Details |
Remains of a possible early settlement survives as grass-covered foundations in an area of rough grazing. There are later hut-bases within the area. There are remains of up to five hut-circles and thirteen rectangular buildings situated in the field about 200m northwest of Newtonmuir farmsteading. Nine of the buildings are substantial subrectangular structures, and the other four much slighter and more strictly rectangular. There are also the remains of a field-system comprising low stony banks and small cairns. Four of the hut-circles (NJ 8217 1711, 8220 1711, 8220 1708 and 8221 1707) are situated on the highest part of the field, but the fifth (NJ 8216 1712) lies on the short, but steep, slope that drops down to the north. The walls of the hut-circles have been reduced to low stony banks, which measure between 5m and 6m in internal diameter. Where visible, the entrances are on the east or northeast. Short lengths of bank apparently link several of the hut-circles.
Five of the subrectangular buildings are clustered towards the east, close by the hut-circles, one of which is overlain. The other four lie to the west, two of them in the Forestry Commission plantation to the west of the farm track to Larrick. The walls of the buildings appear to have been faced with stone, but they also contain a substantial earthen component. In general they are reduced to little more than grass-grown banks, and the facing-stones have been widely robbed. Of the eastern group, all are subrectangular on plan, measuring between 14m and 16m in length by up to 9m in breadth overall. Four of them are aligned roughly north and south, and, where visible, the entrance is on the west. One of these buildings may have been two-compartmented, aligned east and west.
Of the four that lie to the west, the one in the pasture field (NJ 8208 1712) measures 16.5m from north to south by 7.5m transversely overall. The interior is divided into two compartments, and the entrance, which is in the east side, opens into the smaller at the south end of the building. The two in the woodland to the west, one at NJ 8200 1710 set on top of a rocky knoll and NJ8202 1710, respectively measure about 20m and 17m in length, each with a probable entrance in its east side. The fourth lay in the pasture field, but only the west-northwest end has survived the construction of the western of the two silage pits (NJ 8212 1712). The second type of building is restricted to the southwest corner of the field, where there are probably at least four structures present. Three of them lie close to the south edge of the field, where a shallow ditch accompanying the adjacent field-bank, has destroyed the south sides of two of them. These measure about 7m and 10m in length respectively. The third, which also measures about 10m in length, has been heavily robbed at its west-northwest end. The fourth structure, which lies close to the westernmost of the other buildings in the field is the best preserved. It measures about 7m from east to west by 5m transversely overall and has an entrance in its north side.
|