Trial Trench

Date 4 February 2008 - 6 February 2008

Event ID 1020459

Category Recording

Type Trial Trench

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1020459

Headland Archaeology was commissioned by Morgan Ashurst on behalf of the Scott ish Prison Service to undertake an archaeological evaluation at HMP Perth. The work formed part of Phase III of an ongoing redevelopment programme to improve and modernise the facility, which has involved both demolitions and new builds across the site.

The site was originally developed in the early 19th century as a Napoleonic prisoner-of-war camp; it was subsequently redeveloped into Scotland’s fi rst general prison in the 1840s. Plans of the site suggest that the general layout of the prison remained substantially unaltered over the 100 year period between the late 1850’s and late 1940’s, but was subject

to quite dramatic changes of the subsequent 50 years.

The evaluation was carried out adjacent to the B-Listed hospital block, scheduled for demolition as part of the Phase III works. The archaeological evaluation consisted of a single trench, excavated in the Estates Yard and revealed both the probable remains of the 1811 perimeter wall and a further, stone and concrete, structure of 20th century date.

Information from Kate Bain (Headland Archaeology) March 2008