Addyman Archaeology unpublished report series

Simpson and Brown Architects and Addyman Archaeology were contracted to undertake a desk based assessment and photographic record of Gateshead College in advance of the redevelopment of the site. The buildings included in the survey were North Dene House, a nineteenth century dwelling,and the main block of Gateshead College which was constructed in the 1950s. The requirement was to provide a historical assessment of the area and a record of the buildings based on readily available documentation, including historic plans, maps and previous photography, and augmenting these with an additional comprehensive catalogued photographic survey. The survey was intended to be a comprehensive record of the appearance of the structures and an appraisal of the design and function prior to redevelopment and demolition.

A desk-based assessment and walkover survey were conducted in advance of the proposed wind-farm development at Millour Hill, North Ayrshire. While some potential areas of differentiated vegetation growth were identified on aerial photographs in the northern part of the site, no significant evidence for possible archaeological sites was recognised during the walkover survey. Post-medieval and later features related to the agricultural use of the area, small-scale quarries and a formally-lined well were confirmed. No further sites of archaeological interest were identified. However, the area is covered by bog and prehistoric features may survive underneath.

An archaeological desk-based assessment was undertaken in advance of the redevelopment of Forth Banks Goods Station for the new Northumbria Police headquarters. There is a large amount of evidence for prehistoric, roman and medieval activity from the area surrounding the development site. Therefore, depending upon the depth of made ground at the development site, there is possibly the potential for medieval and earlier deposits surviving, as these may have been protected from industrial and later developments by the depth of overlying made ground. The construction of buildings on the site, in particular the Good Station, would have necessitated an amount of landscaping in the area, which likely heavily impacted upon any earlier deposits. However, it is also possible that the creation of made ground in these areas may have preserved pockets of previous activity. In addition, the remains of the pre-existing buildings which may have destroyed earlier deposits are in themselves of historic interest. The current proposed development intends to retain Kings House and the Former Goods Station Warehouse, with additional large scale development within the yard area to the rear (west) of Kings House. An access road is also proposed, between the development and the viaduct, which follows the curve of the viaduct.

Northumberland County Council undertook a major regeneration programme in the town of Blyth. Part of this programme involved the regeneration of Blyth Links, the sand dunes to the south of the town. Upon the dunes are situated a complex of WWI and WWII coastal defence structures, collectively known as Blyth Battery. The proposed regeneration of Blyth Links included the repair of, and alterations to, the battery buildings. Addyman Archaeology were contracted by Northumberland County Council to undertake archaeological monitoring and recording works at Blyth Battery. The aim of the archaeological works was to create a record of the structures as existing, prior to any alterations being carried out. The work also involved the monitoring of any significant alterations to the buildings' fabric. The archaeological recording work included a comprehensive photographic survey of all the structures and an analytical up-grading of the survey drawings created by Simpson and Brown Architects, which were themselves based on the original construction drawings for the battery buildings. The report included a written description of all the structures on the site. The initial survey work was undertaken in December 2008. Further site inspections were carried out in January and March 2009, in order to assess the ongoing works and investigate a number of features of potential significance which were revealed during the site works. A targeted assessment of historic paint finishes was undertaken by Colin Mitchell-Rose. Additional historic paint schemes were identified during the stripping-out phase of the works and these were recorded by photographic survey.

Addyman Archaeology were commissioned on behalf of Northumbria Police Authority to carry out an Archaeological Watching Brief on the site proposed for the development of the new Newcastle Area Command Headquarters for Northumbria Police. This phase of monitoring followed from a Desk Based Assessment and Standing Building Recording undertaken on the site, and aimed to assess the archaeological survival on the site. Prior to the industrial period (the second half of the 18th century), there does not appear to have been any large scale development on the site. In the eighteenth century the area became one focus of the city's industrial activity. Along the burn were glass houses, lime kilns, a large brewery, a pottery and a foundry. Associated housing also grew up in the area. In the 19th century this area became associated with the growing railway industry and numerous associated buildings developed in the area and the property remains in use by the railway to the present day. The watching brief revealed a significant volume of made-ground in each of the five Trial Pits and the two Test Pits. No pre-nineteenth century deposits were encountered, although stretches of walling were revealed which likely relate to the railway structures depicted on the cartographic evidence.

Following the assessment of the physical and historical analysis of Doune Castle, Addyman Archaeology proposed that a 13th century castle predated the current 14th century edifice on site. In order to confirm the physical existence of an earlier castle and how its layout influenced the later structure, a geophysical survey was undertaken followed by targeted evaluation trenches. Direct structural below-ground evidence of 13th century date remained more subtle than anticipated within the limited trenches, but proved sufficiently tantalising to warrant further investigation of larger areas. An early working surface and evidence for a robbed-out wall were encountered underlying the present foundations to the west of the gatehouse, presumably of 14th century date. This underlay foundations that proved to be in an off-set alignment with the upstanding wall, thus seemingly also of pre-14th century date; suggesting that the robbed-out wall below might be even earlier. A similar off-set alignment has been noted for the foundations underlying the late 14th century curtain wall to the east. The lowest level of clean fine-grained and compacted sands may either be undisturbed natural subsoil reflecting the original topography of the site, or imported material to form a motte mound or other earthwork fortification of a much earlier defended site. The tentative 13th century pottery recovered from Trench 1, although not in situ, together with contemporary finds from metal detecting in the vicinity make a strong case for a 13th century occupation of the castle.

Addyman Archaeology were commissioned to undertake an analytical assessment of Crommey Castle (historically alternatively spelt Crombie), near Aberchirder in Banffshire; work included the production of phase plans at three floor levels. Crommey Castle was in all likelihood erected between 1543 and 1547 by James Innes. Today, appreciation of the building is masked by a series of extensions dating to 1820, 1860 and 1910. The building is an excellent example of a 16th century tower house that preserves with little subsequent alteration (except to the upper works) a wealth of early features and details. It is also notable for the survival of interior plastered surfaces. The tower preserves extensive evidence for an important remodelling, perhaps of 17th century date, that involved major modification of the roof structure and reduction and reordering of the original wall heads. Crommey is also notable for the long history of attempted repair, these for the most part benign. The works in the mid 1930s are particularly notable even though unfinished. The associated survey drawings by John Wilson Paterson include an important as-existing record of the building before these works began.

Addyman Archaeology completed an evaluation in relation to the proposed development of an irregular-shaped compound within the village of Douglas. Cartographic research indicated that the site was on the fringes of the medieval town and showed areas of the compound to have survived intrusive development since the production of the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. It was hoped that these areas would have retained pockets of medieval or earlier remains. The archaeological evaluation resulted in the opening of 8 specifically placed linear trenches totalling 6.07% of the total area to be developed. No significant archaeological features were encountered across the area proposed for development, apart from six sherds of black basalt ware dating to c.1800, although from an unsecure context.

Addyman Archaeology was commissioned by the House of Bruar Ltd to undertake an archaeological evaluation of land adjacent to their property near Blair Atholl. The field in question is irregular in shape and located immediately E of the House of Bruar complex and Clach na h-Iobairt standing stone - a scheduled monument (SM1517). The site is to be landscaped and developed, with additional car parking spaces provided. The archaeological evaluation resulted in the opening of 21 specifically placed linear trenches totalling 1031.84m2, or 6.88% of the total area to be developed. This was complimented by two engineer test pits, adding a further 12m2 to the area evaluated as part of this archaeological exercise. The final percentage evaluated across the field yielded as 6.96% of the total development area. No significant archaeology was encountered across the area proposed for development, although prehistoric remains were revealed just E of the site. These consisted of a series of negative cut features from which a fire-cracked stone and fragments of Bronze Age pottery were recovered. Samples were also taken. Addyman Archaeology recommends further archaeological monitoring on any development to the E of the site.

Building recording was carried out at the 19th century farm steading complex at Birgham Haugh. It largely represents a single phase of planned construction during which some earlier features were incorporated, such as the walling within in the S Elevation and the bothy. The bothy possibly represents a remnant of a pre-improvement farm building on the site that was rebuilt and adapted during the subsequent development of the steading. Remodelling of the buildings took place throughout the 20th Century to allow the complex to be adapted to modern agricultural practices. The success of this adaptation allowed the buildings to remain in use until very recently