Building record MAB20568 - WEST HATTON

Consumption dyke, 1.2m wide and 1m high at the west end, 1.35m wide and 09m high towards the east end, of medium stones and with a slight batter.

Consumption dyke, 1.2m wide and 1m high at the west end, 1.35m wide and 09m high towards the east end, of medium stones and with a slight batter. Unfortunately it is not known exactly when this particular dyke was built. Map evidence is unhelpful in determining when this dyke was built. The 1866-69 and 1901-3 Ordnance Survey maps both show a single field boundary in this location. Consumption Dykes are often conspicuous on the Ordnance Survey maps with their width being shown. This could be a mistake but it may also be that this dyke post dates the 1901 map. Although consumption dykes are not entirely unique to the north east of Scotland they are not found in any substantial numbers elsewhere in the world. They are dykes which result from the very rocky nature of the ground in the north east of Scotland and are associated with the period of agricultural improvements from the 18th century. Part of this movement involved clearing new ground of stones to create new fields. The excessive number of rocks and boulders in Aberdeen made this particularly arduous. The cleared rocks could be put to a number of different uses: if it was economical they could be sold off and shipped elsewhere. Many of the boulders and stones cleared in the north east were made into paving slabs in London. But where there were too many or where the distance to move them to the coast for transportation was too high they were often formed into consumption dykes. These dykes 'consumed' the stones cleared from the land. Technically these dykes may be defined as ones which are broader than they are tall. Historically they have also been known as Aberdeenshire Dykes and Consuming Dykes. They perform two functions: firstly to delineate a field boundary as all dykes do and secondly to use up the excess of stones. In some cases they also perform a third aesthetic function. In certain cases they have paths laid out along the top of them and are very much monuments to the taste of the estate landowner who had them created. Topographic survey was carried out by Headland Archaeology in 2012 ahead of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. Sample excavation of this and the parallel dyke (NJ80NE0189) was carried out by Headland Archaeology in 2013. The dyke is of double-faced construction with a rubble core of hearting stones, and a base course very large roughly squared boulders.

BABTIE GROUP, 2004, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED STUDY & WALKOVER SURVEY. VOL 1: TEXT, VOL 2 GAZETTEER, Site 101 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3745.

HEADLAND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE PACKAGE SOUTHERN LEG) TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS: (Bibliographic reference). SAB4431.

HEADLAND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2014, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE LOT 3 - SOUTHERN LEG: ASSESSMENT REPORT ON TRIAL TRENCHING AND SAMPLE EXCAVATIONS. (Bibliographic reference). SAB4451.

ARCAHEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, p. 14 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2025 2:11PM