My obsession with maps ... it's all so last century

I've been reading two key articles by Sir George Macdonald published in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland about his excavations on the Antonine Wall.

1. Some Recent Discoveries on the Line of the Antonine Wall (Vol. 49, 1914)
2. Notes on the Roman Forts at Old Kilpatrick and Croy Hill (Vol. 66, 1932)

In the first one (Vol. 49), Sir George Macdonald describes the various excavations undertaken to ascertain the exact line of the wall between Old Kilpatrick and Duntocher, literally pinpointing the various finds field by numbered field. I was quite enthralled reading his report - his excitement was quite palpable, not to mention infectious. I decided the map included in this article, identifying all the numbered fields he discusses was a really useful addition to my growing understanding of the emergence of knowledge around the Antonine Wall in Scotland. When there's not a lot to see at ground level in real life, reports like these become really valuable in 'unearthing' the story of the wall. Rendering the map in the article in watercolour brought the location more to life for me - colour seems to enhance one's journey, if you like. 

Watercolour Rendition of Map of Antonine Wall between 

Old Kilpatrick and Duntocher Forts

Whilst painting the replica this evening, I got the idea of translating the article into a digital map using Google maps so I set about transferring the ideas over - it was a great thing to be able to walk in the footsteps of these early antiquarians and to, literally, have Sir George Macdonald 'walk alongside' me explaining what they had done, what had been found and how the finds had advanced their knowledge of the wall. Being able to peel back the layers with technology in this way made me feel like a true digital digger. 

Old Kilpatrick to Duntocher Fort (A walk with Sir George Macdonald)

A big thank you to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for making their resources so readily available to the general public.

In the second article (Vol. 66), Sir George Macdonald relates back to his earlier work and continues to build on it with a discussion of the fort at Old Kilpatrick and how excavations there helped them to unravel the dimensions and layout of the fort.

With Sir George Macdonald 'by my side' I'm beginning to see the attraction of old stones. I do love to see the story of the wall unfolding.

Keppie - The Antiquarian Rediscovery of the Antonine Wall

The Antiquarian Rediscovery of the Antonine Wall

Lawrence Keppie, 2012, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Had an enjoyable time this afternoon dipping into Keppie's fabulous book, The Antiquarian Rediscovery of the Antonine Wall - it's not so much a rediscovery as a first discovery for me. I picked the book up last year, even before I had it in mind to walk the wall at some point but hadn't got round to reading it. It's a great book - a kind of 'enquire within about everything' for the Antonine Wall. It has some fabulous photographs, maps and plans inside. For me, it has been a great starting point for finding out more - in the sense that the book provides a marvellously broad review of existing literature and key research across the ages. My favourite chapter right now is Chapter 7 and its focus on the beginnings of organised excavation and excavation of the forts along the Antonine Wall. I especially enjoyed the discussion of the Society of Antiquaries at the turn of the last century.

The Antonine Wall ... learning a bit more

Under lockdown, I'm in a constant quest to discover what the Antonine Wall looks and feels like today, what its history is and what stories can be unearthed. I watched a helpful short video today on YouTube which had some great shots of the wall and its surrounds as well as some brief chats with people who had researched the wall, including Lawrence Keppie - talking, I think, from inside the Hunterian Museum. I've passed the building in Glasgow many times but haven't actually been inside myself. At least I know what it looks like and where it is now - one for a future visit to Glasgow.

The Antonine Wall in Scotland (by romanfrontiers, YouTube)

The Antonine Wall is a Challenge

When I walked Hadrian's Wall back in 2014, I mainly walked and gazed around randomly and took lots of photographs. That trip was as much about the walk and 'having a holiday' as it was about seeing the Wall. It wasn't difficult to appreciate Hadrian's Wall, after all, it's very much there 'before your eyes'.

Hadrian's Wall Walk, 2014 (6 days)

Walking the Antonine Wall, however, is very different. The distance is much shorter and its more ditch than wall - but at the same time, it's infinitely more enchanting in all its mystery. As I've begun this virtual journey, I've started to understand that the history of the Antonine Wall is just as (if not more) important than the remains it has left behind for us to see. 

It's a challenge - the Antonine Wall. A great challenge if, like me, you love history and are willing to engage at least a little with the story beneath the stones. 

A great starting point is the main Antonine Wall website and app. The resources they offer are little short of amazing. I love the app and look forward to a point where I can get outdoors and try it out as a true augmented reality experience. In the meantime, however, don't miss it - go, go and explore, and enjoy all the hard work the team at antoninewall.org are putting into the visitor experience. Visit them on Facebook or Twitter, enjoy a regular postcard from the Antonine frontier lands, get tips on learning for kids at home and in the classroom, or even pick up tips on how to play a Roman boardgame like Latrunculi. 

And, if you like to dig deep and become a digital archaeologist, there's no site better than that of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries where you can definitely 'stand on the shoulders of giants' and learn from all the greats who dug the wall long before you were born. Their publications section will keep you busy for years, I guarantee it. 

If, on the other hand, you're a map freak, like me, another great resource is Canmore's 1954 Antonine Wall OS Archaeological Survey. It's a great way to visually peel back the layers. 

If all that fabulous information is already 'out there' why am I bothering with this blog? Well, I wanted something personal, a space where I could think and play, collate resources that would enhance my personal journey along the route of the wall. Finding information for yourself is all part of the fun. Learning about the myriad projects going on in Roman history in the UK is fun. If I stuck to one site, I wouldn't get the benefit of all those things. And, in my own small way, creating this blog allows me to curate available content in my own way - in a way I can easily understand and find things. It also means I can combine the history with other things I like, like photography, walking, enjoying local history from different time periods and, the best thing, I get to feed my map addiction regularly.

Old Kilpatrick Revisited

Well, it's been a few weeks since I enjoyed my virtual first walk between the Roman forts of Old Kilpatrick and Duntocher... that's what the interjection of a secret mission into your schedule will do for you.

The short break did me good, however. It made me think about slowing down the journey to consider what there is to do and see around the Roman remains on my journey, whether near or far from my start or finish point. Today, therefore, I decided to revisit Old Kilpatrick Roman Fort. I thought about making a longer visit of, say, 3 days and so set myself the task of investigating what else there might be of interest to see around the site of this westernmost Roman Fort on the Antonine Wall in terms of extended excursions and local walks. The most obvious extensions were to include:

• a visit to Dumbarton Castle and to extend the initial 'start' of my Antonine Wall Walk to the Clyde estuary around Dumbarton

• some walks in the Kilpatrick Hills

• a visit across the Erskine Bridge to explore the southwestern borders of the Antonine Wall frontiers to include the (non-visible) Bishopton Fort and the aerially visible fortlets at Lurg Moor and Outerwards, as well as the rumoured Roman causeway near Dumbuck Ford

Drone Tour of Erskine Bridge by seanlookalike (YouTube)
showing broad location of Old Kilpatrick and site of Roman Fort

Balloch, Loch Lomond and the John Muir Way are also possible extensions but, for me, they are, for now, a few Roman miles beyond where I want to go (I've already visited these places and prefer to save the John Muir Way for a future adventure).

I also found some lovely local holiday cottages to stay in at Gavinburn, with great views of the River Clyde and easily accessible to walks in the nearby hills.

More details on these extensions and ideas in later posts - next up, a closer inspection of Old Kilpatrick Roman Fort and its surrounds.