Settlement deserted — medieval in Buolick

The Down Survey map (1655-58) depicts three houses in the vicintiy of Buolick tower house (TS048-020001-) and church (TS048-020002-). The Civil Survey (1654-6) refers to the castle and 'some cabbins wanting repaire' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 128). There are well-preserved earthworks in the walled garden immediately W of the tower house, however, these appear to be related to the early 18th-century occupation of Buolick Castle by William Barker, who was living there in 1707 (Neely 2005, 45). The precise location of the settlement associated with the ringwork (TS048-020003-), tower house and medieval church is not known. However, it is possible that it occupied a large raised flat-topped ridge running N-S (dims. c. 400m N-S; c. 120m E-W) immediately S of the tower house. Identified on Bing Maps (Http://binged.it/1bzQyNu), the ridge is defined by gradual scarp (max. H 1.65m) with a series of enclosures along the eastern side defined by low banks with evidence of stone-facing and possible walling, mostly sod covered. These enclosures vary in size (dims. c. 20-50m N-S x c. 13-33m E-W) and tend to be U-shaped, being open towards the W. Approximately half way along the eastern side, below the ridge and c. 9m from the edge, there are two parallel banks (E bank ext. H to E 0.25m; ext. H to W 0.5m; Wth at top 1.4m; overall Wth 3.8m; W bank H 0.35m; Wth at top 1.4m; overall Wth 3m) running N-S for c. 60m. These narrow towards the northern end where they are terminated by scarp (Wth 5m) running E-W. The southern end is open, the banks simply petering out. The northern end of this ridge is within a field that had been recently tilled when visited. The lower eastern portion of the field, below the ridge, was very stony while the ridge itself was markedly stone free. The southern portion of the ridge is in pasture. The remnants of ridge and furrow, running E-W, are visible all along the ridge. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 6 May 2015