Castlehill Fort

The monument is the remains of a fort and occupies the top of Castle Hill, which sits overlooking a bend in the river Ale, a quarter of a mile from the village of Ancrum. The fort remains cover the whole of the flat-topped summit of the hill, and comprises of three contiguous enclosures lying roughly east and west.

The westernmost enclosure is oval in plan while the other two are sub rectangular. In the oval shaped one many of the foundation stones of its walls are still in situ, including a number of massive grounders up to 4ft 6” long. Some of the larger slabs are laid on edge as at Buchtrig Fort.

There are also two entrances to the enclosure one on the east side communicating with the second enclosure and the other at the north west corner leading directly through both the inner and outer walls. It is possible that the latter entrance may be intrusive and connected with the cultivation of this enclosure which has taken place not too long ago.

The other two enclosures measure from 7ft to 12ft and have walls of similar construction to the first enclosure. Each have an entrance on the east in line with the first enclosure, the only internal feature is a rough dividing wall formed by a line of boulders 50ft long at the south end of the middle enclosure. It is impossible to tell whether the three enclosures represent contemporary or successive works, since the junctions of their walls are concealed by the spread of the core. The uniform construction of the walls and the symmetrical arrangement of the entrances suggests that the enclosures are contemporary, and if that is so it seems likely that the fort dates to the Dark Ages. If on the other hand, the enclosures are successive, the oval one may be prehistoric while the other two sub rectangular ones might be additions made in the Roman or post Roman period.

About 140 yards east of the fort remains, there is an old field dyke consisting of a line of earth fast boulders, these can be traced northwards from the crest of the ridge to the flanking gully.

As described by RCAHMS 1967