31500: LSFH 1.4 Loch Oigheabhat – FIELD BOUNDARY; WALL

Summary:

FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Stone groin becoming stone-faced turf wall

Location:

NB 27967 18625

Full description:

"Starting as a stone groin on the east shore of Loch Oigheabhat this wall runs in an east south-easterly direction. It is heavily denuded, only occasionally being reinforced with stone. It stands to a maximum height of 0.5 metres, but for much of its length is considerably less extant measuring between 0.1 metres and 0.3 metres. This feature is not marked on the current Ordnance Survey, but at its east end joins a wall that is (1.6), suggesting that the two features form one single boundary." Part of: "Stock grazing management field system; probably relating to pre-crofting or early crofting period summer grazing, consisting of a series of turf walls with some stone reinforcements around gateways and where the walls run across areas of bedrock." (Burgess 2004, 18)

References:

Chris Burgess, Northamptonshire Archaeology. 2004. Northamptonshire Archaeology Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Eilean Chalium Chille and the Putative Site of the Seaforth Head Castle. Part No Loch Seaforth Head Gazeteer.

Acknowledgement:

Information provided by Western Isles Council Sites & Monuments Record, January 2006.