Watching Brief
Date 18 March 2014 - 21 March 2014
Event ID 991690
Category Recording
Type Watching Brief
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/991690
Alder Archaeology was commissioned by Scottish and Southern Energy to undertake an archaeological watching brief on the ground breaking works for the installation of a high voltage cable around the north side of Castle Mains Farm, which is located on the site of the medieval Auchterarder Castle. The watching brief was requested by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust in response to the archaeological implications of ground works for the laying of the cable through this site. The cable trench also crossed a possible ditch or moat feature on the E side of Castle Mains. It is considered that the ditch feature, as identified by aerial photography, may have predated the castle. Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust had identified a zone of archaeological sensitivity that was centred on NGR NN 9438 1340 which extended over the site of Castle Mains and included the ditch feature. The development was linear in nature and comprised the excavation of a narrow cable trench, running through fields and a yard around the N side of Castle Mains The work (Alder site code AA 13) was undertaken during the period 18th -21st March in variable very wet, windy and dry weather conditions. Special attention was paid to the possibility of finding remains dating to the occupation of the medieval castle and the ditch feature. The watching brief recorded some large quarried angular stones, a group of small field boulders, that may have formed a wall, and the foundation remains of a 19th C agricultural building. An area of soft fill was encountered that could have possibly been the infilling of a ditch or moat feature and which contained some modern bones from a farm horse. No archaeological deposits were found that could specifically be identified as being the remains of a ditch or moat and also no remains were found that could be associated with any medieval activity relating to Auchterarder Castle.
Alder Archaeology Ltd. (R. Cachart) OASIS ID: alderarc1-185555
