Building record MAB41222 - HOBSEAT

Remains of a farmstead, situated largely within an oval enclosure.

Remains of a farmstead, situated largely within an oval enclosure. The farmstead is depicted on the OS 1st edition map which shows a long range, a smaller rectangular building and a small structure within the enclosure, and three rectangular buildings attached to the west side of the enclosure which straddles an east-west trackway. The layout is unchanged on the OS 2nd edition but only the enclosure appears on the current OS map. Forestry Commission field visit has recorded the remains of the farmstead inside the enclosure. The name suffix suggests a late 14th or early 15th century date and the sub-circular enclosure is suggestive of an earlier date still. Broken roof tile, slight banks and pottery survive from the 19th century buildings and the enclosure dyke suggests an 18th century date. A possible 'water feature' survives on the west side of the enclosure on the north side of the track just below the start of the stone-faced dyke. Field survey in 2005 (ahead of works for a proposed substation) recorded a large oval enclosure measuring circa 125 m by 100 m, now bisected by a forestry track. The enclosure wall is of drystone construction standing up to 1.5 m high on the south side of the track, with an entrance in the south end, and an internal wall. At the west end a small rectangular enclosure has been built against the external wall. North of the track the wall stands up to 1.8 m high, circa 0.8 m wide at the base tapering to circa 0.5 m wide. At the west side of the enclosure a slot cut into the bank and faced with stone may have been a twinning pen. In the centre of the enclosure is a large rectangular structure circa 25 m by 5 m, the walls 0.6 m wide and 0.6 m high, overgrown and in poor condition. Archaeological investigation during road widening recorded part of a concrete surface.

FC SMR FET017, 2 frames, FC SMR FET017, 2 frames (Ground Photograph). SAB19454.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2002, ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, FETTERESSO FOREST, ABERDEENSHIRE , Assessment report (Bibliographic reference). SAB5063.

Record last edited

Jun 17 2025 12:56PM