Arthur's O'on (Scots: Oven) was a stone building thought to be Roman temple that, until 1743, stood on rising ground above the north bank of the River Carron not far from the old Carron ironworks in Stenhousemuir, near Falkirk, Scotland. The structure is thought to be the 'stone house' which gave its name to Stenhousemuir. Early historians discussed historical and mythical associations with the site and by 1200 the estate of Stenhouse on which it stood had been named after it.
One manuscript of the Historia Brittonum by Nennius refers to Arthur's O'on as a "round house of polished stone" by the River Carron, attributing it to Carausius, in a passage primarily referring to Septimius Severus. John of Fordun in the 14th century recorded in his Chronica Gentis Scotorum that the structure was built by Julius Caesar to mark the northern limit of the Roman Empire, and another more fanciful belief that was once popular was that Caesar used it as a secure quarters in which he slept, the building being dismantled stone by stone to be re-assembled at the emperor's next stop for the night. George Buchanan in the 16th century saw it as a memorial to some great Roman victory over the Scots. In this tradition, the building commemorated a victory of the Roman emperor Vespasian at Camelon and his capture of the jewelled crown and regalia of the Pictish kings.
In a Charter to Newbattle Abbey (Midlothian) in 1293 a reference is made to furnus Arthur (Latin for "Arthur's Oven"), indicating that it was a well established feature and of unknown origin even at that relatively early date.
Henry Sinclair, Dean of Glasgow about 1560, calls it Arthur's Huif; and Alexander Gordon speaks of it as Arthur's Hoff. Julius's Hoff is also recorded. Hoff and Huif (cf. Old English hof: "house", "hall") are Scots for a house or hall.
A road to Alloa and Airth passed by the back of the Forge Row and through the Stenhouse estate; Arthur's O'on stood on the north-east side of this road. Early historians often discuss it along with the Roman fort at Camelon.
The building was on the declivity of rising ground, supported by a basement of stones, projecting out from below the lowest course of the building; it was so far from being upon a level area, that a great part of the basement, and four courses of the stones on the south side, were hidden in the earth. The marks of three or four steps, which may have formerly led from the ground to the entrance of the building, were visible at one time.
The traces of a broad ditch could be seen at one time on the northern side; suggesting that a regular vallum (rampart) and fosse (ditch) had once surrounded the building.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Arthur's O'on (Scots: Oven) was a stone building thought to be Roman temple that, until 1743, stood on rising ground above the north bank of the River Carron not far from the old Carron ironworks in Stenhousemuir, near Falkirk, Scotland. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a temple site from the Roman period in Britain.
Arthur's O'On is classified as a Roman temple — a religious site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Colani(c)a? (2.4 km), Falkirk (3 km), Watling Lodge (3.4 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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