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Field Visit
Date 2 May 1988
Event ID 1121759
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1121759
A group of eight hut-circles is situated on the crest and SE face of a terrace on the N side of the Balnald Burn about 800m W of Middle Balnald steading. No trace of a field-system was noted around the hut-circles and they are described from W to E.
1. NO 0630 5950 (OS 'A') This hut-circle has been levelled to a depth of about 1.5m into a steep SW-facing slope on the edge of the terrace; it measures 8.5m in internal diameter and its wall has been reduced to a low scarp on the E and a low, ill-defined bank on the W.
Like all the hut-circles on the terrace, it was covered with heather on the date of visit and the entrance was not visible.
2. NO 0631 5955 (OS 'B') Situated about 40m NNE of (1) there are
the substantial remains of a hut-circle measuring 8.4m in diameter within a wall 1.6m in thickness and 0.3m in height; the entrance is on the SSE.
3. NO 0635 5950 (OS 'C') Situated about 40m E of (1) there are the remains of a hut-circle which is defined by little more than a low
bank on the W and a scarp (0.3m high) on the E. It measures about 7m in internal diameter but the entrance was not visible.
4. NO 0636 5950 (OS 'D') Tangential to the E side of (3) there is a hut-circle which is largely defined by its hollow interior; it measures about 9.5m in diameter within a low bank 1.1m in thickness
and 0.2m in height. There is no visible entrance but several outer facing stones can be seen on the SE.
5. NO 0636 5951 (OS 'E') This hut-circle lies immediately NE of (4) and measures about 8.8m in diameter within a low bank 2m in thickness and 0.2m in height; the entrance was not visible on the date of visit.
6. NO 0638 5951 (OS 'F') Situated immediately to the E of (4) and levelled to a depth of about 0.3m into the E-facing slope, there are the remains of a hut-circle measuring 9.7m in diameter within a wall reduced to a low scarp at rear and elsewhere a stony bank 1.5m in thickness and 0.2m in height. The entrance is probably located on the SE where there is a shallow depression in the bank.
7. NO 0648 5948 (OS 'G') Situated at the foot of the SE-face of the terrace and some 100m ESE of (6), there are the remains of a hut-circle measuring about 8.2m in internal diameter. The interior has been dug up to c.0.6m into the slope on the NW and elsewhere is defined by a wall reduced to a bank (1.3m thick and 0.3m high).
Several inner and outer facing-stones are visible and the entrance is on the SE.
8. NO 0651 5942 (OS 'H') This hut-circle is situated about 60m SSE of (7) and immediately S of a disused hollow trackway. It measures about 9m in internal diameter and is defined by a rear scarp (1m high on the NW) and a low fronting wall (1.3m thick and 0.2m high). The entrance is on the SSE .
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 2 May 1988.
RCAHMS 1990
