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MHG62527 - Ringed earthwork - Conon House, Conon Bridge

Summary

Ringed earthwork near Conon House.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

This site was surveyed using planetables on 21st April 2011 by members of NOSAS. It is previously unrecorded and located about 200m to the SW of Conon House in woodland which is part of the designed landscape around the house. A row of mature planted beech trees is adjacent and appears to respect the site but constructed walkways encroach on the ditch. The site is overgrown with rhododendrons and the intact banks have been burrowed by rabbits. The site is roughly circular and 50m in diameter overall. At least half of the site has been grossly disturbed and only an arc of at least one third of the original earthwork on the SE side remains intact. The excavated hollows and prominent mounds of dumped material containing stones and charcoal rich material in the west part of the site are evidence of considerable disturbance here.

What remains of the earthwork comprises an internal bank, 8m broad x 1m high, with a possible entrance, 2m in width, in the east side and an external ditch of about 4m width. It can be estimated from this arc that the complete site would have been 30m in diameter from top of bank to top of bank. An estate plan of 1830 has a complete circular earthwork at this location and on a plan of 1791 the location has been respected and not taken into the enclosed and improved landscape.

– plan attached. Also photo “The south part of the site viewed from east following rhododendron clearing, the SE bank is in the foreground”

It is difficult to interpret this site from the remains, it may be a henge or it may be a fortification. There are several henges in the vicinity of Conon House and this earthwork lies more or less equidistant between two of them, Conon and Dugary/Logieside. Conon henge is much smaller but Dugary and Culbokie henges are a similar size. On the other hand the location of the site is in a very strategic position at a river crossing, an ideal place for a fortification; it is a few hundred metres below the medieval ditched earthwork of Davids Fort and next to Conon House, clearly a long established location. <1>

Note: Site not visible on aerial photographs so location generated by NGR. (T. Blackie 09/02/22)

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5320 5371 (54m by 54m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH55SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	URQUHART AND LOGIE WESTER

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