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<< Our Photo Pages >> Ardross souterrain - Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House) in Scotland in Fife

Submitted by howe on Wednesday, 06 May 2009  Page Views: 12937

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Ardross souterrain
Country: Scotland County: Fife Type: Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House)
Nearest Town: Glenrothes  Nearest Village: Elie
Map Ref: NO5037500950
Latitude: 56.198556N  Longitude: 2.801363W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by howe : Ardross souterrain. Part of the main gallery (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ardross souterrain. This earthouse is in a field just N of the A917 road between Elie and St Monans and marked on the OS map as a souterrain. It is typical of Scottish souterrains in that it has drystone walls capped with large slabs.

It appears to be on a slight rise in the landscape (Coalyard Hill) indicating that it was potentially associated with a dwelling or settlement. Visited in 1978, present condition and access unknown.

For more information see Canmore ID 34198 which adds: "This souterrain was found on the 27th March 1878; it had been opened before as the date 1200 is carved on one of the stones in modern characters. It was re-opened in 1906, but there was no sight of it when the site was visited in 1925. However, it was found again in 1939 and today a fence surrounds the site. The souterrain can be entered through a heavy iron cover set in the roof of the passage near the original entrance ... The floor of the passage is reached by a stair of ten well-constructed steps leading downwards. The floor is of compact sand. The walls are constructed without mortar, of small undressed fragments of local sandstone, roofed over with slabs of the same material. The passage is c.2'6" wide and c.4' high; its total length is c.60'. The chamber at the W end is 12'8" long, 7'2" broad, and 5'9" high. The level of the floor is three steps lower than the level of the passage. (1973 entry).

A second souterrain is recorded at NO 5028 0095, 100 metres away; see Canmore ID 34199.
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Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by howe : Ardross souterrain interior showing steps down to lower gallery (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by Postman : Looking over the souterrain towards Bass Rock (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by Postman : Some of the large boulders that sit above the souterrains roof, and one of those pesky rabbit holes, I fell in a deep one and nearly broke my leg. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by Postman : The manhole cover. I couldn't get it up. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by Postman : Ardross souterrain, I couldn't get in though, and I nearly broke my leg falling into a rabbit hole.

Ardross souterrain
Ardross souterrain submitted by Postman : Looking south west over the souterrain towards the firth.

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"Ardross souterrain" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: ardross by Postman on Saturday, 29 September 2018
(User Info | Send a Message)
I found the site to be an utter disappointment.
Before I located the manhole cover I fell into a rabbit hole and nearly broke my leg. Massive pain.
Then when I had found the entrance I couldn't get it up. I couldn't even get me fingers under it . The cover seems to be slowly getting buried. More people need to get in there, and a proper entrance creating.
Hmmph!
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Ardross souterrain by Anonymous on Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Checked this out yesterday. Great spot.

Still totally accessible and as described in the post.

19/02/2014
[ Reply to This ]

Re: ardross by howe on Monday, 24 May 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
Hi Bobtoo

Glad to see someone else found the site
[ Reply to This ]

Re: ardross by BobToo on Tuesday, 16 June 2009
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Condition:4
Ambience:5
Access:3
Accuracy:

Access involves crossing a cultivated field, lifting a manhole cover and climbing down. Once you're in it's a bit tight and claustrophobic but not too difficult.

I've scored the condition as 4 because the entrance isn't original and there seems to have been a craze for carving names into it a century or so ago. Of course this vandalism is now old enough to be a curiosity in itself. Otherwise the condition is near-perfect to my amateur eyes.

When you stand outside there is a fair bit of wind noise and road noise, once you're in the noise is gone and it could easily be 1000 years ago. To my eyes it doesn't seem to have aged or been repaired (other than the entrance) so you experience it pretty much as it was.

I've posted some pictures of it on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30854514@N08/sets/72157612159275967/
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