Watching Brief

Date 10 February 1997 - 11 February 1997

Event ID 1012310

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1012310

NH 7618 5681 A watching brief was carried out by Kirkdale Archaeology over two days during minor excavation works within the fort. No significant features or deposits were found.

Work on the blacksmith's shop necessitated a further watching brief. The W part of the shop is partly divided by a short N-S wall protruding from the N wall, which serves to create an alcove in the NW corner, and the wall contains a chimney flue on its E side; these features indicate the position of the furnace.

A likely sequence of events can be suggested: the building was erected c 1760 on levelled sand deposits; the floor was then flagged throughout; after the smithy fell out of use, the flags were removed, where they could be reused, and the building became a coal store, the floor of which was eventually concreted over.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

G Ewart and D Stewart 1997