The Balloch

NN80SW 25 8309 0074

The low grass-covered remains of at least five turf-walled shieling-huts are situated on a terrace on the NNW flank of Brown Hill and to the W of an unnamed tributary of the Burniepark Burn. Three of the huts (MENS97 13-5) are subrectangular and measure up to 4.4m by 2.8m internally. The other two (MENS97 16-7) have been reduced to low circular mounds up to 3.5m in diameter with a slight bank around the edge.

(MENS97 13-17)

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 10 April 1997

NN 82811 00493 A walkover survey was undertaken, in March to April 2020, prior to a proposed 93.41ha afforestation project at Ashentrool Farm. The following sites/locations, many previously noted in the RCAHMS Afforestable Land Survey Field Database (Menstrie Glen Survey, 1997), were examined and summarily recorded during the course of the survey.

NN 82153 00401 (centred) Site 1: Sheriffmuir Battlefield (1715) – 13ha of the Inventory battlefield lies in the W of the proposed forestry.

Site 2: Ruinous drystane dyke (19th century?) – probably the field boundary shown on the 1st Edition OS map (1866). Runs from NN 82339 00559 to NN 82480 00289 then enters small forestry plantation.

Site 3: Earthen banks/relict field boundaries (post-medieval) – one major and two minor earthen banks. The major bank, Bank C, ran N–S from NN 82430 00569 leaving the application area at NN 82521 00337. Banks A and B ran for a short distance westward from Bank C both fading near the post wire fence of ploughed field to the W. Bank B was truncated by Site 2 (drystane dyke) at NN 82455 00465. A large suite of associated field and enclosure boundaries (centred NN 82353 00356), as found by the Menstrie Glen Survey, has been completely eradicated by recent ploughing.

Site 4: (Canmore ID: 144981) Shieling hut mounds – as described in Canmore entry, albeit some elements now only seen with difficulty with two distinct clusters of features centred at NN 83089 00745 and NN 83108 00712.

Site 5: Earthen bank/relict field boundary (post-medieval) – runs from NN 82707 00342, turning at NN 82721 00395 then running eastwards to NN 83125 00458.

Site 6: Earthen banks/relict field boundaries (post-medieval), one major earthen bank with four associated minor banks. The main bank runs from N of Site 7 to NS 82866 99913 where it joins a major enclosure located to the S outside the area of proposed forestry.

Site 7: (CanmoreID: 144998) Shieling huts, earthwork bank (post-medieval), of the hut stances present on the spur, two are particularly clear at NS 82982 99932, nearby small, irregular curving earthworks features denote additional possible shieling survival. A small linear earthwork bank between NS 82985 99914 and NS 82981 999270 approaches the shielings from the S. No trace of the fifth shieling or twin parallel banks (as noted in the Canmore description) was observed.

Site 8: Field bank/relict field boundary (post-medieval) – short, isolated minor field bank located between NS 82955 99875 and NS 82971 99881.

Site 9: (Canmore ID: 144980) Enclosure, farmstead, possible mill – no trace of any of the above structures/features was observed by the walkover survey. New gravel-based sheep pens added near this location with recent earth movement, new farm tracks and regular farm vehicle movement apparently removing any surface indication of underlying archaeology.

Site 10: Rig and furrow (medieval/post-medieval) – two faint areas of ‘wide’ rig and furrow were observed centred at NN 81963 00083 and NN 82003 00457. Avoidance measures will be put in place in ensuring the protection of the archaeological resource from any adverse impacts created by the forestry proposals.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: RTS Forestry Ltd

John Gooder – ACCESS Archaeological Condition Services