Excavation
Date 16 June 2015 - 26 June 2015
Event ID 1025849
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1025849
NS 688 593 Following an extensive geophysical survey across the site and immediate environs in early 2015, a series of five trenches (numbered 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7) were excavated in and around Bothwell Castle, 16 June – 26 June, 2015. Trenches 1 and 3 were located within the courtyard/inner ward; Trenches 6 and 7 were excavated within the outer ward; and Trench 5 was excavated over the castle rock, immediately to the SW of the donjon.
In Trenches 1 and 3 there was evidence of re-deposited clays both extending and raising the level of the natural promontory overlooking the Clyde, to create the inner ward in the late-13th century. Evidence was also revealed of the clearance and robbing of inner ward structures during the late-17th century and the truncation of the artificial terrace defining the inner ward. This was then landscaped by further re-deposited clays in order to accommodate garden features (beds and paths) defining an elaborate courtyard garden from the early-18th century – mid-19th century. Finally, the excavation revealed evidence of the stripping out of the courtyard garden, re-turfing and new drainage installation during the mid-to-late 20th century. The work undertaken in Trenches 1 and 3 revealed that successive periods of landscaping have effectively removed almost all evidence of occupation and layout of the medieval courtyard structures originating from the 13th – mid-16th century. Significant evidence survives of the 18th – 19th-century courtyard garden.
In Trench 5, evidence was revealed of the clearance of a level surface at the base of an upper rocky terrace defining the natural promontory overlooking the river. This was subsequently infilled with demolition debris, and levelled over the cleared terrace below. This probably occurred at some time from the 18th century – mid-19th century. During the mid-19th century a path was created over the earlier levelling.
In Trenches 6 and 7 there was evidence of the establishment of the late-13th-century northern defences; these would probably have consisted of stone mural towers with a gatehouse linked by redeposited natural clay and turf, laid over the line of the unfinished stone curtain wall foundations. Excavation further revealed that the 13th-century outer defences were truncated and levelled, then sealed by a second earthwork along the N side of the new rectangular stone castle enclosure (late 15th century – early 16th century). The final sequence of activity identified, involved the levelling and landscaping of all the residual defensive features (late 17th century – early 18th century).
The results of the fieldwork can be described in terms of four historical periods, variously affecting three areas of the castle – the courtyard/inner ward, the northern defences and the S (river) side of the castle.
The first of these, Period I, saw the establishment, at the end of the 13th century, of an enclosure castle of two principal wards. Only the inner ward with its donjon, was completed in stone. The outer ward with its curtain wall was probably completed in timber and earth, using clay and turf as a base between the upstanding stone towers and gateway.
Period II, from the late-14th century – late-15th century, saw the development of a complex fortification surrounding a stone rectangular castle. It was characterised by the clearance of the N curtain wall and levelling of residual defences (N gate and mural towers); the creation of possible artillery earthworks: clay and turf terraces creating a forework along the N face of the stone castle; the widening of the 13th-century (northern) outer ditch; and, the possible backfill of an inner ditch along the line of the N wall of the stone castle.
Period III, from the late-17th century – early-18th century, saw the clearance of the interior of the castle courtyard, and the robbing of the SE tower to create a romantic, rustic compartment defined by the ruined masonry, within an extensive wooded garden/plantation. All N and S courtyard ranges were robbed-out completely and open spaces created; there was landscaping across the courtyard, defined to the W by the residual ditch (W of the donjon), within the courtyard; a possible parterre was laid out with paths and beds across most of the courtyard area; and, the artillery forework to the N was softened and augmented with new terracing to the W, to create an E/W aligned vista, with new plantation to the N.
The final period ascribed, Period IV, of the mid-19th century, saw the creation of an informal landscape with increasingly ornamented/rusticated courtyard gardens and rides. New garden soils were laid over the parterre; informal planting was carried out around the E, W and S sides of the castle; and, paths and rides were established around the castle and a substantial terrace created above the river, with exotic specimen planting.
Further minor excavations were undertaken at Bothwell Castle, 29 June – 2 July 2015, ahead of the replacement of a staircase leading up to the Great Hall (NS 6882 5934), and the installation of an access ramp into the donjon (NS 6878 5935). Most deposits seen appeared to be associated with relatively recently-imported levelling material or interventions resulting from modern structures. There were some areas where earlier deposits were seen, undisturbed by modern activity, but there were no finds or features of archaeological significance during this work.
Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) intended
Funder: Historic Scotland
Gordon Ewart and Paul Fox - Kirkdale Archaeology
(Source: DES, Volume 16)
