A SURREY of the CATRAIL. by FRANCIS LYNN, F.S.A. SCOT. The
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62 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 14, 1898. I. A SURREY OF THE CATRAIL. By FRANCIS LYNN, F.S.A. SCOT. s e purposCatrail—whait d Th wha s o madan wa , tewh 1 it e , it s i t To find an answer, I propose to examine the work itself, follow its track (fig. 1), note any connection it has with human dwellings, com- par t i wite h other e worksamth f eo s character d finan d, what light can thus be got. The line of earthwork known as the Catrail was formerly held to have its northern termination at Mossilee, but, through the investiga- tion of William Kemp, is now usually held as beginning at Torwood- lee Hill, some ij miles northwards from Galashiels. It is found circling round more than two sides of a British fort there, which is also remarkabl s containina e e remainth g a t broch beyonf Bu o s . d this ther e remainar e lina f f Catraio eso l runnin e rivere banth th f kp o .g u e trace b a stee Thin o t dpca s wooded bank above Jeddart Haugh;1 e oppositth n o ed sid an f Galo e a Water, below Kew JBuckholm farm, there is also a double line of Catrail formation (fig. 2), which, coming from the river, runs upwards, crossing the eastern approach to Torwoodlee House, and also the Edinburgh road, and running up the bank of the smal e farm-house th e leas f th buro t o t n . Ther t i entere n lano s d unde rt bee cultivationno ns traceha d dnorthere an , furtherth t Bu n . terminatio e Catraith f no l canno fixede saib e b t o dt . In considering the curious way the Catrail circles round the fort hille onth , turning almost completel returo t f yi rounns a dow , dit e nth valley of the Gala, I came to surmise that there had been another line by the river-bank, and that that surrounding the fort was a sort of loop fro mmaia n line below. This surmise became something stronger when Captain Pringl f Torwoodleo e e dre y attentiowm e remain th o a t n f o s large fort close to the garden and on the river-bank, which was little, t allia f , inferio thao t r t hille onth . 1 Some years since ther hers verewa a y perfect remnant, whiche actioth f y no b , the river, had been slid downwards out of its original line, but three years ago this was carried away. A SURVEY OF THE CATKAIL. 63 I here remark that the approach of the Catrail from the south to e hille Ordnanc giveth s th u e ,for n n th o no t e t correctlmapsno s i , y marked t I shows leavina . t i e sforta zigzath g n .i g lined thean ,n passing dowe stri th e f eas no pf th e fielo neatth o e t sid dth f ro e plantation. In reality, the Catrail can yet be seen inside the e linth e plantationd takean e zigzanp Th to rais g.e a eth for t ma suspicion thae trac th ty whic b k h stones were removed froe formth t (and it is known that it formed a quarry for generations) was put down as the Catrail. No doubt there would be a connection with the fortt nothinbu , remainw gno indicato t s s positioeit r characterno n O . r sidf fa o e e e e fortnort th e th th moune Catrai f th ,n th ho o f o s di l the trench; but on the west, where the ridge connecting the site of the foro Crosslet t e Hil s crossedi l e sid th moune e n th ,nex o e forts di th t , s highei d an r tha o strengthent s usuala o s e positio, th n f thoso n e holding the fort on the side where it was naturally most assailable. Coming down towards Galashiels e e e traceCatraib th th , n o t dca l edge of the wood, but in. the field between this and the strip of wood below, where we have already remarked on its presence, I have not seen e muson an t e yhav th vestige t e Bu curve. d intothere line oth eTh . in this lower wood is much flattened, and has clearly been long sub- e jecteplougth o t dh befor e treeth e s were s quiti planted t i e t bu ; traceable downwards, till just after crossing the disused Edinburgh road, and nearing the approach to Torwoodlee House, it shows somewhat plainer. Then r somfo , e distance betwee e approacnth d han e publith c roa d Burn s onldi Re t neayi ,e traceableth re Be th d t A . Burn only a faint indication remains. The formation of the railway s completeha s obliteratiodit n here. About this point must have been the separation between the line we have traced from the upper fort d thaan t which must have gone e river-bankrounth n lineo e d Th , . after crossind BurnRe e , gth run s aslan e publit th tha f o ct road from Galashiels to Peebles, hut opposite the gate entering to the Birks mansion-house it again reappears between the road and the river-bank. Her wele t eusei b o ldt preserved t hasbu , , unfortunately, been founo dt be a convenient depot for rubbish, and so is now nearly obliterated. Just opposit e Blynleth e e quarry ther e appearancear e a branc f o s h £fi£!*:~?aa^' oiHeWORKs otc/umil *^- i/nc6rtcun. «»«""""*. (*»* / showinp Ma course Catraile . gth 1 th Fig f .e o . 5 6 A E CATKAILSURVETH F O Y . having lefe maith e t ne th lin f th lineeo n o , whicn ru ho t point f i s a s old Peebles road. From this point, for some distance southwards, the line of Catrail lias been carried away by the action of the river, but opposite the gate to Blynlee Hous t i reappeare s strongly.1 Below this line f Catraith ,o e l has been for some distance removed by the railway cuttings, but it is known to have followed round the top of the river-bank, and is shown e Ordnancoth n e fielth ed n mapi betwee s a se e railwath th n d an y water, and running down to Kilknowe farm-steading. Where the stead- ing is, there has been a considerable fort or camp, of which remains are visible; and there are indications between the fort and the river, and in the line on which the Catrail runs in leaving Kilknowe, as its line is faintly marked inside the wood before it reaches the Windyknowe road, which raise a presumption that it was in immediate contact with the fortd passean , d s rounouteit n i dr ditch. This wile referreb l o t d later, when other instances have been found. All recent authorities agree that the present Windyknowe road has bee e Catrain th formee lin f th o e l n frodo m wher t i eemerge s froe mth small plantation behind Leebrae House whero t , e roaeth dr turnfo f of s the public water reservoir. Then leaving this latter road, it runs along a field fence towards Mossilee. But between Leebrae and Mossilee no e seeb o provt nw s presenceno it emar n e Ordnancca kTh . e Survey maps show the line as passing above Mossilee farm-house. This is now almost obliterated line s herth eha et dividebu , d linesinto tw os a , ther s i anothee r whic e loweth h f e gardero come th t sid f ou o nes enclosure, and runs along under the farm-house, where it is well marked till it crosses the burn. It is said that formerly a blind man could follow the Catrail from Mossile Kinko et t nowbu , , after crossing Mossilee ploughe e Burth n ni d land line th onls ,ei y noticeabl strengte coloucroe e th th th r po f y o erb h 1 On the higher side of the work there are some fragments of trench, which are marke e Ordnancth n do ee remainmapth s a fort a sI f hav st o bee. no e n ablo et identif yfortsita e I rathef thith eo . s sa r think they were forme catch-watera s da , towards fillin e neighbourinpona gth t da g far Kilknowef mo , which existed before the formation of the railway. VOL. XXXII. E Section sheu>6 Branch to ite Blynlee Quarry Heap. Mound o.umyCut . Riverby Neur BockKolm °W Catraie Th Fig . 2 l. near Torwoodlee. 7 6 A E SUEA'ECATRAILTH F O Y . stubblee oth f . After crossing Stamris Bur s linn it s slightli e y marked grase inth s park wooe , th bu dn i t risin Paro gt k House Hill (now com- monly known as Watt's Hill) it is distinctly seen. I here ask attention . e plat oth sectionsd n an (fig ) 3 .o sho t , wcharacteristia c which obtains l alon al e Catrailgth . The old bridle-road from Yair comes down the angle between the valleys forme y Stannib d s e valleBur th d tha f an nyo t coming from Hollybush, and a glance at the sections will show that when the Catrail passes this point, the mound which was on the west shifts to the east, and continues so till Tweed is crossed, proving that the position of the mound, in relation to the trench, is governed by the natural fall of the ground.