centred 6059 3712. Roman Fort (R) (site of) Roman Coin found AD 1831 (NAT). In 1837, the Roman fort near Loudoun Hill was fairly well preserved; by 1938 the defences had been much reduced, and in 1955 it was completely destroyed by gravel digging. Excavations carried out by Dr St Joseph in 1938 and later, revealed five periods of occupation, four of them Flavian. A temporary fort, rather more than an acre in area, defended by a ditch and perhaps a palisade, was followed by a second enclosure, defined by a large ditch cutting off the level summit of the plateau (1 1/2 acres) from rest of the hill. An annexe, also of about 1 1/2 acres, was attached to this enclosure. No buildings were associated with either of these periods. After part of the site had been levelled, a permanent fort, measuring about 260ft by 475ft within the ramparts, was laid out and equipped with timber buildings. The next period was marked by a complete rebuilding of the commandant's house. Some sheds were also rebuilt, but the rest of the fort did not appear to be involved in the reconstruction. In the Antonine period, the fort was equipped with a new ditch system and on one side, a broader rampart, but only here and there had traces of internal wooden buildings survived. To judge from the small finds, which included two silver coins of Domitian, a bronze lamp, querns and iron work, the Antonine occupation was not a prolonged one. The proportion of Flavian to Antonine pottery is high. Filled-in sleeper-trenches and empty holes from which the main gate-posts had been pulled out, indicated a deliberate demolition when the site was finally abandoned. Air photographs taken in 1953 show clearly the course of the two ditches that enclose an annexe attached to the SE of the fort (J K St Joseph 1955). The coin found in 1831 was a denarius of Augustus; it was in the possession of T Brown, the estate proprietor, in 1837. Fragments of Roman pottery from the fort site are in Paisley Museum, donated in 1952-3 by Mrs C H Rock. J K St Joseph 1952; 1949; 1947; NSA 1845 (R Stirling); Paisley Museum 1953 When visited in 1962, most of this fort had been destroyed by sand and gravel quarrying operations. At the S corner, some earthworks of the SE annexe of the fort remained. A bank ran from the quarry fence downhill for about 50.0m; this appeared to be the continuation of a field baulk which continued towards the road. Another bank, 1.2m high, bifurcated from it and curved slightly SSW for a short distance before turning sharply E to meet the baulk again.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
centred 6059 3712. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Loudoun Hill is classified as a Roman fort — a military 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 Bothwellhaugh (24 km), Corda? (33 km), Balmuildy Roman Fort (34.4 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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