Highland Archaeology Services Ltd Bringing the past and future together Linsidemore Water Main Watching Brief November 2006 7 Duke Street Cromarty Ross-shire IV11 8YH Tel: 01381 600491 Fax: 07075 055074 Mobile: 07834 693378 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hi-arch.co.uk VAT No. 838 7358 80 Registered in Scotland no. 262144 Registered Office: 10 Knockbreck Street, Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1BJ Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 Linsidemore Water Main Watching Brief November 2006 Report No. HAS061203 Project HAS-LSM06 Client Halcrow PLC Planning Ref N/A Date / revised 05 March 2007 Authors Mary Peteranna and John Wood Summary An archaeological watching brief was carried out at Linsidemore by Highland Archaeology Services Ltd in November 2006 during the construction of a water main. This followed an archaeological desk based assessment and walk-over survey undertaken in August – September 2006 (See report HAS 061001). The new water main cut four boundary dykes, which were photographed. Otherwise no archaeological features were noted. 2 Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................3 Location.........................................................................................................................................................................4 Site details, archaeology and policy background...........................................................................................................4 Method...........................................................................................................................................................................5 Desk Based Assessment and Walk-over Survey .......................................................................................................5 Watching Brief..........................................................................................................................................................5 Results ...........................................................................................................................................................................7 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................................11 Operational Matters .....................................................................................................................................................11 Appendix 1: Index to Photographs.............................................................................................................12 Figures Figure 1 Location (not to scale)....................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2 Walk-over survey (extent)..............................................................................................................................6 Figure 3 Location of boundary walls 1 and 2 ...............................................................................................................7 Figure 4 Boundary wall 1 from W before excavation ..................................................................................................8 Figure 5 Boundary wall 2 from W before excavation ..................................................................................................8 Figure 6 Location of boundary walls 3 and 4 ...............................................................................................................9 Figure 7 Boundary wall 3 from W – before excavation ...............................................................................................9 Figure 9 Boundary wall 3, view of N section to show construction...........................................................................10 Figure 8 Boundary wall 4 from W before excavation ................................................................................................10 Figure 10 Camera locations........................................................................................................................................12 Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful assistance of Francis Williams of Halcrow PLC and the staff of the Highland Council’s Archaeology Unit. Thank you too to to Ruaraidh Cameron and Iain McAllister of Scottish Water for keeping us informed of the progress of the project. This report covers the watching brief which formed the second phase of this work and was carried out by Mary Peteranna. It followed an initial desk-based assessment by John Wood and walk-over survey by Gemma Shannahan (See report HAS 061001). Background mapping is reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey under Licence 100043217 Introduction An archaeological watching brief was carried out on behalf of Halcrow PLC in advance of construction of a new water main at Linsidemore, Sutherland. The purpose of this work was to monitor the extent to which previously surveyed archaeological features1 (see Report HAS061001) would actually be affected by the installation of the new water main, and to identify and record any archaeological features revealed by the construction works. 1 Gemma Shannahan and John Wood 2006 Linsidemore: Desk-based Assessment and Walk-over Survey (Highland Archaeology Services Report No HAS061001) 3 Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 Location The project is centred approximately at Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference NH 544 991 on the A837 in the town of Linside, which is found approximately 2.5 miles after the A837 N turnoff at Invershin.. Figure 1 Location (not to scale) Site details, archaeology and policy background The planning and policy framework includes the Highland Council’s Structure Plan2, and the Scottish Executive’s National Planning Policy Guidance Notes 5 (NPPG5)3 and 18 (NPPG18)4, and Planning Advice Note 42 (PAN42)5 (SOEND 1994). The fundamental principles underpinning the above policies are set out in Passed to the Future: Historic Scotland’s Policy for the Sustainable 2 http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/structureplan/thehighlandstructureplan.htm 3 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1998/10/nppg5 4 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1999/04/nppg18 5 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1994/01/17081/21711 4 Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 Management of the Historic Environment (2002)6 and the Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS 1999).7 The water main was constructed roughly from east to west through the township, with the eastern 2/3 lying in fields between the A837 and the village of Linside, and the western 1/3 lying directly adjacent to and north of the road. Method Desk Based Assessment and Walk-over Survey A desk based assessment and walk-over survey were carried out in August and September 2006 by John Wood and Gemma Shannahan. Details of these may be found in report HAS 061001. Before this, little previous survey work appeared to have been carried out in this area. Several features of possible archaeological interest were found and recorded, notably stone wall and building remains not featured on current maps. This watching brief covered those features identified at that stage which lay directly on the line of the water main. The features identified by the desk-based and walk-over surveys are located in Fig 2 below. Those identified as lying directly on the route of the water main are shown in bold type: 1: The remains of a building and wall at OS grid reference NH 5488 9900 2: A stone wall at OS grid reference: NH 5479 9905 3: A stone wall and ditch crossing the line of the pipe at OS grid reference NH 5472 9908 4: A stone wall crossing the line of the pipe at OS grid reference NH 5454 9910 5: Remains of a stone building at OS grid reference NH 5439 9915 6: A potentially significant mound at OS grid reference NH 5427 9919 7: The remains of a stone wall or feature largely obscured by dense trees and thick vegetation at OS grid reference NH 5411 9914 8: The remains of an overgrown, rectangular stone building at OS grid reference NH 5394 9915. Watching Brief On 1 November, the route of the pipeline was walked from west to east and the features on the ground were identified. The site agent then explained the latest changes to the route of the pipeline installation in 6 www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pasttofuture.pdf 7 http://www.icomos.org/australia/burra.html 5 Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 Figure 2 Walk-over survey (extent) Centre line in orange; observed area outlined in blue. Archaeological or historic features indicated by red stars 6 Linsidemore: Watching Brief November 2006 detail, and the archaeologist walked the route from east to west and reassessed the impact on the identified archaeological features. As a result it was determined that following changes to the route and the narrow wayleave required for the diggers, the only features to be affected now were four boundary walls, and an area of potential significance at the eastern end of the pipeline (approximately at site 1 on Figure 2). This was excavated and watched but revealed nothing of archaeological interest. A further visit was made on 16 November just before the completion of the construction work, and once again the entire route was walked and checked. Photographs were taken at approximately