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MHG701 - Hut Circle, Lower Horse Pool

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Type and Period (2)

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Full Description

Centred at ND 133 625, in low-lying rough pasture just above the flood plain of River Thurso, is a hut circle, also an oval, and four sub-rectangular footings.
Hut circle (A), at ND 1335 6252, measures 5m in diameter within a turf-covered wall spread from 2-2.5m and 0.2m high, in which no stones show. An ill-defined gap in W arc is probably the entrance. The oval footing (B), at ND 1335 6248, measures 6 by 5m within a wall similar to that of the hut circle, but no entrance is apparent. Its date and purpose are uncertain.
The sub-rectangular footings are similar, comprising a trench with contiguous outer bank suggestive of a palisaded construction. They vary in size from 5.2 by 3.2m to 7.5 by 4.2m between the centres of the trench; the latter is about 0.2m maximum depth and the bank about 1m wide and 0.2m high. The ends are slightly bowed and there is no trace of an entrance. It is not clear whether these footings are contemporary with the hut circle or later; there is some evidence of early modern cultivation in the vicinity.
Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (J B) 15 February 1982.

The following locations are indicated by manuscript annotations on the NMRS record sheet.

A ND 1335 6252
B ND 1335 6238
C ND 1338 6253
D ND 1335 6251
E ND 1331 6250

Information from NMRS (RJCM) 16 February 1994.

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 1329 6250 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND16SW
Civil Parish	HALKIRK
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

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