The posts are situated immediately west of Hound Point at the extreme east end of Peatdraught Bay. There are two rows of wooden posts c 3m apart, running north-south. The tallest post is c 4m high with an average diameter of c 0.25m. The wood is in a severely rotted and weathered condition. These are probably the remains of a wooden pier.
Location
315730.00
679540.00
27700
56.0013733
-3.3528116
Submitted photographs
Image
Date
Caption
User
21/03/2014
Detail of posts from the eastern side
Laurens
21/03/2014
View of coast from rocks at the end of Hound Point, looking west towards site
Laurens
21/03/2014
Detail of posts, and of wood/concrete structures on rocks behind
Laurens
21/03/2014
View of the posts from the beach
Laurens
21/03/2014
View of site from Hound Point
Laurens
Submitted updates
Update id
Date
User
1628
21/03/2014
Laurens
Tidal state
High
Site located?
Yes
Proximity to coast edge
Intertidal
Coastally eroding?
active sea erosion; has eroded in the past
Threats
none
Visibility above ground
Limited visibility (partial remains)
Access
accessible on foot (no footpath)
Local knowledge
don't know
Description
The posts are situated immediately west of Hound Point at the extreme east end of Peatdraught Bay. There are two rows of wooden posts c 3m apart, running north-south. The tallest post is c 4m high with an average diameter of c 0.25m. The wood is in a severely rotted and weathered condition. These are probably the remains of a wooden pier.
Research to verify connection to WWI battery at Hound Point, and to determine its use.
Survey site fully at low tide, investigate evidence of structural footprint between posts visible from satellite images.
Comments
The site is just west of the promontory of land called Hound Point, and may perhaps be somewhat sheltered by the rocks at the end of this point and the rocky 'island' just to its northwest. Hound Point is quite a popular destination for walkers, and a well-used path takes them to the top of the promontory. The site of the posts is accessible from Hound Point and the beach, and can probably be walked over at low tide; still, access is over rocks or down fairly steep sand banks, and I believe the site itself is more often seen from a distance than visited.
The site was viewed at high tide, and, based on satellite imagery and other photographs, appears to contain several more posts than were visible at this time. Only three posts c.3.0-4.0m tall were visible above the water during the survey. The alignment of the wooden posts does suggest they were likely supports for a pier of some kind. Satellite imagery also shows signs of the footprint of a structure covering the area between the posts, c.3.0m-4.0m wide and c.50-65m long. Whether this is what remains of the pier is still to be evaluated.
The visible posts appeared roughly fashioned, of irregular width, and in poor condition, with signs of rot, corrosion, splitting and breakage. They are also leaning over, implying their foundations are not secure.
The site is recorded on Canmore, and is described here as being referenced in a 1916 map of the nearby Hound Point battery as a wooden pier. It may therefore be connected to the WWI battery on Hound Point, c.150m inland from the site, although I do not know what role it served.