The Bishop's House Geophysical Survey and Archaeological Evaluation
Date 15 February 2015 - 25 February 2015
Event ID 1026128
Category Project
Type Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1026128
NM 6676 4536 A programme of archaeological work was undertaken, 15–25 February 2015, at the Bishop’s House, Lochaline, following woodland clearance. The work consisted of survey (topographic and combined magnetometry, resistivity and electrical resistance tomography), and the hand excavation of a series of evaluation trenches. It was intended that the position of the trenches would be decided on the basis of the survey results. The results of the work will be used to inform future mitigation and management of the site.
The first map of the area, which dates to the mid-18th century, shows the area as open cultivated ground with no structures. An estate plan from towards the end of the 18th century (George Langlands, 1788) indicates the presence of a number of buildings, with three associated (possible) enclosures. The subsequent estate plan (George Langlands, 1815) shows a similar number of structures but no enclosures. By the time of the 1st Edition OS map (1862–8) a farmstead comprising two unroofed buildings, one of which has two compartments, and a short length of wall is shown. This is not shown on the current OS map.
The survey work was only partially successful and produced limited results to help with the siting of the evaluation trenches. The topographic survey was restricted by dense vegetation which made it difficult to identify the remains of buildings and enclosures. The dense ground cover, as well as the bedrock (which was magnetic), also limited the success of the geophysical survey. The depth and nature of the dense surface vegetation also made resistivity, magnetometry and ERT all problematic as the probes could not reach the ground, and the ground surface was unsafe for continuous walking to record the
traverses.
Given the limited results of the survey, the structures that were evaluated were determined more by what was visible to the naked eye through the brash, rather than the findings of the survey. A total of four structures were evaluated: a former house (Structure 1); an outbuilding/ barn used for storage (Structure 2); a possible corn kiln/ barn (Structure 3) and a probable earlier (late 18th century) dwelling (Structure 4). The findings demonstrated that with the exception of Structure 4, which had a cobbled floor (in the S end), use appears to have been made of the fact that the natural subsoil is fairly compact and bedrock is close to the surface. The finds that were recovered, mainly found in Structure 1, all appeared to date to the late 18th/19th centuries and the floor deposits were fairly shallow and clean.
Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)
Report: Forestry Commission Scotland
Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland
Rebecca Shaw, Ben Edwards and Ros Francis – Rebecca Shaw
Archaeological Services and Archaeological Survey and Consulting
(Source: DES, Volume 16)
