Watching Brief

Date 4 March 2019 - 21 May 2021

Event ID 1128110

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1128110

NO 11533 23621 A watching brief was carried out during the alteration of St Paul’s Church from a building into an open shelter/space on St Paul’s Square, Perth. The interior of the church was reduced and service trenches were excavated within the interior and around the exterior of the building to a maximum depth of 0.6m. Interior and exterior deposits largely comprised levelling deposits over made ground. The work took place from 4 March–1 May 2021.

The foundation courses of the church walls were exposed to the exterior along with ceramic drains. Architectural elements including floor joist scarcement ledges abutting the interior walls, a stone pillar base, and stair bases within the E, W and S transepts were identified within the interior.

A 7m length of culvert was also uncovered within the interior, orientated NNE–SSW, with a rough arched covering of mortar- bonded rubble. The culvert possibly relates to the lade that ran N/S through the site as depicted on Rutherford’s 1774 Town Plan. The 1774 map shows the lade as an open watercourse, running along the western side of what became South Methven Street, which then passed under the High Street to the north. Increased development in the 19th century meant the lade was filled in and built upon as is seen on the 1832 Great Reform Act Town Plan, and it may be at this time that the watercourse was culverted.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Perth and Kinross Council

Oliver Rusk – CFA Archaeology Ltd

(Source: DES Vol 22)

OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-424263 (O Rusk) 2021.