BARNYARDS OF FINDLATER

- Standing Building Survey - Carried out 22nd March 2009 by Murray Archaeological Services Ltd

Report No: MAS 2009-14 by H K & J C Murray

H K Murray BA, PhD, MIFA, FSA Scot J C Murray BA, MIFA, FSA Scot, FMA Hill of Belnagoak, Methlick, Ellon, Aberdeenshire AB41 7JN Telephone: (01651) 806394 e-mail: [email protected] Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

BARNYARDS OF FINDLATER SANDEND BANFF ABERDEENSHIRE

- Standing Building Survey -

1. Background 1.1 A standing building survey was required for the steading buildings at Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Aberdeenshire, prior to their conversion for other use.

1.2 The archaeological condition was applied in the context of the National Planning Policy Guideline No 5, Archaeology and Planning, which states that it is necessary for developers to arrange for archaeological work to take place prior to development, in appropriate circumstances.

1.3 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd was commissioned by Findlater Builders LLP to undertake the work. The site element of which was completed on 22nd March 2009.

2. Desk-top survey 2.1 A search was carried out in the Sites and Monuments Record, Archaeology Service, Aberdeenshire Council and in the Sites and Monuments Records of the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments in (RCAHMS) through Canmore, Canmap and Pastmap.

2.2 The 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition Ordnance Survey maps were consulted.

Standing Building Survey 2 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

2.3 Comparisons between plans have been undertaken using overlays of the existing ground plan.

2.4 Site plans and elevations of the site were kindly supplied by Halliday Fraser Munro Planning on behalf of Findlater Builders LLP and have been annotated and used as a basis for detailed plans of the observed areas.

3. The Site The site lies on the crest of a hill some 1.5 km W of Sandend and c 0.5m inland from the cliffs and the medieval (NMRS NJ56NW 15). In its earliest form Barnyards of Findlater is likely to have been the site of the farm supplying the castle until its abandonment c 1600. It remained in the Seafield Estate until recently. The 16th century doocot of Findlater (NMRS NJ56NW 42.1) lies c 250m away between the castle ruins and the farm. Parish: Fordyce NGR: NJ 5410 6655

Illus 1 The site, looking N towards the sea

Standing Building Survey 3 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Illus 2 Overall site plan

4. Documentary evidence 4.1 Barnyards is shown on Roy’s Military Map of 1747/55 (Illus 3) as a cluster of buildings on or near the position of the present steading. Although none of the present Improvement steading buildings are of this date it is of interest in emphasising that, like the existing 16th century doocot, there was an inland farm supplying the needs of Findlater Castle.

Illus 3 Barnyards (of Findlater) as shown on Roy’s Military Map of 1747-55 (www.nls.as.uk) 4.2 The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map, surveyed in 1866 (published 1871) shows the Improved steading, much of which survives. To the N there was a U- shaped steading divided into two bays (Illus 2, Building B). Facing this across an

Standing Building Survey 4 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______open yard there was a Z- shaped range ( Illus 2 Building C). To the E there was the dwelling with a linear bothy forming the E side of the group (Illus 2, Buildings A). The three roads shown in 1866 substantially still exist; one N to the doocot and castle, one leading S to join the road to Sandend and a track leading W to the field – the E end of this track was later altered to swing S of the buildings. At the W end of the main N range, an outshot may show the position of a mill which would be expected in a farm of this size – the small enclosed field at this point would have been the rickyard.

Illus 4 1st edition OS map surveyed 1866, published 1871 (www.nls.ac.uk) 4.3 By the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey of 1894 the central block in the N range has been removed but the E arm remained.

4.4 In the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map of 1907/8 there are no changes

4.5 An aerial photograph (AAS/83/14/R33/3) taken in 1983 shows little change to the house and the bothies in the domestic range – gardens are clear behind them. A silage clamp (remains of which survive) had been built in the centre of the yard between the buildings. Two buildings had been fitted into the SW space of the Z shaped building (C) and a further building has been put up along the W side of Building C, continuing the line of the W arm of Building B. None of these buildings survive at the time of survey but parts of the flooring are still visible. Of particular interest is the survival at the N end of the W wall of Building B of what may have been a mill, then enclosed by what appears to be a Nissen hut (possible - as much old airfield stock was sold off to farms in the NE) and to the S of that another

Standing Building Survey 5 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______far smaller lean-to structure against the W wall of Building B. At some point between 1908 and 1986 the E arm of the N range (Building B) had been removed.

4.6 An aeriel photograph (DP 019352 ) taken in 2006 shows the possible mill and the lean-to at the W of Building B removed and all the infill buildings beside Building C removed.

4. Methodology 4.1 The ground plans have been annotated to show details and to indicate differences in the building materials which may help in understanding the development and history of the building.

4.2 The areas recorded were photographed. The full set of photographs will be supplied on CD for the archive and annotated plans in the present report indicate the position of each.

5. The Buildings

5.1 Building A: The Domestic Range The domestic block which had recently been badly damaged by fire and subsequently rebuilt was not part of the survey. The main house was 2 storied of harled stone with a slate roof. Behind at right angles to it there was a row of what had originally been three single storey cottages. They were built of rubble stone, the S cottage having a slate roof (also visible on the 2006 aerial photograph), the other two having red pan-tiled roofs now fallen. All three appear to have had fireplaces and chimneys and to have been domestic. During the recent renovation of the house and the S cottage it was clear that the house was secondary, added on to the existing S gable of the S cottage (pers. comm. Stuart Donald of Findlater Builders LLP). This suggests that as the farm grew in size, the more pretentious house was built and the existing cottages used for farm workers.

Standing Building Survey 6 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Illus 5 Building A: the house from the S

Illus 6 W side of the house, the S cottage and part of the roofless middle cottage in the domestic range.

5.2 Building B Walls c. 500mm thick of horizontal coursed rubble stone, well faced. Distinctive blacker stone used in wall 1 – this would have been the wall that faced into the original courtyard. Roofs pitched. Clad in corrugated asbestos, fallen in over much of B3. Wall 1 Door 1 W:1.17m H:1.75m stone rybats, concrete lintel. Concrete blocked. Door 2 W: 3.10m H: 1.82m This had unusual rounded sides to the opening. Concrete blocked with a smaller reduced door opening within it, also concrete blocked. Door 3 W:1.25m. Concrete blocked. Standing Building Survey 7 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Window 1 W: 550mm externally, 760mm internally. H: 640mm. Rubble quoins, stone lintel. Internal wooden lintel Window 2 W: 700mm internally. H: 700mm. Stone lintel. Concrete blocked. Window 3 W: 900mm internally H:650mm Concrete blocked. Externally it appears that W3 was originally a door, blocked with stone that is lighter and more quartzite than the rest of wall.

Illus 7 Window 3 (concrete blocked) inserted into door opening ( black quoins on RHS) that was filled in with lighter coloured stone before Door 2 broken through to LHS (not visible) Wall 2 Rubble stone, mostly harled. The traces of a lean-to building (now collapsed corrugated iron) against the W end – this also lay up against the N face of wall 3. Door 4 W: 1.4m H: 2.1m Concrete blocked. Door 5 W: 3.9m Height to wall head. Door 6 W: 1.3m Sliding metal door- this would at some point have opened into a lean-to building now collapsed (see above) Window 4 W: 600mm H: 670mm. Visible internally only (harled externally) concrete blocked.

Standing Building Survey 8 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Illus 8 Plan of Building B

Illus 9 Wall 2 Window 5 W: 800mm H: 1.20m externally. Concrete blocked. Internally this appears to have been full height and probably originally a door (obscured externally by harling). Window 6 W: 1.2m internally, 1.16m externally. H: 1.15m. Internal features On the inner face of the wall there was a horizontal timber attached to the face of the wall above door 4, probably to hold a sliding door. Other

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horizontal timbers were set into the wall face above windows 4 and 5 – their function was unclear.

Illus 10 Inner face of wall 2 Loft floor There was an opening at 1st floor level above door 5 and a loft loading door to the N of door 5 (illus 7). These could not be measured as the floor of loft had been removed.

Wall 3 Wall 3 was of rubble stone but had been raised by 4 courses of concrete blocks at the top. A lean-to, apparently of corrugated iron had abutted part of the wall (see also wall 2).

Door 7 W: 1.25m H: 2.10m Rubble stone quoins, stone lintel. Concrete blocked Door 8 W: 1.25m H: 2.10m Rubble stone quoins, stone lintel. Concrete blocked Window 7 W: 1.28m externally, 1.56m internally. H: 1.12m Rubble stone quoins, stone lintel. Concrete blocked Vent 1 W: 600mm internally, 400mm externally. H: 460mm. Stone sill and lintel.

Wall 4 Rubble stone. The gable is blocked by corrugated asbestos with a blocked opening.

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Door 9 W: 1.25m H: 2m. Concrete lintel. Concrete blocked.

Wall 5 Wall 5 was of rubble stone but at the S end ( B3) had been raised by 4 courses of concrete blocks at the top. At the N end (B2) the wall was of stone to the full height as this was the original loft. Door 10 W: 3.5m Full height of wall. Concrete block sides. Door 11 W: 2.4m. Possibly widened on S side. Concrete lintel. Concrete blocked Window 8 W: 900mm externally, 950mm internally. H:1.2m. Stone lintel and sill, dressed rybats.Concrete blocked. Feature 1 W: 450mm H: 550mm. Stone lintel, sill and rubble rybats. Stone blocked. Feature 2 W:510mm external, 740mm internal. H: 640mm. Stone lintel externally, wooden internally. Small window in wall above at loft level ( not possible to measure).

Wall 6 Exposed seaward wall- no openings. Some collapse.

Wall 7 Exposed seaward wall- no openings.

Wall 8 Whole gable broken through to a width of 3.05m. Concrete side. Area B1 This may have originally been a stable- it appears that the original form of the very finely finished dark stone wall 1 had alternating doors and small windows. This would have been the N arm of the E side of Building B as shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (illus 2) with E and W wings (now gone) forming a U shaped block and may be the earliest part of the steading. The change of alignment between B1 and B2 suggests that B2 was added to B1. It was not possible to see the scars of the E and W wings of the early steading . Recently B1 appears to have been used for pigs with a feeding hopper at the junction between B1 and B2a (which obscures the junction between the two structures). This was filled by an overhead hopper through the roof (as in Building C).

Standing Building Survey 11 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

At some point there had been 7 stalls 3.00x 3.10m against the inner side of the N wall (wall 7), with a drain along the S side. These were visible as scars in the floor.

Illus 11 Wall 1 looking E. Area B2a Possibly also recently used for pigs as had access to the feed hopper at junction between B2a and B1 (see above). No evidence of original use.

Illus 12 E end of B2a Standing Building Survey 12 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Area B2b This part of the building was originally 2-storied with a loft over the ground floor. The loft floor joists are clear in the wall although sawn off to leave the building open to the roof. At loft level there was a loading door into the courtyard (Illus 9), a small window to the W of that and another small window in the W gable over the suggested position of the mill. At ground level, the original building appears to have had a door and window (D6, W6) opening into the courtyard and it is possible that F2 may have been the hole for the drive shaft between an external mill wheel ( indicated on the 1st Ordnance survey map: illus 4) and a threshing mill within the building. Area B3 This was originally a lower building, but later the walls were raised and the whole building brought to the height of B2b.

5.3 Building C

Walls c. 500mm thick of horizontal coursed rubble stone, well faced. Some use of thin slab- like stones. Pitched roof of original height over C1, raised by c 0.50m over C2 with the walls heightened with concrete blocks. Area C3 original wall height c 2.5m raised with concrete blocks by c 1.15m, giving a wall height of c 3.6m. The floor in C3 also appears to have been lowered. Roofs now clad in corrugated asbestos over A framed couples. A brick chimney at E end over area C1a.

Wall 1

Door 1 W:1.13m. H: 2.0m Rubble quoins, stone lintel and sill. Door 2 W:2.35m H: 2.0m. Rubble quoins, replacement concrete lintel. Door 3 W:2.25m. H: c2m. Rubble quoins, no surviving lintel. Blocked with stone. Iron door pivots on either side for double door. Door 4 W: 1.15m. H: 2m. Stone lintel and sill. Concrete blocked.

Wall 2 Window 1 W: 0.90m H: 1.38m Rubble lintel and quoins.

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Illus 13 Plan of Building C

Wall 3 Window 2 W:0.88m H:1.35m Rubble quoins, wooden lintel, sill concreted. Window 3 W:0.60-0.61m. H:0.40-0.43m. Top of window 0.60m below wall head. Stone blocked. Possibly widened from a vent as small vent hole at top. Window 4 W:0.60-0.61m. H:0.40-0.43m. Top of window 0.60m below wall head. Stone blocked. Possibly widened from a vent as small vent hole at top.

Illus 14 Window 4

Vents 1-3 Slit vents W: 120mm. H: 0.66m Stone blocked. Top 0.55m from wall head. Standing Building Survey 14 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Illus 15 Slit vent

Wall 4 Door 15 Concrete blocked. No lintel (outer wall raised). Door 16 W:4.65m Broken through wall. Concrete lintels and metal internal support. Metal arm of hoist/pulley (possibly related to pig feeding). Door 17 W:1.2m Rubble quoins, stone lintel. Splays externally. Concrete blocked. This looks like an original door into the cow byre behind the dung passage.

Wall 5 Door 12 W: 1.2m. H: 1.95m. Wooden lintel, brick sides, built into earlier blocked doorway D 13. Concrete blocked. This may have been an internal doorway into the additional buildings (?pig sheds) visible on the 1983 aerial photograph. Door 13 Quoins on E side. Stone blocking cut on W side by later door D12. Door 14 W:1.75m Concrete blocked to wall head. Externally no lintel, internal wooden lintel. This may have been an internal doorway into the additional buildings (?pig sheds) visible on the 1983 aerial photograph.

Standing Building Survey 15 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd Barnyards of Findlater, Sandend, Banff, Aberdeenshire April 2009 Report No. MAS 2009-14 ______

Wall 6 Door 11 Much of gable opened out with concrete block sides and lintel. Metal fittings for sliding door. At time of survey temporary blocking of old windows.

Wall 7 Door 9 W:2.3m Rubble quoins. Concrete blocked. Externally no lintel, internally wooden lintel Door 10 W: 1.5m H: c2m. Rubble quoins and stone lintel. Concrete blocked in two stages.

Wall 8 Door 5 W: c1.05m Rubble quoins and original stone lintel. Concrete blocked. Door 6 W: 1.05m. Stone blocked. Door 7 W: 2.60m. Original rubble quoins at sides. Concrete lintel (raised). Concrete blocked. Door 8 W: 3.20m. Gable broken through and opening framed in concrete blocks. Concrete lintel.

Area C1a Not accessible. Chimney suggests former use as bothy.

Area C1b Present use as store.

Area C1c Present use as store. Original fittings of trevises and dung passage for 5 (double?) tied cow stalls. These correspond to vents and possible re-structured vents (Windows 3 and 4).

Area C2a Internally built up with high concrete ramp- appears to be for pig feeding into the now demolished buildings to the W.

Area C2b Not accessible. Store.

Area C3 Most recently appears to have been a machinery store with raised doorway (D8)

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6. Discussion

The steading as it survived at the time of survey is the remnant of a more complex late 18th or early 19th century Improvement steading. It is suggested that the earliest buildings (Illus 16 Green) may have been a U-shaped steading of which only part (Building B1) remains. The line of three single storey cottages was possibly the domestic range at this stage. Later (Illus 16 Red) a larger farmhouse was added and another U shaped steading (Building B2/B3) and the S block (Building C) were built. By the end of the 19th century the central arm of the N set of buildings had been removed, leaving a larger open space.

In the course of the 20th century, the E arm of the N block was also removed and other buildings added to close off the W side and the SW corner of the S block (Building C). Internal changes such as the silage clamp in the open yard, the raising of walls and doorways for machinery and the installation of feed hoppers reflect many changes of use over some 200 years of changing agricultural practise.

Illus 16 1866 OS map annotated to show possibly stages of early development. Green structures appear to be the earlier buildings. Red structures were added by 1866.

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Archive A full set of photographs with the photo location plans will be supplied on CD to the Aberdeenshire SMR in and to the NMRS.

Appendix 1: Photographic archive Building A Digitals 77-85 General views Digitals 173-178 Buildings B and C: as shown below.

Illus 17 Photographic references Building B

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Illus 18 Photographic references Building C

Standing Building Survey 19 Murray Archaeological Services Ltd