Aberdeenshire HER - NJ40SE0015 - DRUMMY WOOD

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ40SE0015
NameDRUMMY WOOD
NRHE Card No.NJ40SE17
NRHE Numlink 17014
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. NULL
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Incomplete
Details Hut circles and field system. A scattered settlement of 15 hut circles defined by turf-covered stone walls, 9-13.5 m in diameter, most have their entrance in the east. Two are quite large, circa 15-17 m in diameter. The field system comprises field walls, occasional lynchets and stone clearance cairns. At NJ 4681 0387 there are a number of upright stones protruding from a small stoney mound, circa 4 m diameter, of uncertain purpose but possibly a disturbed clearance cairn (NJ40SE0098). The field system is overlaid to the north, west and south of Blue Cairn (NJ40SE0014) by later cultivation denoted by larger fields, rig and furrow with a few possibly associated larger clearance cairns. A survey of Drummy Wood by MAS in 2003 recorded a total of 93 features, including six roundhouses of Late Bronze Age/Iron Age style in the southeast of the area (NJ40SE0075). To the east, the cairns are more rounded, possibly burial. Medieval or post medieval features, orientated north-south, are focused on the area around the burn. The buildings here are rectangular, but none appear on 1855 estate map or 1870 OS Map. Several dyke lines are cut by 19th century estate walls. There are possible stock routeways, a corral area and a kiln was found to the north of the prehistoric structures, similar to excavated examples. A number of 19th century structures were also recorded. Survey of features in the southwest corner of Drummy Wood was carried out by MAS in 2014 ahead of proposed bike trails. A watching brief was carried out by MAS in April 2015 during groundworks for trail construction. Little stonework was visible of two probable prehistoric walls crossed by the trails in the south of the wood, and the walls were subsequently covered and protected. The watching brief on the area of the pump track and skills loop at the north end of the wood recorded no archaeological features, although noted that the the topsoil in this area was thin and disrupted by tree roots. A walkover survey was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in 2020 on two areas of the site west of Drummy Wood: an area in the north adjacent to the caravan park, and an area in the south (north of Crofts of Drummy). Survey of the northern area recorded a possible hut circle, a second circular feature, a clearance cairn and two hollow features. Remains of part of an extensive field system comprising walls and clearance cairns were located in the southern area, although there was significant vegetation cover at the time of survey and likely that additional features are obscured by the heather and broom. Field survey by Mott Macdonald in November 2022 in the southeastern part of the site (within the study area for a walkover survey ahead of electricity cabling works (NJ40SE0197)) recorded a few features within the study area: remains of a quarry measuring 5 m by 6.5 m and up to 2 m deep (by Mott Macdonald in 2022), a clearance cairn measuring 2 m by 1.5 m and 0.8 m high (MM41)
Last Update18/08/2023
Updated Bycpalmer
CompilerIBMR
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NJ40SE0015

National Grid Reference: NJ 4721 0395



Event Details

Event DateEvent TypeOASIS ID
2014 Field Survey
2015 Watching-Brief
2020 Field Survey
2022 Field Survey

Excavations and Surveys

Date MDate YTypeDurationDirector / OrganisationAuspicesFundExtent
 2014 Survey  MASDEV  
82020 Survey  CA   

Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
HUT-CIRCLES  A100
SETTLEMENTS  B100
FIELD-SYSTEMS  C100
CAIRNSSMALLCLEARANCED100
WALLSFIELD E100
LYNCHETS  F100
WALLSSTONETURF-COVEREDG100
RIG & FURROW  H100
QUARRIES REMAINS OFI100