 1938 paving
in the form of large stones was still to be seen, South of Chapel Farm.
In 1836 came the opening of the Edinburgh to Ayr turnpike road with
access to Canderside toll. The Roman road, like the turnpike road
appeared to have been built from Ayr to Edinburgh as a supply route
passing through the forts at Castledykes and Allanton near Loudon Hill.
The Roman road through Stonehouse was formerly known as the ‘Deil’s
causey’, as those of superstitious belief
believed the Devil had a hand in its making.
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Double Dykes
At the Eastern side of the parish, South of Ringsdale
castle the river
Avon and the Cander water converge on the steep banks of the Avon
gorge. The tapering piece of land between these streams is known as
Double Dykes.
This site is adjacent to an old stone quarry in the Avon gorge, hence
the name of the right of way leading to this site known as ‘Quarry road
end’. About a quarter of a mile from the apex, two to three ramparts
and walls are seen from North to South in a semi- circular fashion,
forming defences for the base of the triangle. In some areas the walls
can still be seen and in others broken down due to much of the stone
being taken away for building purposes nearby (according to Robert
Naismith).
The origins of these defences are uncertain, Naismith suggests it may
have been a Roman fort. It may well have been a fortlet, a smaller
version of a fort designed to house no more than 50-80 men in one or
two barrack blocks. Fortlets usually had a single gate through the
rampart, with a timber tower above, with one or two ditches beyond.
Fortlets are found in Scotland at intermediate points along major
roads, or at river crossings. The fort may even be older dating to the
Iron Age. Whatever its origins, its defences must have been nigh
impregnable. In 1972 the Royal Commission of Ancient and Historical
Monuments of Scotland surveyed the site, but found no internal
structures behind the dykes. However, lines can be seen at certain
times of the year and suggest that a more detailed survey may be
required to ascertain the origins of this historical site. In the early
1990’s Channel 4’s Time Time showed an interest in the site but due to
other projects did not pursue investigations further.
A fortalice is ‘a small outwork of fortification or fortress’. Naismith
states “The old fortalice
of Cander
commanded an excellent position of
the banks of Cander Water, and it seems to have been in decay in 1700”.
He
further points out that this fortalice at Cander stood near to the
town and belonged to a branch of the Hamilton Family. I can find no
recordings of any castle or fort on the Cander. I am uncertain if
Naismith is referring to Double Dykes, or possibly the site of the
present Candermains farm, which is close to the village and has an
excellent view of the Cander.
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