Tappoch Broch

Tappoch Broch, better known as Torwood Broch, is an iron-age broch located in a remote spot in dense woodland near Falkirk, Scotland. [1]

Tappoch Broch
Southern side of Tappoch Broch
Location in Falkirk, Scotland
LocationFalkirk
Coordinates56.043487°N 3.874351°W / 56.043487; -3.874351
TypeBroch
History
PeriodsIron Age, Roman

History

Tappoch broch was first excavated in 1864 [2] by Colonel Joseph Dundas. Small-scale excavations have taken place near the site sporadically since. Recently, a conservation project run by Archaeology Scotland and grant aided by Forestry Commission Scotland cleared the site of scrub vegetation. The broch was then surveyed by laser scanning.

Description

The chamber of the broch, whose walls are about six metres thick, still reach a height of two or three metres, but in recent times whole wall sections have collapsed. The dry stonework is built of large, irregular stone blocks from the immediate vicinity. The oval chamber measures 10.8 to 9.8 metres, is paved and has a large fire spot in the middle. Access, with some of the fallen stones still in situ, is from the southeast. About halfway down the passage is a stop for a door with a latch for the door beam. In the south-west of the chamber a short aisle branches off to the right and leads to an unusually well-preserved staircase in the wall. In 1864 there were still eleven steps, some of which were later lost. The side walls of the stairs slope inwards, which indicates that it was originally designed as a cantilever vault. A small chamber in the north-east of the wall appears to be of modern origin.

The site has been designated a scheduled ancient monument.[3]

Archaeological Finds

Unlike other Lowland Brochs such as Leckie Broch artefacts recovered from Tappoch were relatively sparse with no Roman material on site. Finds included saddle and rotary querns, a potential stone 'lamp' and several sherds of coarse pottery.

Images
  • Tappoch Broch stairs
  • Tappoch Broch entrance
  • Tappoch Broch Stairwell
  • The approach to Tappoch Broch
  • Tappoch Broch - northern side
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References
  1. Historic Environment Scotland. "Tappoch Broch (47004)". Canmore. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. Dundas (1868) Notes on the excavation of an ancient building at Tapock in the Torwood, Parish of Dunipace, County of Stirling, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. 6, pp 259-65. Last Accessed 13 July 2014
  3. Historic Environment Scotland. "Torwood or Tappoch,broch (SM1738)". Retrieved 24 February 2019.


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