Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Victoria Jubilee Bridge
Pit Alignment (Prehistoric)
Site Name Victoria Jubilee Bridge
Classification Pit Alignment (Prehistoric)
Alternative Name(s) Eye Water; Bleachfield
Canmore ID 60224
Site Number NT96SW 35
NGR NT 91851 60689
NGR Description NT 91547 60500 to NT 92137 60910
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/60224
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Ayton
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Berwickshire
- Former County Berwickshire
NT96SW 35 91547 60500 to 92137 60910
For nearby cropmarks (effectively forming a cropmark complex), see NT96SW 43, NT96SW 69 and NT69SW 70.
A pit-alignment running NE from the Eye Water.
RCAHMS 1980.
Scheduled (with NT96SW 43 and NT96SW 69) as 'Bleachfield, settlement, enclosure, pit alignment 160m and 460m, W of...'
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 30 March 2009.
Archaeological Evaluation (9 December 2010)
NT 9197 6089 A trial trenching evaluation was undertaken on 9 December 2010 prior to a proposed residential development at Beanburn. The evaluation covered >10% of the site and focused on a liner cropmark, identified as a pit alignment (NT96SW 35). However, despite the presence of cropmark evidence the evaluation identified no significant archaeological features or artefacts. The work has raised questions regarding the life span of cropmarks following their initial observation, in areas where the ground is still subject to ploughing and highlighted issues relating to cropmark anomalies caused by slight variations in geology.
Archive: RCAHMS (intended)
Funder: Fjordhus Construction Ltd
AOC Archaeology Group, 2010
Sbc Note
Visibility: This site is visible as a cropmark.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
Sbc Note
Intermittent. May overlap in two places so may represent two periods. Alignment cuts arc of circular house at NT 916 605. See also 102/0006 (Internal SBC Reference)
Information from Scottish Borders Council
Sbc Note
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken prior to a proposed
residential development of three residential dwellings at Beanburn,
Ayton, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders.
The archaeological evaluation comprised a trenching sample in excess
of 10%, and focussed on a linear cropmark comprising a pit alignment
(NMRS: NT96SW 35). However, despite the presence of cropmark
evidence the archaeological evaluation identified neither significant
archaeological features nor artefacts. The evaluation has raised
questions regarding the lifetime of a cropmarks following initial
observation where ground is still subjected to ploughing. It further
highlights the confusing cropmark anomalies caused by slight variations
in subsurface geology.
The site was found to be archaeologically sterile, with only modern
features such as field drains being identified.
Source: AOC Archaeology (MC)
Funder: Fjordhus Construction LTD
Sbc Note
Three interconnecting trenches each some 5.5min length, were excavated in approximately 200mm spits. This revealed mixed deposits of both imported and disturbed parent material to varying depths, particularly within the vicinity of the existing NNW-SSE house foundation wall. Further away west of the existing building the ground was less disturbed and revealed a clearly stratified horizon between natural gravels and the former ploughsoil.
The deposits were most clearly revealed in section and diagnostic examples of these were recorded. Natural deposits where revealed composed mixed size water worn gravel within a matrix of compact coarse sand, typical of the glacial till locally. The ploughsoil comprised a dark brown silty loam and where this had not been disturbed previously by the construction of the house survived to an average depth of 300mm. The soil contained numerous organic inclusions in the form of small fragments of charcoal and coal; distributed throughout the plough soil was a small quantity of ceramic material of relatively recent (largely 19th century) date.
The location of Trench 1 coincided with one of the assumed pit features revealed in aerial photographs. The ground on this side of the development does appear to have been significantly disturbed however the north facing section did appear to show a shallow cut into the natural subsoil. This feature was not reflected in the opposite south facing section and the material within it was indistinguishable from the ploughsoil and inclusions that occurred at other locations examined within the excavated area and there were no other diagnostic finds to suggest that this feature is of any great antiquity and may be associated with drainage. However, within the narrow constraints of the excavated trenches it was not possible to gauge the full extent or morphology or to establish whether the feature was indeed man-made.
No archaeologically significant features or finds were recorded or recovered during the watching brief. The incidence of abraded fragments of predominantly 19th century date throughout the ploughsoil is an otherwise common feature associated with midden waste collected from the local area.
Source: Andrew Dutton
Funder: Private
