Excavation
Date 2008
Event ID 578358
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/578358
NJ 3349 5974 (Trench 1), NJ 328 597 (Trench 2), NJ 336 596 (railway) An excavation was conducted on this route with the aim of locating groups of features revealed during an evaluation in 1997 (DES 1997, 56). Two trenches were opened by machine, covering just less than 1000m².
In trench one features recorded included pits, stone extraction holes and a ditch. Two large intercutting pits
contained an assemblage of Early Neolithic Carinated pottery, half a cannel coal bangle, lithics, a broken saddle quern and well-preserved carbonised environmental remains. Trench two by the Rothes Road revealed no significant remains.
A Level 1 standing building survey was conducted to record the visible remains of the tank shed, engine shed
and footbridge on the disused Fochabers Branch line at Fochabers. This was a rectangular structure (6.6 x 3.7m) consisting of large dressed sandstone blocks with an arched doorway and arched window. The engine shed consisted of the heavily overgrown wall footings, concrete plinths 0.2m high and 0.35m wide. The footbridge that spanned the disused Fochabers Branch line was arched and built of large dressed sandstone blocks, with smaller sandstone brickwork beneath the arch.
Archive: Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS
Funder: Historic Scotland on behalf of Transport Scotland
Ian Suddaby and Ian Hill (CFA Archaeology Ltd), 2008