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Mid Bracco

Field System (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Rig And Furrow (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)

Site Name Mid Bracco

Classification Field System (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Rig And Furrow (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)

Canmore ID 83275

Site Number NS86NW 15.03

NGR NS 831 658

NGR Description Centred NS 831 658

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/83275

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council North Lanarkshire
  • Parish Shotts (Monklands)
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Monklands
  • Former County Lanarkshire

Activities

Field Visit (31 May 1991)

NS86NW 15.03 centred 831 658

At least 12.5m hectares of rig is now visible around Mid Bracco, although pre-afforestation aerial photographs show that rig has been lost in the plantations to E. Two types of rig are visible. The majority is reverse-S shaped on plan, measuring 8m to 10m between furrows and extending over as much as 200m in length. In places the broad ridging has been split, forming narrower, straighter rigs. The narrow, straight rigs (between 4m and 6m across) have also been formed on relatively small areas of better drained ground, where there is no evidence of splitting of pre-existing broad sinuous rigs. On the terrace at the NE edge of the site (NS 836 659) six short, straight rigs are visible, blocking with much longer sinuous rigs, and probably post-dating them. Stratigrapical relationships between the two types of rig and other remains are limited, but parts of both the broad and narrow rig are overlain by turf-banked enclosures (NS 8345 6570, NS 8315 6548 and NS 8355 6528).

At least three distinct phases can be identified in the field banks. The most recent phase is represented by a relatively straight earth-and-stone bank, extending to the N and E of the stone-built farmstead (NS86NW 15.01), and forming the western end of an extensive series of sub-rectangular enclosures (partially depicted on the current 1:10,000 OS map and also visible on OS vertical aerial photographs pre-dating afforestation; OS 115/75 frame 134). This boundary appears to be related to the stone-built farmstead (NS86NW 15.01) and cuts across rig and banks belonging to the two earlier phases. Predating this earth-and-stone bank is a relatively straight turf bank lying to the SE of the stone farmstead. It cuts through some of the turf-banked enclosures (NS86NW 15.02) around the turf-walled building and also cuts a less regular earth-and-stone bank which may have been part of a network of sub-rectangular fields to the W and S of the stone-built farmstead (NS86NW 15.01). The layout of the fields to the S and W of the stone-built building reflect the slight reverse-S of the earlier phase of broad ridging, with which they may have a general association. An element of these fields running between NS 8311 6557 and NS 8323 6557 is overlain by ridging suggesting a process of expansion in the ridged area after its enclosure.

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 31 May 1991 .

Field Visit (9 November 2004 - 21 February 2008)

Headland Archaeology Ltd undertook a Cultural Heritage Assessment of the predicted impacts of the proposed windfarm on cultural heritage features.

A targeted walk-over survey was undertaken (9 November 2004 and 21 February 2008) in order to verify the findings of the desk-based assessment and to identify any previously unrecorded sites within the construction footprint of the scheme. Sites were visted as necessary in order to gather data regarding their setting.

There are two designated cultural heritage features within the inner study area. These comprise Mid Bracco deserted farmstead and Mid Bracco hut circles. The latter lies entirely within the inner study area, whilst the greater part of Mid Bracco deserted farmstead lies outside to the south-east.

Potential construction and operational impacts upon cultural heritage features have been considered and assessed. It has been concluded that, following the implementation of a programme of archaeological works, there will be no significant effects in terms of the EIA (Scotland) regulations 1999. Residual effects will be of minor or lesser significance.

Information from Headland Archaeology Ltd

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