Stewart Shiels, Northumberland. Archaeological Watching Brief Report

Lancaster University Archaeological Unit (LUAU) undertook a watching brief during the groundworks for the construction of cow house at Stewart Shiels Farm (NY 8673 9891) Otterburn, Northumberland. The work was commissioned by Turner Facilities Management, on behalf of the MOD.
The work was undertaken in accordance with a methodology prepared by LUAU (Letter 6th Jan. 1999), which was based on a verbal brief by the Northumberland National Park Archaeologist. The watching brief followed on from the evaluation of an enclosure at Stewart Shiels undertaken by LUAU (1998).
The watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of pits for the cow house stanchions, some of which extended across the area of the enclosure. At the west end of the site mixed deposits were identified which included large stones, a lens of mortar and contained early nineteenth century pottery. It was considered that these deposits may have related to a construction or alteration phase associated with the former Stewart Shiels farm house (now an out building).