Newton

Castlesteads/Newton NT 33 69 NT36NW 52 &53

Cropmarks between Newton House and Castlesteads reveal two lines of pits roughly parallel to each other about 300m apart. The E line runs N for a distance of 500m from a wood on the N bank of the River North Esk (NT 3374 6924) to the boundary between the districts of Midlothian and East Lothian (NT 3376 6973); the other runs from a field boundary 15Om ESE of Newton House (NT 3348 6979) to the district boundary (NT 3348 6992), a distance of about 250m. Both continue N of the district boundary forming part of a system of pit-alignments which covers an area of about 130ha.

RCAHMS 1988

(Halliday 1982, 76)

An aerial transcription was produced from oblique aerial photographs. Information from Historic Environment Scotland (BM) 31 March 2017.

NT 335 695 to NT 378 667 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken between September and November 1994 of the proposed route of the A68 Dalkeith Northern Bypass, from its proposed junction with the Edinburgh City Bypass to its proposed junction with the existing A68 at Fordel Mains. The evaluation comprised a desk-based assessment, field inspection, selective fieldwalking, and trial trenching. A total area of 9872 sq m, divided between 154 trenches in 23 land parcels, was sampled by trial trenching along the road corridor. Seperate entries have been compiled for the excavations at Castle Steads pit alignment (NT36NW 53), Smeaton Temporary Camp (NT36NW 33) and Smeaton Brick and Tile Works (NT36NW 109), which were previously known sites and thus not subject to preliminary evaluation.

Several known sites lay adjacent to the evaluation corridor; and neighbouring areas were thus examined.The desk-based assessment discounted the site of the Langside cropmark enclosure (NMRS NT36NE 67) being of archaeological significance; its location corresponds with the site of a disused gravel pit recorded on the OS first and second edition maps. The evaluation did not locate any archaeological evidence for a known pit alignment (NMRS NT36NW 52) where its extrapolated line intersected the road corridor immediately beside the Edinburgh City Bypass (NT 335 696). Excavation showed that the area had been severely affected during the construction of the Edinburgh City Bypass, and the pit alignment has most likely been destroyed here. The evaluation did not find any direct evidence of the cist cemetery (NMRS NT36NW 5) known to lie adjacent to a proposed slip road (NT 348 688). However, the sand extraction pit mentioned in the NMRS record, and in which the cists were located, was found, as was a pipe trench opened in the 1970s, in which two cists were also previously located. Trenches excavated adjacent to the site of Smeaton Brick and Tile Works in the same field (NT 349 689) revealed deposits of associated industrial waste material. An area of possible environmental interest was located around the Bellyford Burn, comprising a peat deposit containing pieces of 'bog oak' (NT 368 676 area).

In addition, the evaluation produced evidence of isolated features of lesser significance, such as areas of rig-and-furrow, small (modern) pits, field drains, a probable ploughed out field dyke and a length of ditch of unknown date.

A Data Structure Report has been produced, and will be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Roads Directorate of The Scottish Office Industry Department, managed on its behalf by Historic Scotland.

R J Strachan and A R Rees 1995.

Site identified during an archaeological assessement carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd.

Mhairi Hastie, 2006.

This project comprised a cultural heritage desk based assessment for the refurbishment of electrical overhead line between Smeaton, Dalkeith, Midlothian and Portobello, City of Edinburgh, Lothian. The refurbishment includes new wiring and insulators, new pylons and creation of associated access routes. The desk based assessment was carried out by Rubicon Heritage Services UK Ltd. during September and October 2014 on behalf of Hyder Consulting Ltd. The line of pylons traverses land of varying character; the southeast extent is farmland utilised for grazing while the northwest extent is located in the suburbs of the City of Edinburgh and the urban area of Portobello. The desk based assessment identified a number of cultural heritage assets in the study area. At the southeast extent the area has a complex of cultural heritage assets which range in date from prehistoric through to modern. Within this group are seven scheduled ancient monuments. The northwest extent of the line of pylons crosses an urban area in Portobello and the cultural heritage assets in this area comprise clay pits which were worked to provide resources for the local pottery industries in the post-medieval period and listed buildings which are part of the conservation area of Portobello. The proposed development will include some excavation which could impact any subsurface archaeological remains. Suitable mitigation measures were recommended after consultation with the local authority archaeologists. A number of scheduled ancient monuments are within the study area and consultation with Historic Scotland regarding scheduled monument consent is also necessary.

Information from Louise Baker (Rubicon Heritage Services UK Ltd) 23 October 2014. OASIS ID: rubiconh1-194501