31515: LSFH 1.8 Loch Dubh – FIELD BOUNDARY; WALL; DYKE

Summary:

FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
DYKE (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
DRAINAGE DITCH (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Stone-faced turf wall and ditch

Location:

NB 2968 1921

Full description:

"Constructed primarily of turf, with some stone reinforcements this wall runs sinuously from west to east across the flat ground to the south of Beinn Chleiteir and east of Loch Dubh. Starting from the north shore of of one of the burns running into the east end of Loch Dubh it runs in a large arc towards the north and east for 300 metres to NB 29794 19186 before turning north-east and running in a straight line for a further 200 metres out of the study area. A second dyke (1.9) joins this one from the south-west at the point at which the arc ends. A drainage ditch has been excavated along the southern side of the straight section of the dyke. This ditch continues west along the south side of dyke 1.9. Part of: "Stock grazing management field system; probably relating to pre-crofting or early crofting period summer grazing, consisting of a series of turf walls with some stone reinforcements around gateways and where the walls run across areas of bedrock." (Burgess 2004, 24-25 and 17)

References:

Chris Burgess, Northamptonshire Archaeology. 2004. Northamptonshire Archaeology Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Eilean Chalium Chille and the Putative Site of the Seaforth Head Castle. Part No Loch Seaforth Head Gazeteer.

Acknowledgement:

Information provided by Western Isles Council Sites & Monuments Record, January 2006.