Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM7673_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013126)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a section of the Antonine Wall and part of a fort situated at the rear of the Gavinburn bus depot off Dumbarton Road in Old Kilpatrick. This proposal forms part of a programme which is intended to update the scheduling of the Antonine Wall, and extends the protected area along this part of the line of the Wall.

This has long been known to be the site of the western terminal of the Antonine Wall, and excavations in 1922-3 found well-preserved remains of the stone base of the Wall and of the fort's ramparts, as well as buildings within the fort, including the headquarters building, barrack blocks and a granary.

There were indications from coins, pottery and building remains below the fort that there had been earlier Roman occupation on the site, possibly during Agricola's campaigns in the late first century AD. The fort is of particular importance as the only known terminal fort of the Antonine Wall (the eastern terminal is not precisely located). The fort probably also had considerable naval significance because of its position on the Clyde estuary.

The discovery of a Roman bath-house during the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal indicates the near-certain presence of an annexe attached to the fort on the southern side. The area to be scheduled includes the south-west corner of the fort and the adjoining section of Antonine Wall running SW.

In the 1920s the area was arable farmland, but was then built over for housing and the bus depot. The site was never scheduled, as it was presumed to have been badly damaged by the buildings. However, more recent excavations beside the bus wash, sponsored by Kelvin Central Buses in 1994, showed that Roman remains still survived in the area to the rear of the main building.

At the time of the construction of the bus depot a sub-base of rubble, soil and gravel about 0.4m thick had been laid over the original field surface, protecting archaeological features from gross disturbance. The open area at the rear is now being scheduled because archaeological features are now known to be present.

The area to be scheduled includes the Antonine Wall rampart, berm, ditch and upcast mound, the SW corner of the fort, and an area to the W where traces of activities associated with the construction and use of the monument may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map extract. The scheduled area, which excludes the existing bus wash structure, measures a maximum of 80m N-S by 120m E-W.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a major Roman frontier system, which has the potential to increase considerably our understanding of Roman frontier policy and military organisation. The Antonine Wall is also the most substantial and important Roman monument in Scotland. The fort is one of at least 18 Roman forts on the Antonine Wall military frontier, and the only known terminal fort, as the eastern end of the Wall is still not precisely located.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.