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Archaeology Notes
Event ID 690299
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/690299
NS56SE 169 582 615
NS 582 615 The site is located under the playing field of Langside College, immediately to the SE of Valeview Terrace. It appears as a soilmark on an AP in the RCAHMS collection (CPE/Scot/327,28.3.48, print no 4147).
The feature seems to consist of several concentric elements:
a) An outer circle 50m in diameter defined by a series of white patches c 1m across.
b) A central feature within this area, showing as a lighter disc 22m in diameter.
c) Within this disc there is yet another central feature, showing as a light oval, lying NW by SE, 4 x 3m.
The outer circle has been encroached upon by a college building but the main part of the feature survives, protected by a deep layer of surfacing on the playing field.
Sponsors: Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists, DACE.
D Topen 1996
This cropmark is indicative of a World War II barrage balloon site.
RCAHMS (MMD) 9 April 1998.
NS 5829 6157 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken on the site of a large circular cropmark in the grounds of Langside College, Glasgow in advance of the construction of temporary classrooms.
A single trench, measuring 71m by 3m was opened across the area identified by aerial photography as being of archaeological potential (CPE/Scot/327,28.3.48, print no 4147).
Although previous interpretations suggested that the cropmarks may have related to a prehistoric monument (Topen 1996), all the features and deposits encountered were of unquestionably modern date. The evaluation ascertained that spreads of degraded asphalt, compacted clay and patches of concrete caused the cropmarks. This has been interpreted as the remains of a barrage balloon site (D. Easton, pers comm.).
Sponsor: Langside College
Information from GUARD 2001 (MS/1069/16)
The site is confirmed as a barrage balloon mooring site as it is visible on a wartime RAF oblique air photograph (No.1 CAM oblique x909, flown 21 October 1941) in an area of open ground immediately N of the College. The site is also visible as a ring of concrete blocks for mooring the balloon (visible on No.1 CAM oblique, 6123, flown 13 October 1942) along with a trench system in an area which is now the site for the College.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), February 2002
