the marches between the land of Craneston and the land of Gocelynton to a certain stream which separates the foresaid lands, and so by the marches between the said lands towards the west as far as the land of Neubotle which King David my grandfather gave to them, and so northward by the marches as the land of Gocelynton extends to the land of Neubotle, thence eastward by the marches between the said lands as far as the Royal way which is called Derestrete, and so by the Derestrete northward to a certain deep sike, and so eastward by that sike between the marches of Dalkeith and Gocelynton to a marsh, thence through the middle of the said marsh to the east as far as the marches of Cousland, and so by the marches of Cousland to the said marches of Craneston. Registrum de Neubotle, p. 7, No. 10.[*]

Here, near Dalkeith, the road was in sight of; and probably heading for, Inveresk, a Roman site which is sufficiently established.

The Great Camp

As the work of excavation proceeded at the fort, the question not infrequently suggested itself why the highest point of the ridge a little to the east had not been taken as the central point, or had not at least been included in the defences. The reason ultimately became apparent when at a later stage of operations it became evident that the ground had formed the site of a great camp. In the winter of 1906–7 some exploratory trenches had been carried across the field lying between the fort and the Berwickshire branch of the railway, with but little result. Traces of a ditch running in a north-easterly direction were, however, discovered. As another ditch running south-east, on the south side of the main railway line, seemed possibly to be connected with it,

* Villam Gocelini coci cum suis rectis divisis scilicet ab orientali parte per rectas divisas inter terram de Craneston et terram de Gocelynton usque ad rivulum quenidam qui separat prenominatas terras et sic per rectas divisas inter easdem terras usque occidentem usque ad terram de Neubotle quam rex Dauid avus meus eis dedit et sic versus aquilonem per rectas divisas sicut terra de Gocelynton se extendit usquc ad terram de Neubotle deinde versus orientem per rectas divisas inter easdern terras usque ad viam regiam que vocatur derestrete et sic per derestrete versus Aquilonem usque in quenidam profundum sicum et sic versus orientem per sicum illum inter divisas de Dalkeith et de Gocelynton usque in unum maresium deinde per medium memoratum maresium usque orientem usque ad divisas de Cousland et sic per divisas de Cousland usque ad predictas divisas de Craneston. Registrum de Neubotle, p. 7, No. 10.

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