Holehouse
Enclosure (Period Unassigned), Natural Feature(S) (Period Unknown)
Site Name Holehouse
Classification Enclosure (Period Unassigned), Natural Feature(S) (Period Unknown)
Canmore ID 42046
Site Number NS34SE 12
NGR NS 35204 41112
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42046
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Irvine
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS34SE 12 NS 35204 41112
(NS 3522 4110) A Dewar air photograph shows the enclosure cropmarks of a possible D-shaped settlement above the W bank of the Annick Water at approximately 20m OD. It comprises the ring-ditch of a possible hut site, some 12 to 15m in diameter, surrounded by at least three roughly concentric but irregularly spaced ditch lines. The whole is confused by drainage lines and glacial marks, but an internal area in excess of 120 m NE-SW by 70m is suggested.
No surface trace or indications in a level field under crop; the farmer at Holehouse reports no finds or unusual features in the vicinity. The site is threatened by the continuous erosion of the W bank of the river. Sketch survey at 1:2500 from only available air photograph.
Visited by OS (JRL) 24 August 1982.
An archaeological assessment was carried out in advance of development with the objectives of locating, by geophysical surveying, the precise location of this ring ditch feature and testing by trial trenching other cropmarks that may have been enclosure ditches. The magnetometer survey located the ring ditch at NS 352 411 and suggests it is elliptical in shape and c. 12m by 4m.
The possible enclosure ditches and other cropmark features were investigated and found to be natural features.
Sponsor: lrvine Development Corporation.
F Baker 1994c,
Aerial Photographic Transcription (26 May 2011)
