EHG5755 - Evaluation - Stoer Church, Clachtoll

An evaluation was carried out by West Coast Archaeological Services in 2021 in advance of restoration and conversion of a disused Thomas Telford church at Clachtoll, Assynt, Sutherland. The evaluation included the hand-excavation of service trenches through the graveyard surrounding the former church. The works did not encounter any graves, grave cuts, or human remains, within generally shallow soils within the graveyard. However, in close proximity to the northwest corner of the church material identified and recovered from the service trenches included roofing slate, iron nails, sherds of window glass, and a raft of irregular-sized stone that had been laid down in hollows within the natural bedrock to form solid foundations for the church walls. Within one of the service trenches adjacent to the west enclosure wall around the church, a layer of sharp stone fragments most likely result from the dressing of the sandstone blocks used in the church walls. Several fragments of glass recovered with the stone deposit appear to be trimmings from windowpanes used in the church windows. The only other artefacts identified during the excavation of the service trenches included abraded sherds of post-medieval ceramics and glass, and one clay pipe stem fragment. <1>