Annan Hill Camp

This small camp, sited on top of a “whale-backed” ridge overlooking the Solway Estuary, was first identified from the air by Prof. J.K. St. Joseph in 1958.

This camp lies on the summit of a small hill to the east of the River Annan, close to its confluence with the Solway Firth, just over 1km east of the camp at Annanfoot. Stretches of two sides of the camp have been recorded, the remainder having been located during excavations. There is another camp a short distance to the north-west at Annanfoot, and others further along the north bank of the Solway Estuary at Ruthwell and Ward Law.

It is believed to measure 146m from north-east to south-west by about 100m transversely, enclosing about 1.4ha (3.6 acres). An entrance gap in the southwest side is visible on the air photographs, and a further gap on the north-east side has been identified through excavation.

Excavations on the ditch in 1966 recorded that it was about 1.5m wide and 0.9m deep (Gibbs 1966), but later excavations revealed that it was up to 2.2m wide and 1.1m deep in places with a counterscarp bank some 1.3m wide and up to 0.3m high (Keppie 1988: 15–16). A further 18m of V-shaped ditch was recovered during a watching brief in 2002; this measured around 1.75m in width and 0.6m in depth (Brann 2002: 5; 2003). Light cobbling and post-holes/post-hole depressions were identified in the interior of the camp (Keppie 1988: 16; Brann 2003). A Roman glass-paste melon bead was recorded, unstratified, from the 1985 excavations (Keppie 1988: 16).

OS National Grid Reference: NY192654

Dimensions: 175+ x 175+ ft (53+ x 53+ m)

Area: >¾ acres (>0.28 ha)