Brockloch
Gatehouse Classification - Not available
Has been described as a Possible Peel-house
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Brockloch |
| Alternative Names | |
| Medieval County | |
| Historic Country | Dumfriesshire |
| Modern Authority | Dumfries and Galloway |
| 1974 Authority | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Civil Parish | Dunscore |
NX 8026 8439. 'Formerly a farmhouse, now {1855} a heap of ruins.' (Name Book 1855)
This farmstead is situated on a terrace in a semi-improved field amongst a series of conjoined fields defined by stony banks and lynchets. There are four buildings (one of which incorporates a small tower) and a kiln-barn.
The tower (Nith 54) forms the S half of the more easterly of two buildings and measures 4.5m from N to S by 4m transversely within stone footings up to 1.3m in thickness and 2m in height. The entrance is on the W, and there has been an outshot on the S end of the E wall. On the N side of the tower there is an outshot 6m in length and of less substantial construction, but also with an entrance on the W.
The second building (Nith 55) lies parallel to the tower, about 3m to the W, and measures 15.7m by 3.7m within stone footings 1m in thickness and 0.9m in height. It is of two compartments, both entered through the E wall, and has banks springing from the NW and SW corners. To the N of the parallel buildings there are the remains of a robbed building measuring 8.4m from E to W by 2.3m transversely within grass-grown footings 0.9m in thickness and 0.2m in height. There is an entrance on the S, and a small enclosure levelled into the slope on the N.
The fourth building (NX 8024 8438, Nith 57) lies across a steep slope to the W of the parallel pair and measures 9.2m from ENE to WSW by 4.1m transversely within stony footings 1m in thickness and 0.6m in height. There is an entrance on the SSE, and the building tapers slightly towards the ENE.
The kiln and its barn (NX 8021 8439, Nith 58) are built into, and on, a terrace edge to the W of the buildings and comprises a bowl 2.8m in diameter and 1.8m in depth, with a flue to the SSW
The barn lies on the NNE side of the kiln-bowl and was entered from the ESE.
The field-system lies to the E, S and W of the farmstead and comprises a series of conjoined irregularly-shaped fields, some of which appear to have been cultivated (faint ridging is visible in low light and on aerial photographs), while others appear to define areas of uncleared ground, littered with boulders. The downslope sides of most of the fields are defined by lynchets up to 1.5m in height, generally with a retaining wall running along the crest. To the N of the farmstead and the modern drystone wall, there is a field which may belong to the same system and, on the E side of this, an arcuate head-dyke running off to the NE and enclosing cultivation ridges which are progressively fainter to the E due to improvement. This cultivation may well be later than the irregularly-shaped fields, and may immediately predate the drystone walls. Faint unenclosed cultivation ridges are visible across the terrace to the N of the farmstead, apparently later than the small cairns and clearance banks (NX88SW 1.05), and may fall into the same general period as the farmstead. (Nith 54-58)
Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 28 August 1991
Annotated Brocklock (Ruins), two unroofed buildings, a series of four conjoined unroofed structures, some of which may be buildings, and an incomplete enclosure, are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Dumfriesshire 1860, sheet xxxix). One unroofed building and one enclosure, both marked by pecked lines, are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1982). (Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 20 June 2000) (Canmore)
The monument consists of the remains of a pre-improvement agricultural farmstead and associated buildings.
The farmstead, Brockloch, is situated on a S-facing slope in what is now rough grazing land. It predates the nineteenth century agricultural reorganisation of the area, and was probably a small mixed farm, relying heavily upon stock-rearing. The visible remains sit on a slight terrace, probably artificial, and consist of the ruined lower walls of four separate buildings: a two-chambered dwelling house, a two-chambered byre/stable to the E and a barn and corn-drying kiln to the W. Two enclosures are associated, one backing the byre/stable, the second linking the house, barn and kiln.
An extensive field system, consisting of the remains of walls and field clearance, lies to the SW, S and SE of the farmstead. The area to be scheduled is irregular, 400m E-W by 290m N-S, to include the buildings of the farmstead and the field system as described and an area around it in which evidence relating to their construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map. (Scheduling Report)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | NX80268439 |
| Latitude | 55.13934 |
| Longitude | -3.87991 |
| Eastings | 280260 |
| Northings | 584390 |
| Length | 4.5m |
| Width | 4m |
| Dimensions Comment | |
| Vault | |
| Vault Comment | |
| Orientation | 80 |
| Orientation Comment | |
| Wall Thickness 1 | 1.3m |
| Wall Thickness 2 | |
| Map | |
| Holder | |
