Field Visit
Date 30 September 1998
Event ID 791144
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/791144
NX29SW 22 centred on 2420 9410
An extensive field-system, extending over the NW-facing slopes Kirkland Hill, was recorded during a pre-afforestation survey by Headland Archaeology. The field-system forms part of a pre-improvement field pattern spread over the NW-facing slope of watershed between the Water of Assel and the River Stinchar, part of which to the SW has been previously recorded (NX29SW 10.00) whilst that to the NE remains unmapped.
Continuing agricultural improvement has largely levelled the lower parts of the field-system whose extent is only readily apparent from vertical aerial photogrpahs (OS 74/022, nos 122-4 and 151 to 3). The surviving elements of the field-system comprise a number of more-or-less discrete cultivated enclosures linked by later turf dykes and then subsumed in larger enclosures as the whole system extended uphill. The whole system is crossed by a conspicuously straight turf bank of an improvement period head-dyke. It runs across the farm to the march dyke on each side, and from its low rectangular profile would appear to have supporterd a hedge. The E part of this head-dyke had already been abandoned by the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ayrshire 1858, sheet lvi), although the W part remained in use.
S Carter and J Rideout (Headland Archaeology) 30 September 1998; NMRS MS 899/98, no.2
NX 240 940 (centre) A short-notice survey was undertaken of roughly 95ha of land at Dupin on the Water of Assel, 6km SE of Girvan. Previously recorded NMRS site NX 29 SW 10 (farmstead and field system) occupies a large area immediately to the W of Dupin. This area to the W was the subject of an earlier Woodland Grant Scheme survey (Carter 1993).
A 19th-century building (NX29SW 21) and an extensive pre-Improvement field system of turf enclosures and dykes (NX 237 937 - NX 245 942) were found. The field system extends over the full width of the survey area (1km) and continues beyond it.
Sponsor: Historic Scotland
S Carter 1998
