SRP Archaeology Notes
Date 22 March 2010
Event ID 588383
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Srp Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/588383
The township of Corriefeol is situated on a NW facing slope at the head of particularly fertile delta of land, the fluvial outwash of the Allt Coire na Feòla. The site comprises the remains of the township, farmstead and keepers house, associated structures and a number of sheepfolds. The present landscape shows ample evidence for past land improvement and re-organisation so it is likely that the greater part of the settlement remains relate to the post-improvement period.
The settlement is not shown on the Roy map of c.1750, but is marked on James Flint’s plan of the Strathconan Estate in 1825. On the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet xcvi) it is shown on the N side of the Allt Coire na Feòla. Larger enclosures and sheepfolds occupy an area of improved ground on the south side of the burn.
The remains of the township (Nosas Site Survey Nos 507-516, 521) centred on NH 2038 5078 occupies the upper, SE part of the site and comprises the low turf and stone footings of up to eight rectangular buildings, including a kiln barn at NH20351 50780 and an enclosure. The majority of the buildings form single compartments with characteristically rounded external corners. Some are scarped into, and aligned with, the NW facing slope, with drainage ditches upslope.
The later phase of settlement on the site is represented by the 19th century farmstead, house and kennels and smaller ancillary sructures (Nosas Site Survey Nos 500-506, 515, 517-520, 522-526, 661) centred on NH 2034 5085.
The principal buildings – the house and byre (503 & 505) in their earliest form are characterised as being regular in plan and constructed of mortar bonded stone masonry with dressed margins and include some brick built features. The house is of simple rectangular plan with a porch to the front and a single outshot. The byre comprises three compartments representing consecutive phases with evidence for trevisses in the larger compartment. Between the house and the byre is a midden yard (504) and to the rear of the byre a kennels block (506).
To the NW of the house and bounded on 3 sides by the riveris a field, whgich is enclosed on its S side by a wall (Nosas Site survey 526 and 518) and within it there are 3 smaller enclosures, 2 of which are surrounded by turf and stone walls (Nosas Site Survey 500 and 501)
Two enclosures and a sheepfold (Nosas Site Survey 497 – 499) are located on the S side of the Allt Coire na Feola. Enclosure 497 is probably an early sheepfold, it is surrounded by degraded turf walls, whereas sheepfold 499 which appears to have had 2 phases of construction, is now a single compartment surrounded by a substantially constructed stone wall, collapsed in places, up to 1.2m height.
Information from North of Scotland Archaeology Society
