WHINASH WIND FARM, PHASE 2, CUMBRIA Archaeological Survey Version Two

Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) undertook a rapid identification survey, on behalf of West Coast Energy Ltd and Renewable Development Company Ltd (RDC - Scotland) during February 2003. The survey covered a 200m wide development corridor around twenty seven wind turbines and cable routes on Brotherdale Ridge between the Borrowdale and Bretherdale valleys. The development area ran for over 6km along the ridge line from north of Crookdale Crag (NY 5559 0613) in the northwest to Casterfell Hill (NY 5970 0205) in the south-east. Following the first rapid identification survey, the clients identified additional areas of potential development within the assessment area, where additional access routes could be placed. OA North conducted an additional phase of rapid identification survey within these areas in August 2003 and the results were incorporated into a second version of the current report below.
The rapid identification walkover surveys identified nine new sites (Sites 31-39) that complemented the previous work of the Phase 1 desk-based assessment (LUAU 2000). The sites include a prehistoric cairn (Site 37), a marker cairn (Site 36) and parliamentary enclosure boundaries (Sites 23, 33 and 35). The proposed wind farm will have only a limited impact on the identified archaeological resource. The siting of wind turbine 6 directly threatens the peat cutting
area (Site 31) and the footprint of wind turbine 26 is directly over the marker cairn (Site 36). The cable route between wind turbines 23 and 24 may destroy the prehistoric
cairn (Site 37) and the enclosure wall/quarries (Sites 32, 33 and 35) lie close to the cable route near wind turbines 10 and 11.
It is recommended that wind turbines 6 and 26 be moved slightly along their respective hills to avoid sites 31 and 36, but if this is not possible additional more detailed survey work and evaluation trenching should be undertaken. The development corridor should also be narrowed or diverted slightly between wind turbines 10 and 11 on Borrowdale
Edge in order to avoid sites 32, 33 and 35, and more importantly be moved to the south of the prehistoric cairn (Site 37) between wind turbines 23 and 24. Further to the
avoidance options it is recommended that evaluation trenching should take place beneath the footprint of all wind turbines in order to assess the nature of sub-surface
archaeological features. Likewise a permanent watching brief should be undertaken for the topsoil stripping of access roads and cable routes within the development corridor.