Highland Archaeology Services Ltd Bringing the Past and Future Together
Bardnatua Croft Latheron, Caithness
Watching Brief Report
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Bardnatua Croft Latheron, Caithness
Watching Brief Report
Report No. HAS101105
Site Code HAS- BCL10
Grid Ref ND 1979 3375
Client D Bremner
Planning Ref 06/0041/AGRCA
OASIS highland4-86525
Date/ revision 23/11/2010
Author Paul Humphreys
Summary
An archaeological desk-based assessment and watching brief was undertaken in response to a planning condition during excavations for a new farm shed at Bardnatua Croft, Latheron; nothing of archaeological significance was encountered.
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Contents
Summary...... 2 Contents ...... 3 Acknowledgements ...... 3 Location and setting ...... 4 Introduction ...... 5 Archaeology and policy background ...... 6 Programme ...... 7 Results ...... 7 Conclusions and recommendations ...... 9 Tables ...... 9 Photographs ...... 9
Figure 1 General Location ...... 4 Figure 2 Site location ...... 5 Figure 3 Extract from Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 25" map, surveyed 1875...... 6 Figure 4 Watching brief areas and photograph locations (from Drawing 2) ...... 8 Figure 5 Stripped area – dimensions. (Drawing 3) ...... 8
Photo 1 Site looking NNE (pre-start) ...... 10 Photo 2 View looking SSE (pre-start) ...... 10 Photo 3 View looking NSW (pre-start) ...... 11 Photo 4 View looking NNW (pre-start) ...... 11 Photo 5 Concrete basin looking NW ...... 12 Photo 6 Pre-existing hard-standing ...... 12 Photo 7 Old mill lade looking NW ...... 13 Photo 8 Probable field clearance cairn, view N ...... 13 Photo 9 Bed rock underlying clearance cairn, view S ...... 14 Photo 10 Clearance cairn makeup, view S ...... 14 Photo 11 Stripped area looking SE ...... 15 Photo 12 Typical gravelly clay till ...... 15
Acknowledgements
Background mapping has been reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey under Licence 100043217. The archaeologist on site was Paul Humphreys; the report was edited by John Wood.
Copyright
The report’s author and Highland Archaeology Services Ltd jointly retain copyright in all reports produced, but will allow the client and other recipients to make the report available for reference and research (but not commercial) purposes, either on paper, or electronically, without charge, provided this copyright is acknowledged.
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Figure 1 General Location Ordnance Survey mapping reproduced under licence 100043217. Not to original scale.
Location and setting
The site is centred at Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference ND 1979 3375 at a height of about 90m above sea level. It lies adjacent to the A9 at Latheron, Caithness in an area of improved but undulating pasture that still contains a significant amount of upstanding archaeology. On the southern site boundary is the old Manse, now a private dwelling.
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Figure 2 Site location Plan courtesy of client
Introduction
The construction of a new building at Bardnatua Croft, Lybster, required, as a condition of planning consent, that an archaeological watching brief be conducted during site stripping. The area concerned is depicted on Figure 2 above. The programme consisted of archaeological mitigation and recording in line with current Scottish Government and Highland Council planning policy, with the following objectives:.
To minimise any possible delay or cost to the development by anticipating archaeological requirements as far as possible, timetabling and integrating archaeological recording work with the project, and dealing with any issues arising quickly and efficiently.
To determine as far as possible the character, extent, condition, date and significance of any archaeologically significant remains; and to preserve these where possible and record where necessary in line with national and local policies and standards.
To ensure that any artefacts or human remains are dealt with in accordance with legal requirements and current Historic Scotland policy guidance.
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Archaeology and policy background
The fundamental principles underpinning the above policies are set out in Passed to the Future: Historic Scotland’s Policy for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment (2002)1 and the Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS 1999).2 The current planning and policy framework includes the Highland Council’s Structure Plan3, and the Scottish Government’s Scottish Planning Policy (SPP), issued in February 2010, which consolidates and supersedes the previous SPP and NPPG series Planning and the Historic Environment (2008)4.
The SPP states (paragraph 123)
Archaeological sites and monuments are an important, finite and non-renewable resource and should be protected and preserved in situ wherever feasible. The presence and potential presence of archaeological assets should be considered by planning authorities when allocating sites in the development plan and when making decisions on planning applications. Where preservation in-situ is not possible planning authorities should, through the use of conditions or a legal agreement, ensure that developers undertake appropriate excavation, recording, analysis, publication and archiving before and/or during development. If archaeological discoveries are made during any development, a professional archaeologist should be given access to inspect and record them.
Figure 3 Extract from Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 25" map, surveyed 1875. Caithness sheet XXXIV, surveyed in 1872. Not reproduced to scale. Courtesy of National Library of Scotland.
1 www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pasttofuture.pdf
2 http://australia.icomos.org/publications/charters/
3 http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/structureplan/thehighlandstructureplan.htm
4 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/10/28135841/0
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Programme
A desk-based assessment was followed by a watching brief during topsoil stripping of the area of a shed-base and access track, which was carried out on October 14th 2009 in accordance with the Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) previously approved by the Highland Council.5
Results
The site comprised an area of rough arable ground with areas that had reverted to dense soft rush (Figure 4; photos 1 to 4). An old mill lade shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (Figure 3 above), bisected the site (photo 7)6.
A possible long cairn had been identified to the north of this mill lade at grid reference ND 1984 3376 by Hilary White of Highland Council in April 20057. This proved on inspection to be a natural rock outcrop topped by field clearance material (photos 2, 8-10).
A previous owner of the site had created a gravel hard-standing at the entrance, (photo 6) and the site had been recently ploughed prior to the watching brief being conducted. The ploughed area was walked over and inspected, yielding a small amount of pottery and glass typical of 19th century midden manuring. Nothing predating the 19th century was found.
A concrete basin was noted adjacent to the boundary stream (photo 5).
The heavy topsoil varied from 250 to 300 mm in depth and overlaid oxidised clay till. The stripped surface and spoil heap yielded nothing of archaeological significance. The clearance cairn was surveyed for the record (Figure 4 below).
5 Wood, J 2010 Bardnatua, Latheron: Proposed watching brief: Written Scheme of Investigation, Highland Archaeology Services, Cromarty (Report No. HAS101002)
6 HHER MHG1080
7 HHER MHG38938
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Figure 4 Watching brief areas and photograph locations (from Drawing 2) Aerial photograph background courtesy of Getmapping.com and Google Maps.
Figure 5 Stripped area – dimensions. (Drawing 3)
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Conclusions and recommendations
No archaeologically significant features were recorded and no further archaeological fieldwork is recommended.
Tables
Table 1 Photographs
Photo Notes Taken Date No. by 1 Site looking north east (pre-start) PDH 07 10 2009 2 View looking east (pre-start) PDH 07 10 2009 3 View looking south (pre-start) PDH 07 10 2009 4 View looking west (pre-start) PDH 07 10 2009 5 Concrete basin - looking southwest PDH 07 10 2009 6 Pre-existing hard-standing PDH 07 10 2009 7 Old mill lade looking southwest PDH 07 10 2009 8 Probable field clearance cairn PDH 07 10 2009 9 Bed rock underlying clearance cairn PDH 12 10 2009 10 Clearance cairn makeup PDH 12 10 2010 11 Stripped area looking northeast PDH 12 10 2010 12 Typical gravely clay till PDH 12 10 2010
Table 2 Drawings
Drawing Title Subject Location Drawn Date No. (Centre E,N) by 1 Site location Overall site plan 331980, 963375 PDH 06 11 2010 2 Site plan Photo locations 331980, 963375 PDH 06 11 2010 3 Stripped area dimensional plan 319822,933737 PDH 06 11 2010
Photographs
Photographs are located on Figure 4 above.
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 1 Site looking NNE (pre-start)
Photo 2 View looking SSE (pre-start)
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 3 View looking NSW (pre-start)
Photo 4 View looking NNW (pre-start)
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 5 Concrete basin looking NW
Photo 6 Pre-existing hard-standing
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 7 Old mill lade looking NW
Photo 8 Probable field clearance cairn, view N
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 9 Bed rock underlying clearance cairn, view S
Photo 10 Clearance cairn makeup, view S
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Bardnatua Croft, Latheron: Archaeological Watching Brief November 2010
Photo 11 Stripped area looking SE
Photo 12 Typical gravelly clay till
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