Watching Brief

Date 12 October 1999 - 20 October 1999

Event ID 1028409

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1028409

A watching brief was undertaken at Craignethan Castle near Lanark while Historic Scotland personnel hand-dug a drainage trench along the base of the northern section of the outer face of the outer courtyard wall.

The trench measured 34m in length with a width of 400mm and a depth of 500mm, and commenced just to the N side of the entrance gateway in the centre of the outer courtyard wall, continuing along the base of the wall in a northerly direction towards the doocot. 3m short of the doocot the trench line branched out to the NW to link up with an existing manhole 4m due W of the doocot.

The principal discovery during this operation was the uncovering of an area of good quality basalt setts, along with a worn threshold slab apparently associated with a blocked doorway in the courtyard wall positioned 4m S of the doocot.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology