Access Tracks at Langleford and Commonburn. Watching Brief Report.

Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by the Lilburn Estates Farming Partnership to undertake an archaeological watching brief during July and August 2002. The Lilburn Estates Farming Partnership has proposed that two new access tracks should be built on land near Langleeford in the Harthope Valley (centred on NT 965 224), and Commonburn, Northumberland (centred on NT 928 277) (Fig 1). The tracks are in an area of high archaeological potential in which several important sites are known.
The project was undertaken in two phases: the first being at Commonburn during 16th – 18th July 2002; the second at Langlee Crags on 31st July and 8th - 9th August 2002. The groundworks comprised the mechanical excavation of two 3m wide trays, 300m and 750m long respectively, to allow a gravel stone trackway to be instated. The reduction of the present ground surface averaged 200-300mm with a maximum depth of 450mm in places along the Langlee Crags (Track 1).
The area of the first track to the north of Langlee Crags (Fig 2) had previously