EHG4638 - Trial Trenching - proposed new housing, Walled Garden, Cromarty

An trial trenching evaluation was undertaken by AOC Archaeology in 2015 prior to the development for new houses on a land parcel in the northwest corner of the Walled Garden located on Miller Road in Cromarty, Ross-shire. A total of 13% of the proposed development site, enclosing an area of 1,677 m² , was evaluated. The fieldwork revealed considerable archaeological remains confined to the northern quarter of the site, including a probable grain drying kiln, a probably 17th century building with a cobbled floor and numerous pits and post-holes. Large fragments of a ceramic oven were also recovered from fill at the base of the garden wall and infrequent sherds of medieval and later pottery and one piece of a stone spindle whirl were found in various contexts. The area was well-protected beneath deep topsoil and the sites were related to multiple periods of occupation, probably late medieval/post-medieval in date and possibly to industrial activity related to a malting site in Cromarty. <1>