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West Lothian Archaeology Group

Gormyre Hill

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Aerial Photo

First Edition OS Map

Updated 21 February 2010

Canmore

WOSAS entries for Gormyre: 18267  17876  50158

Gormyre Hill

Torphichen Hills and access route as seen from the west. Gormyre Hill is the highest point in the hills (to the left).

North to South

* Unofficial, for ease of reference only.

Hill No1

Gormyre Hill

Hill No2

Nether Gormyre Hill*

Hill No3 

Upper Castlethorn*

Hill No4

Castlethorn

 Hill No5

Lower Castlethorn*

 ' Hill ' No6

Cuningar

Is this one large prehistoric site?

Castlethorn scheduled prehistoric hillfort is to the right of the central small Canniewell Slack and to the left of the larger Milking Slack on the extreme right which leads through to Cathlaw.

        Cathlaw Hill and Cairnpapple are top right on the horizon     (KAP: Pentax Optio W60) October 2009

The Preceptory, Torphichen.  KAP

 

Gormyre Refuge Stone in the Near Infra-Red

February 2010  © Jim Knowles 

The Gormyre refuge stone. Just visible is the outline of part of a cross. Originally described as a Maltese Cross, now in its poor state of preservation, it could be interpreted as various other forms of cross (Potent, or Lorraine).

Until Jim took this photo it was thought that 'there is now no trace of the cross'.

 

Eastern side of the Torphichen Hills, July 2009 - Gormyre Hill top right behind the trees  IR Fuji IS1.  (cf the smaller Chesters Hill Fort - built to reflect the above hills?)

Eastern side of the Torphichen Hills from Cairnpapple, July 2009 (Castlethorn left - Gormyre Hill right) IR Telephoto Pentax Optio E35.

The above image is very deceptive, de-emphasising the scale and relative size of the hills.  This effect increases with the altitude of view. (cf the image above)

 

Composite KAP image looking north. 

Note the large encircling feature also shown below.  30 January 2010  © Jim Knowles

 

1st December 2008

The area corresponding to the eastern side of  'Remains of camp (Supposed Roman)' on the first OS map (KAP).

Part of the site on a frosty afternoon. Pentax Optio W60, red-channel, 28mm equivalent lens, interval mode, auto ISO (It selected ISO 50 in sports mode!!) f3.5, 1/60th sec. The image is blurred because of the slow shutter speed. We will take further photographs at a higher ISO. This image illustrates how photographic quality is secondary to good ground conditions and lighting.

A nearly square enclosure on Gormyre Hill, known locally as the "Roman Camp". Its outline is now very faint, consisting of an earthen bank c. 1' high. Nothing has been found in it, and there are no associated traditions.
Name Book 1854
Possibly the structure was no more than a cattle fold.
RCAHMS 1929, visited 1923; MSS, 1953

The remains of a rectangular enclosure, consisting of a low earthen bank, near the summit of Gormyre Hill. It has been built on top of rig-and-furrow and is clearly of later date. Some 80.0m to the NE are the remains of a similar such structure. Neither of these is an antiquity.
Visited by OS (JP) 14 August 1974

Snow covered - 6 February 2009

Kite aerial photographs

Photos were taken with an Optio W60 waterproof camera which has no external lens movement and integral time-lapse (ie press and release the button and it takes a set number of images at a set time interval).

 Settings: ISO 400, Sports mode, focus set to 'infinity', 28mm equivalent lens and time-lapse interval 10 seconds

 

Southern edge (top) of Gormyre Hill

(corresponding to the image taken 1st Dec 2008) Clump of gorse (top left) 7m in diameter.

Note the large, raised, curved feature which looks circular (on 192.com) and similar in size to

Castlethorn prehistoric hillfort (Gormyre: 1st and highest hill, Castlethorn: 4th hill down)

Zoom in on aerial photo http://www.192.com/maps/photofinder.cfm to compare.

North-east corner of Gormyre Hill

Red dots on lower right 1 metre apart - will use 5 metre spacing in future.

(Northern edge on left of image)

 
Snow covered - 7 February 2009
Cathlaw and the top of Gormyre Hill  (foreground) covered in snow    ^ ~SSE.

Click on image for larger version   (f4.2, 1/1500sec) .

Frontispiece: The Photogrammetric Record 24(126): 118 (June 2009)

As above - clump of gorse centre right, 7 metres in diameter.

Note again the large, raised, curved feature to the right.

In the trees above ?

South-west corner of large rectangle (ie furthest right):  55° 56' 9.7" N , 3° 38' 27.3" W

Inverted (ie negative) image of the top of the hill - as above, the image is composed of snow covered flora.

The above features look much more complex than previously described.

 

Looking down on the western side of Gormyre Hill to Castlethorn.

(Gormyre Hill, Nether Gormyre Hill, Upper Castlethorn, Castlethorn)

We will return to photograph the other hills next winter.

Gormyre Hill is an impressive location aligned with Kipps Hill and Cockleroy to the north-east and worthy of further investigation.

 

Gormyre Hill Survey 16 July 2009

Rosie with members of the survey team from The Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society - drenched to the bone!
Local archaeological scientist Jim Knowles came along to help.

Ground Resistance Results for the enclosure at the top of Gormyre Hill.

© EAFS

Gormyre Hill Survey 31 October 2009
The EAFS survey team who were assisted by WLAG's archaeologist Jim Knowles and Dr Cade Wells.

Fieldwork makes you feel and look younger!

Ground resistance results for the top of Gormyre Hill with added 20x20m squares on the northern and eastern sides of the enclosure.

© EAFS

 

View from Gormyre Hill to the north-west, IR Optio E35.

Cow Hill to the north of Gormyre Hill  - on a less than kite-friendly day.

 

The Ochil Hills to the north.

 

Acknowledgements

Provisional - under construction

Mrs H Coward of Wester Gormyre and custodian of Gormyre Hill
Mr T Mitchell of Easter Gormyre
Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society  
   

For helpful comments, information and advice:

RCAHMS (noteably Dave Cowley) Historic Scotland
Dr Geoff Bailey of Falkirk Archaeology Service Martin O'Hare of WoSAS
Dr Stuart Eydmann of WLC Planning  
   

 

 

Castlethorn Prehistoric Hillfort

has been relocated to HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

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