'Rare' Flavian fort to be investigated 70 years after its discovery

by DOUG COLLIE 

The layout of a Peeblesshire Roman fort, believed to have been built and then quickly abandoned by Agricola's troops in the first century AD will be surveyed in detail by a team of archaeologists and enthusiasts in a bid to uncover its hidden history.

Photographs taken from an aircraft in 1955 first identified the fort at Easter Happrew next to the Lyne Water, a tributary of the River Tweed. A brief excavation on a small part of the site was carried out the following year before it became a scheduled monument in 1959.

According to some scholars the briefly occupied fortifications bear the Latin name Carbantoritum. It was one of a series of military structures put up by the invading armies as they took control of the South of Scotland.

The new investigations over a five-day period at the end of January are part of the exciting Uncovering the Tweed programme which has already been featured in these columns.

In the words of Katie O'Connell, of AOC Archaeology, the specialists leading the Uncovering the Tweed initiative for Tweed Forum, the work at Easter Happrew will offer members of the public the chance to witness a geophysical survey of the fort. "This project will include magnetic gradiometer and earth resistance surveys, providing a hands-on chance to uncover history while learning advanced archaeological techniques."

The aerial photos showed traces of three timber-framed buildings and the 1950s excavation revealed gravel roads in and around the fort. 

According to the project organisers: "There is some evidence for annexes, but they are not clearly understood. The survey will provide a better understanding of the layout and survival of the fort. The ditches which have been levelled by cultivation may still be detectable by gradiometer survey.

"The resistance survey will hopefully map remnants of stone structures, if present, and the layout of roads, while the gradiometer survey may identify postholes associated with wooden structures.  As a result these non-invasive surveys will hopefully provide important information on the layout and development of the site, but also on its current state of preservation following decades of cultivation."

Historic Environment Scotland's entry for the scheduling of the Easter Happrew fort includes additional details.

"The fort is rhomboid in shape measuring around 140m across with three visible entrances, on the east, west and south sides. The north side of the fort has been eroded by the Lyne Water. The aerial photography shows that the fort is bisected by a road.

"There is an annexe measuring around 140m by 70m on the southwest side of the fort. Excavations suggest that the commander's house stood to the north of this road, near the eastern gate and the fort faced south. Outside of the fort on its northeast side are at least three buildings which may be civilian rather than military in nature."

The fort is deemed to be of of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to 'our understanding or appreciation of the past, or has the potential to do so', in particular in relation to the earliest period of Roman occupation of Scotland, and the construction, use, dismantling and abandonment of Roman frontier military installations during this period.

And the scheduling entry adds: "The monument is a rare example of an early Flavian fort in Scotland, apparently unaltered once it was abandoned in favour of the nearby fort at Lyne.

"The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past, in particular, it holds the potential to enhance our understanding of the early Roman presence within Scotland, including the construction and use of Roman military architecture in the late 1st century AD, the social and economic conditions surrounding them, and their relationships over time, and there is high potential for archaeological evidence to survive in and around the monument."

The monument has significant associations with Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the Roman Governor of Britannia and military commander of multiple campaigns into Scotland during the late 70s and early 80s AD, culminating in his victory in the Battle of Mons Graupius around 83AD. 

The 1956 'dig' revealed important information on the date and character of the fort. These excavations showed that the fort was enclosed by a turf rampart around 8m wide with a ditch 4m wide and around 1.5m deep in front of it. The front portion of the rampart stood on a stone base, presumably to minimise the likelihood that it might collapse into the ditch. 

Behind the rampart was an area of ash, likely from ovens and beyond that lay a gravelled road. A small section of the garrison commander's house (the praetorium) was also uncovered. This was a timber building with wattle and daub walls. The excavations did not show any sign of repair or reconstruction which suggests that the fort was occupied only once and was then never re-occupied.

The survey work at Easter Happrew is due to run from from January 27th-31st.

LIDAR surveys by AOC Archaeology and their band of volunteers may have already pinpointed up to 200 previously unknown historic monuments on sites close to the Tweed from its source near Moffat to the river mouth at Berwick.

Not Just Sheep But Wildlife!

by EWAN LAMB

Borders farmers who would be in the 'front line' should the Eurasian lynx be reintroduced into southern Scotland will have the chance to air their views on the subject at a consultation being staged by the National Sheep Association [NSA] later this month.

Research by The Lifescape Project, a leading partner in the so-called Missing Lynx initiative concluded  that if lynx were to be released in Northumberland, they could grow into a healthy population covering north-west Northumberland, the edge of Cumbria and the bordering areas of southern Scotland. 

But a previous attempt to promote a lynx initiative in the same area eight years ago by the Lynx UK Trust had to be abandoned amid concerns that the proposal could result in the loss of large numbers of lambs and other animals on Borders farms.

An application for a licence to release six lynx into the Kielder Forest was rejected by the then Tory Government after it considered representations, including a submission from Rachael Hamilton, the Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire.

Last year an exhibition promoting the latest initiative toured towns and villages in the Borders and Northumberland in an effort to drum up support for the release of lynx which became extinct in the area during medieval times. 

The campaign is set to continue this year with further exhibitions likely to be staged prior to another licence application being lodged at some point.

The NSA has been involved in several meetings over the past few months with the Missing Lynx personnel, and is now seeking views from farmers to help in forming the association's response to any formal consultation on the issue.

One of two meetings to canvass opinions will be held in St Boswells on January 23rd.

According to the NSA: "We will hear from Nuffield Scholar, Jonny Hanson via video link who will present his report on large carnivore reintroductions. Jonny carried out extensive research with farmers as part of his report".

In summary, Mr Hanson's report says large carnivore reintroductions are likely to be complex, contested and costly endeavours, whether with lynx, or, to an even greater extent, with wolves and bears. 

"The primary challenge with all three species is likely to be the management and governance of coexistence with livestock farming, particularly of sheep. The qualitative findings from this report suggest that there is a degree of consensus, among both farming and rewilding representatives alike, about the scope and scale of these challenges, with both groups citing the varied political, economic, social, legal and environmental dimensions. 

However, agricultural interviewees were more likely to stress the potential negative consequences of reintroductions. Overall, the strategic context for potential large carnivore reintroductions to Britain and Ireland is currently extremely challenging, Mr Hanson concluded.

The Nuffield report states: "The potential reintroductions of wolves, lynx and bears to Britain and Ireland after absences of centuries, or even millennia, is one of the most controversial agri- environmental topics of the century. 

"An application for a trial reintroduction of lynx in England was declined in 2018, with an unrelated project under discussion in Scotland. Yet with successful reintroductions of some non-carnivore species across these islands, from beavers to eagles, the idea is likely to grow in popularity and ambition. But despite the many social, economic and environmental benefits extolled by supporters of reintroductions, the costs and challenges are also significant, with many likely to be borne by livestock farmers. 

"Few studies have considered their perspectives to date. On the other hand, there are numerous examples from around the world of large carnivore conservation successfully coexisting with a range of rural activities and stakeholders, including livestock farming."

Former councillor's outlandish dispute with Borders authority

EXCLUSIVE by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

A bizarre planning wrangle involving a former member of Scottish Borders Council's executive committee and the local authority, and featuring long lost paperwork and a sworn affidavit by a 94-year-old landowner has ended with a ruling in favour of SBC.

Nicholas Watson, leader of the Borders Party from 2007 until he left the area in 2013, had hoped a Scottish Government planning reporter would overturn the refusal by council officials to issue a so-called Certificate of Lawful Use so that Mr Watson and his three brothers could build a second cottage on land the family owns at Faldonside, near Melrose.

The Watsons and their father Andrew, 94, claim planning permission was granted to build two houses at the site in the 1960s. But only one cottage was constructed at the time and the second dwelling was never started. Their arguments have been rejected by reporter Paul Cackette.

Nicholas Watson applied to SBC for the certificate in July on the basis that the proposed use of the site for a house would be lawful because of a pre-existing planning permission. 

He became involved in local politics by campaigning to prevent housebuilding in the vicinity of Abbotsford, the home of renowned author Sir Walter Scott. Mr Watson served as a councillor for the Leaderdale and Melrose ward on SBC for more than five years.

The certificate application was refused, under delegated powers, by Scottish Borders Council in September. The reason given was that it had not been demonstrated, on the balance of probability, in the view of the council that a house on the land would be lawful by virtue of an existing, extant planning permission capable of still being implemented.

In a supporting statement lodged with the council, the Watsons said the granting of a certificate would normally involve production of a copy of the original consent, with proof that development had been commenced within the required timescale. 

"However, and as the planning authority is aware, files containing original planning consents were misplaced during the planning department’s move from Galashiels to Council HQ [in Newtown St Boswells] in 2011, and can no longer be located. A recent search of the Hawick archive has proved unsuccessful. 

"Nonetheless, even without a copy of the consent, we believe that the location and design of the existing cottages unambiguously demonstrates that the planning consent obtained for The Cottage was in fact for a pair of cottages, the second of which was never built."

Mr Watson senior clearly remembered the circumstances surrounding his putting a halt to the second cottage, and an Affidavit signed by him accompanied this submission. 

However, planning officer Alla Hassan recommended refusal after assessing the application.

A report stated: "It is important to note that given the age of the consent, neither the Council nor the applicants have been able to retrieve any copies of the original consent. This assessment is limited to considering whether the existing or proposed use or development would be lawful under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended. The relevant test is on the 'balance of probability' whereby the burden of proof regarding decisive matters of facts rests solely with the applicant to provide clear and unambiguous evidence to demonstrate truth of that assertion.

"Whilst the assertions made may indeed point to the intent to develop the site with the addition of a second cottage; as a matter of fact and degree the applicant has failed to demonstrate that on the balance of probability, there has been permission for the second cottage and that the consent remains extant. Though there is a 'possibility' of a consent having been granted and extant, that is not sufficient itself to be 'probable', based on the submissions made here. The Certificate of Lawfulness must, therefore, be refused."

In his appeal letter to the DPEA [Planning & Environmental Appeals Division], Nicholas Watson claimed the evidence the family submitted appeared to have been accepted by the planning authority. "We do not, therefore, comprehend why the application was refused. The decision notice gives no understandable reason."

The written decision issued by Mr Cackette following a site visit, and published yesterday (Monday) includes the following statement: " Overall though, I accept that the design intention at this site is likely to have had in mind the locating of two cottages as suggested."

"That however is not the complete question before me. Applying the tests in the (planning act) Circular, it appears to me that the council were correct in assessing that these indications and the assumptions or inferences as may be drawn from them do not establish, on the balance of probabilities, that the landowner at the time (not being the appellants’ father) sought and obtained planning permission for a cottage on the appeal site."

Mr Cackette believed the affidavit evidence related to a later period of time. In the absence of records indicating the duration of the permission as a planning condition (or not), it was not possible to say for sure when any unimplemented permission expired (or indeed when applied for and granted). But, if limited to the appeal site, it seemed clear – at least some 62 years later – that, if not implemented, it would have long expired. 

The reporter added: "The appellants counter that by assuming that the absent and unseen permission must have related to both cottages and accordingly that proof of commencement can be assumed from the existence of the paired cottage, built in 1964. There is however no evidence of this. What may have been intended or done can only be unverified speculation."

After receiving the decision, Nicholas Watson told Not Just Sheep & Rugby: "This is disappointing, because Reporters’ decisions are usually mini lessons in good planning judgement, but it seems that yet again the only thing that really counts is the correct bit of paper.

"Since the council lost the original planning documents, we were simply asking them to look at the evidence - and there is a lot of it - which points to a pair of cottages being intended for the site.

"The Reporter, like the council, accepts the pair of cottages evidence, but for some inexplicable reason does not think it likely that the original planning permission was for both cottages.  I can’t think of a single reason why anyone would apply for permission to build only one house in a pair, involving more work, cost, time and risk.  The test in these cases is supposed to be the “balance of probability”, but it doesn’t seem to have been applied here."  

Jedburgh seat of learning reduced to rubble

by DOUG COLLIE

Former pupils who received their education at Jedburgh's abandoned grammar school site will have to rely on memories of their alma mater from now on as the bulldozers work to flatten the collection of buildings where generations of youngsters were taught for almost 140 years.

Jethart ex-pats and locals alike may feel like shedding a sentimental tear when they see our pictures of the rubble which now dominates the landscape along the entire length of The Pleasance as the demolition squad clears the classrooms, dining hall and sports centre in preparation for redevelopment of the five-and-a-half acre site. Here's what it once looked like:

Scottish Borders Council's selling agents D M Hall have been marketing the property since October with the entire area set to be free of all vertical structures by next month. Offers of over £800,000 have been invited.

The only building to survive the carnage is the listed original single and two-storey block, built in 1882-84 to the designs of Henry Hardy and John Rutherford Wight in a Neo-Jacobean style with Gothic details. The building is recognisable from its square-plan bell-tower, positioned over the entrance door (see below).

Historic Environment Scotland's Statement of Special Interest includes the following: "The 1880s block of Jedburgh Grammar School is a notable and relatively early example of a burgh school built in the decade following the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872. It has some good quality Gothic detailing, largely concentrated on the main elevation, including gables breaking the wall head to create a varied roofline and carved window rosettes. The bell-tower over the main entrance is a distinctive feature. The building itself is of special architectural interest".

The 'new' school building was opened on 21 July 1884. The final cost, which came in under budget, amounted to £5,200. The school was initially built to accommodate 300 pupils. However there were soon plans to add a further two classrooms, thereby increasing its capacity to 500.

On the Pleasance on the opposite side of the road stood an Art Deco E-plan block by Reid and Forbes, which was built in 1935 as a primary school. Built at a cost of £10,300 the block was constructed of harled brick walls with synthetic stone facings. The building was used by the Grammar School for Social Dining purposes but unfortunately it was excluded from the listing in 2017 and has been knocked down.

The proposed demolition of the school was halted in 1996 following a last minute intervention by Historic Scotland, as the agency was then known. 

A plan for a £8 million replacement school had been scrapped 18 months earlier as a result of education spending cuts with alternative proposals for demolition and rebuild at The Pleasance to rid the site of dilapidated classrooms.

But it would be another quarter of a century before the new £32 million Jedburgh Grammar Campus opened its doors.

Among the luminaries who spent their formative years in the old school are Roy and Greig Laidlaw who both distinguished themselves as Scottish rugby internationalists, Steve Hislop, a champion motorbike racer who died in a helicopter crash in 2003, elite swimmer Lucy Hope, and TV presenter Jill Douglas.

Before the site was advertised for sale, the council conducted a public consultation in which a majority of respondents voted for a new supermarket to be built on part of the site. Other favoured suggestions included a care home and a sports park.

We asked SBC for an update on its efforts to unload the cleared site. These are the questions we asked and responses received from the local authority:

1 - The site has been on the market since October. How would SBC describe the level of interest so far?

There has been some interest in the site and discussions are progressing. A closing date has not been set.   

2. The top priority among those who responded to the council’s 2022 consultation was for a supermarket on the northern part of the site. Has there been any interest shown from supermarket/major retailers?

We cannot comment on discussions with potential purchasers at this time due to commercial sensitivity.

3. A document in the collection which accompanies the planning application shows the demolition contract is being carried out by Central Demolition Ltd., of Bonnybridge. What is the value of the contract awarded to that company/total cost of demolishing and clearing the site? 

The Contract Value is £449,166.00

4. Was Central Demolition Ltd handed the demolition contract without competition or was there a contract notice published, inviting bids for the work? If so, how many bids were received? When is the clearance of the site expected to be complete?  

We used the Scotland Excel framework for Demolition and Deconstruction and called off from lot 2 due to the estimated value. All suppliers within lot 2 who had the ability to service the Scottish Borders were invited (15 suppliers in total) to provide the most economically advantageous tender based on price and quality; we received 7 bids. A Contract Award notice was published on the 17th of September.

Another £1 million loss for Live Borders

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

The cash-strapped sports and culture trust which provides leisure services for Scottish Borders Council recorded a £1.1 million operating loss for 2023/24 even after receiving an extra million pounds from the local authority to help with increased running costs.

This latest deficit is revealed in accounts filed by Live Borders at Companies House and with the Scottish charities regulator. Income totalling £11.7 million was outstripped by expenditure of £12.8 million.

Live Borders' loss for the last financial year is 36 times greater than the shortfall recorded by the Jedburgh Leisure Facilities Trust [£30,500] which Borders councillors voted out of existence in November by rejecting pleas for further financial assistance. 

The Jedburgh trust is now in the hands of liquidators following the closure of the town swimming pool while an assessment of all facilities run by Live Borders (LB) on behalf of the local authority is expected to be complete by March of next year. The outcome may see at least some of the LB portfolio being brought back under direct council control.

A report by the LB trustees which includes a number of councillors says: "Live Borders in line with many other similar charitable leisure and cultural trusts continued to face challenging trading conditions following the pandemic, significantly exacerbated by other external factors outwith its direct control including significant increases in energy costs, general cost of living pressures and changes in customer behaviour.

"It is also dealing with the impacts of managing and maintaining an ageing property estate as required under the terms of its leases".

LB did manage to achieve a growth in sports participation - 1,131,303 participants against a target of 1,112,401. At the same time cultural involvement saw 405,407 participants against the hoped for 424,723. Health referrals totalled 670 against a target of 600.

According to the trust, membership numbers are being affected by increased competition and the lack of investment into the membership product, impacting on retention rates. These income streams are described as 'business critical'.

Jedburgh Castle Jail and the town's Mary Queen of Scots House continued to be among the most visited cultural venues while the Great Tapestry of Scotland, housed in Galashiels, also grew its visitor numbers.

Scottish Borders Council paid the trust a management fee of £5.8 million in 2023/24 including that additional payment of £1 million to meet the rising cost of providing the service, principally increased staffing costs, utility costs and expenditure on building maintenance.

LB had been handed an extra £800,000 in the previous financial year to keep it afloat and has received further bailouts since the end of the last fiscal year in March.

A financial review which forms part of the accounts declares: "Current forecasts on patterns of consumer behaviour, the level of competition for services locally and competition in key markets suggest it will be several years before our customers return to pre-pandemic levels if investment into key facilities and products is not made". 

The report warns that consistently one of the biggest risks facing LB is maintaining financial stability and sustainable service delivery in the context of managing its large, ageing property portfolio and ambitious income generation targets alongside reduced levels of local authority funding.

LB is currently responsible for 15 sports facilities including six swimming pools, two sports halls, one outdoor sports complex and bowls hall, six artificial sports pitches, two high school sports centres, one school community campus, six libraries, 11 museums, one visitor attraction, 14 community halls, 10 community centres, one archive hub, office buildings, and a multi-function cinema, theatre and offices with cafe bar. The trust had an average of 395 employees on its payroll, up from 354 during the previous year. 

Will Borderers back 10% council tax hike?

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

An extra £19.2 million in grant aid from the Scottish Government, representing a 7.2% uplift from last year, seems unlikely to ward off a threatened ten per cent council tax increase and local government service cuts for Borders households in 2025/26.

A warning has already been given that most of the additional cash to be handed to Conservative led Scottish Borders Council is already being used in the current financial year to fund pay rises and the ongoing council tax freeze.

According to senior finance officers and leading councillors, the £292 million settlement for SBC is complex and shrouded in uncertainties. 

Over 100 queries about the national settlement for 32 councils have already been lodged with the Convention of Local Authorities [COSLA] and will have to be resolved before a clear financial picture emerges, according to Suzy Douglas, SBC's Director of Finance.

She told councillors the increased settlement would only partially meet the existing funding gap, and further revenue savings will be required to allow the authority to set a balanced budget in February.

And the money allocated by the SNP administration in Edinburgh will not fully provide for the UK Government's controversial rise in employers' National Insurance contributions. It has been estimated the public sector in Scotland will have to find £700 million to cover additional NI payments but will receive only £300 million as part of the settlement.

The Borders budget planning assumption is for a 10 per cent increase in council tax bills which will cost local taxpayers an additional £7 million over the coming financial year. 

Before launching the council's annual budget consultation exercise at the weekend, Leagh Douglas, SBC's Executive Member for Finance, told a meeting on Thursday that difficult decisions lay ahead.

In a statement issued by the council to mark the beginning of the consultation process, Councillor Douglas says: "A cross-party group of Councillors along with officers have been meeting regularly to draft plans for the 2025/2026 budget, but we are just part of the process, it’s crucial that we get the input of local people of all ages from across the Borders sharing their views and taking an active part in shaping their communities”.

Council Leader Euan Jardine commented: "“The Council has implemented a range of innovative measures to save money and improve efficiency. However, we continue to face significant challenges, including rising costs of essential services, the impact of inflation and the unique geographical and demographic factors of our region.

“Despite these hurdles, we are committed to remaining financially sustainable in the face of ever-growing challenges and must identify at least £5 million in savings for the 2025/26 financial year to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality services for our communities."

Councillors will have to make financial headroom for a significant increase in interest charges following record levels of borrowing for capital projects in 2024. As previously reported, SBC arranged a series of loans from the Treasury Debt Management Office totalling £136 million in the first eleven months of this calendar year.

Among the questions posed in the online survey is this one: To what extent do you support or oppose the following proposals? An increase of up to 10% in Council Tax to protect local services? The options on offer are 'strongly support', 'support', 'oppose', 'strongly oppose' and 'don't know'.

 

Borders Railway booming along its entire length

by LESTER CROSS

The five stations closest to the northern end of the Borders Railway experienced an even larger increase in passenger demand last year than their booming counterparts further south, figures based on ticket sales have shown.

As we reported yesterday, the stations at Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank experienced an uplift in user numbers ranging from 19 to 32 per cent in 2023/24, according to recently published data from the national railway authorities.

But the statistics are even more striking when the latest usage totals for stations at Brunstane, Newcraighall, Shawfair, Eskbank and Newtongrange are set alongside the equivalent numbers in 2022/23.

Here is what the tables of data show:

Brunstane - 2023/24 162,702 (2022/23 109,944) increase 47.9%.

Newcraighall - 250,388 (177,804) increase 40.8%.

Shawfair - 64,520 (44,362) increase 45.4%.

Eskbank - 274,640 (202,734) increase 35.4%.

Newtongrange - 153,434 (114,918) increase 33.5%.

Supporters of the campaign to have the 30-mile rail route extended at least as far as Hawick in the short-term claim this set of figures should pile pressure on the UK Treasury to stump up £5 million as their half of a £10 million project to assess the feasibility of the proposed extension right through to Carlisle.

Local MSP Christine Grahame (SNP) whose constituency includes the four southernmost stations on the existing line has already indicated she will be writing to the UK Government urging them to match the Scottish Government's commitment to fund the study.

Meanwhile Marion Short, who chairs the Campaign For Borders Rail told us: "The stats certainly make for very interesting reading and are indicative that there is now an even stronger demand for train travel within the Borders.

"I would be hopeful that this encourages people to travel into the Scottish Borders for tourism purposes.  I will definitely be cascading this information to my many contacts politically, those in transport agencies, Borderlands Growth Deal Group as this overall increase from 22/23 has to have a significant impact on the decisions of both Governments relative to the release of the feasibility study funding".

She said the campaign members had been delighted to hear the announcement of a proposed new Center Parcs [700 lodges and assorted holiday facilities] development near Hawick and were hopeful that would strengthen the case to build the second phase of the railway from Tweedbank via Hawick and onwards to Carlisle.  

"The criteria publicised by the UK Government for any new project is that it would lead to economic growth and certainly this new development would enhance that criteria and correlate with the railway towards the regeneration of the whole Scottish Borders area", said Ms Short. "It is seen locally as a terrific boost."

Notwithstanding visitors attending the Center Parcs village, the provision of the railway would be most helpful for anyone working there, facilitating transport connectivity.  The process for determining the Center Parcs planning application would run ahead of the railway feasibility study, and the Transport Assessment which would form part of the planning application would have to outline the impact on existing road infrastructure.