Monument record MHG2038 - Gote O'Tram Fort

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred ND 3673 4796 (100m by 100m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet ND34NE
Old County CAITHNESS
Civil Parish WICK
Geographical Area CAITHNESS

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

The remains of a fort at ND 3674 4796 (info from R G Lamb, Birmingham Univ). It consists of a ditch with inner rampart drawn across the neck of a cliff-girt promontory enclosing an irregular area measuring approximately 70m NW-SE by 40m transversely. The ditch, running N-S, appears to have been truncated in the N by erosion of the cliff, and is now only 7m long, 3.5m in width, and 1.5 deep, with natural rock showing in its W side, indicating that it may be partly rock-cut. Between it and the cliff in the S a gap 1.5m wide has been left, presumably for an entrance. The denuded earthen rampart on the inner lip of the ditch measures about 3m wide by 0.8m high. The interior is featureless.
Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (I S S) 8 March 1972.

This promontory fort belongs to a class in which an apparently weak fortification protects a very restricted area. The landward approach to ditch runs through a slight hollow beneath turf banks but this may be recent disturbance.
R G Lamb 1980.

The fort and defences are as described above.
Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (J B) 2 September 1982.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • --- Text/Publication/Monograph: Lamb, R G. 1980. Iron Age promontory forts in the Northern Isles. BAR British Series. 79. 68, 75.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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