MHG13311 - Township - Aberscross
Summary
A township at Aberscross.
Type and Period (1)
- TOWNSHIP (18th Century to 19th Century - 1701 AD? to 1900 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
A township, comprising ten unroofed buildings and nine enclosures is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1879, sheet civ). Fifteen unroofed buildings, and two enclosures are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 20 November 1995.
A DBA and walkover survey was carried out by Wordsworth Archaeological Services in 1997 advance of a proposed woodland grant scheme at Morvich, Sutherland.
7/7; A small post-medieval settlement is sited here containing a corn-drying kiln and one longhouse. The modern track has been cut through this settlement causing some damage to the dykes and longhouse. The fields to the south & east show neither clearance heaps nor rigs and have probably been ploughed since the settlement was abandoned.
7/11; A single rectangular house 12m by 4.5m lies in the position shown on the east edge of the birch woodland. It is badly obscured by bracken growth but is reasonably well preserved.
7/12; Partly bisected by the current deer fence are the remains of a post-medieval settlement as shown.
7/14; A single rectangular longhouse 10m by 3m with an extra chamber 2m long is sited here. There has been some rabbit damage to the structure. The surrounding area is grassy rather than heather moorland, though this may in part be the effect of rabbits. This appears to be part of the post-medieval settlement of Abercross.
7/15; This complex consists of 3 rectangular longhouses associated with an enclosure and 3 separate longhouses. Apart from the 28m long building to the S with 3 chambers, they are all 1 1m long by 3.5-4m wide and appear to form the heart of the post-medieval settlement of Aberseross. There has been rabbit damage to all the buildings, that nearest the deer fence being so badly tunnelled that the position of the walls has to be inferred.
7/18; A substantial drystone enclosure some 19m in diameter as shown with vertical stones at the base occupies a prominent position on a low knoll. It appears to be a stock enclosure relating to the post-medieval settlement of Abercross but may be derived from an earlier structure.
7/19; 20m to the southeast of Site 7/18 is a corn drying kiln 6m by 4m with an internal chamber 1.5m diameter by lm high surviving.
7/20; c50m east of the enclosure at Site 7/18 is a rectangular structure 5m by 4m partially enclosed by a wall as shown. There appear to be the remains of other dykes in this area, though they were too slight to plot in detail. <1>
1st Edition OS 6" <2>
Sources/Archives (2)
- <1> SHG21085 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Wordsworth, J. & Kendrick, J.. 1997. An Archaeological Survey of a Proposed Woodland Grant Scheme at Morvich, Sutherland. Wordsworth Archaeological Services. 02/06/1997. Paper and Digital. 7/7,7/11,7/12,7/14,7/15,7/18,7/19,7/20..
- <2> SHG23446 Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. 1878. Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map: Sutherland. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NC 7658 0038 (1009m by 685m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NC70SE |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | GOLSPIE |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (1)
External Links (0)
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