Earthwork record MAB44915 - SADDLE HILL

Remains of a settlement and field system.

Remains of a settlement and field system. A number of grass-covered sinuous banks appear to run across the north facing slopes of Saddle Hill. They may represent field boundaries from a pre-historic field system. They are visible on the vertical aerial photography overlay on the Angus HER. Field survey by CFA in 2007 ahead of a proposed wind farm recorded five possible hut-circles as well as the sinuous banks and field clearance cairns. Hut circle at NO3034 5638 has a possible diameter of 10m with bank 2m wide, 0.4m high with entrance in southeast. Hut-circle at NO3023 5736 is 10m in external diameter set within a bank 1.5m wide and 0.2m high. Another possible hut-circle lies at NO30195739 , which is circa 15m in diameter within a bank 1.5m wide, 0.2m high. A modern field cairn covers half of this feature. A fourth hut-circle lies at NO30255760 directly beside the track to Garlow. It has diameter of 14m within a bank 1.5m wide by 0.2m high. A fifth hut-circle is recorded at NO3029 5756, 10m diameter externally, set within a bank 2.5m wide and 0.2m high with possible entrance in the south. A sixth is poorly defined and lies at NO30295753. It measures approx. 10m in diameter within a bank 1.5m wide and 0.1m high. Stone clearance heaps are scattered over the area and vary in size from 2-4m long 2-3m wide and 0.5m -1m high, some of which appear to be relatively modern. A section of disused track, circa 2m wide by 70m long, runs through the site and cuts through one of the banks. It is not depicted on the 1st or 2nd edition OS maps but map have led to Garlow farmstead. The remains were also recorded during desk-based assessment field survey carried out by Clyde Archaeology in October 2023 ahead of proposed woodland creation (NO35NW0102). They appear to be relatively well preserved, clearly visible on the ground and on Lidar data produced for the assessment. This noted six hut-circles, three located on the slightly higher southern area, and three in the lower, north area close to the current track. To the south, beyond the extent of previously recorded features, the survey also identified two possible grass covered cairns at NO3043357350 and NO3042857336 and a continuation of the field bank.

ATKINS, 2008, MILE HILL WINDFARM ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT (CHAPTER 11), Sites 6, 29 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8453.

CLYDE ARCHAEOLOGY, 2023, KINCLUNE, ANGUS: WOODLAND CREATION HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT, Site 11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8653.

Record last edited

Dec 15 2023 2:59PM