Resistivity

Date 19 September 2010

Event ID 881124

Category Recording

Type Resistivity

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/881124

NS 9091 6572 An ornate skewput found being used as a

gatepost in a dairy wall of Southrigg Farm W of Armadale

prompted a search for its original site. The Old Hall at

Netherton was identified as the nearest possible source. Allan

Mackenzie at Airdrie Library pointed out the association of

the Hall with Dowager Lady Torphichen from the survey

by William Forrest (1816). A kite aerial photograph (KAP)

was taken of the site, and on 19 September 2010 a ground

resistance survey, of a 2 x 20m grid, was carried out on the

remains of the building and c13m of ground to its eastern

side.

A ditch can be seen as a curving white feature on the

ground resistance plot and on the KAP. The black area

indicates high resistance and reflects the geology around

the feature, with more discernible structural elements in the

middle. An L-shaped feature can be seen to the left within

the bank and ditch in the KAP image and this was also

recorded on the resistance survey. Part of this structure

appears to extend out of the southern bank into the field.

To the E there are similar high resistance linear features,

but they do not form any discernible structure and become

less clear further E. The large high resistance signatures

are possibly masking more ephemeral structures. There

are no obvious signs of building rubble extending across

the survey area, suggesting any remaining foundations are

possibly more complete than was first thought. It is possible

that the structure was never completed as described in

early accounts, or that stone was removed and used in

other buildings in the area. It is considered that the site

is worth further investigation, using either further targeted

geophysical survey, kite aerial photography in the near

infra-red or intrusive excavation.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: West Lothian Archaeology Group