At Lookout Plantation, an unenclosed Bronze Age round house was first noted from aerial photographs taken as part of a survey for a British Gas pipeline. It was subsequently excavated in 1980 during the construction of the Simprim to Corbridge section of the Frigg IV gas pipeline. The excavation revealed four main elements: an apparent heptagonal slot or outer ring with a south-west facing entrance and timber porch structure enclosing an inner ring of seven post-holes. Inside this ring were several 'pit-like' features and an alignment of stakeholes. Five fragments of pottery were recovered and a polished stone axe. Radiocarbon dating produced a variety of dates from different features, ranging from 1460BC to 1140BC. The site is one of a small number of second millennium BC unenclosed settlement sites recorded in northern Northumberland. (1-3)

[Vicinity of NT 912 396] A ring ditch was discovered as a cropmark on the line of a proposed gas pipeline. This was excavated prior to the laying of the pipe and was found to be a Bronze Age unenclosed round house. It comprised three main elements; a heptagonal external slot (possibly the footing of a sill beam), an internal ring of post holes and a south-west facing feature interpretated as an entrance and porch. Finds from the house included Neolithic and Bronze Age sherds of pottery, a polished stone axe and samples of charcoal. The latter were radiocarbon dated, producing dates whic spanned much of the later half of the second millenium BC.
No grid reference for the site has been published. The plan accompanying the excavation report indicates a location somwhere close to NT 9124 3960 but it is not clear how reliable this is. (4a)

Tim Gates, who originally discovered the site, states that it is at NT 9115 3969. (4b)

There are several ring ditches showing as cropmarks in this area. In the following list, numbers 1-4 are visible on the oblique photos cited as sources 4 & 5. Number 5 can only be seen as a faint mark on the verticals cited as source 6.

1. At NT 9119 3972 is a ring ditch c. 10m in diameter.

2. At NT 9115 3969 a second ring ditch, of similar size. This is the one identified by Tim Gates as being the subject of the excavation reported in source 1.

3. At NT 9112 3971is a very small ring ditch, c.5m across.

4. At NT 9120 3967 is a possible ring ditch.

5. At c.NT 9125 3964 is a probable ring ditch. Of the five ring ditches, this one lies closest to to the published location of the excavation.

In the same area are also a series of linear features, thought by some to represent ditches but dismissed by others as being of periglacial origin. (4c)

Aerial photograph references. (4d-f)

This area has been mapped from the air as part of the Milfield Geoarchaeology Project. (See archive object MD000293). (4)