EHG4210 - Trial trenching - Newfield North, Alness

A trial trenching evaluation was carried out by Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services in 2014 on the site of a proposed housing development on land located on the northeast side of Alness, Ross-shire. During a previous site visit there were no potential archaeological features observed on the ground, although spreads of stones from field clearance were noted around the north, east and west boundaries of the of the eastern field. Animal burrowing had also revealed a shallow topsoil layer. The previously-cleared western section was walked over to check for any signs of archaeological features or artefacts. Due to 10-m buffer requirement between the mechanical excavator and overhead power lines, the northern edge of the site could not be evaluated. As the western area had been mostly cleared around a ponded area and a large spoil bund covered part of the site, the trench layout had to be revised at the time of the evaluation to target areas with any remaining archaeological potential. A ponded area in the northwest corner of the eastern area had to be avoided and the made-up ground, which had limited archaeological potential, in the northeast corner of the site could not be accessed due to the position of overhead power lines. Twenty trenches totalling 2,581m², 6.3% of the total site area (40,700m²), were mechanically excavated across the proposed development area. Three features of archaeological interest, associated with field drainage, were identified on the site. The only finds recovered from the topsoil were approximately 10 fragments of scattered C19-C20 ceramics and a small amount of modern glass and plastic. No further work was recommended. <1>