Watching Brief

Date 21 February 2000 - 25 February 2000

Event ID 1028671

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1028671

A programme of drainage improvements was carried out in late February 2000 at Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfriesshire, in order to counteract the constant flooding of the castle car park. These works involved the machine-excavation of a trench 58m long with a depth ranging from 300-950mm.

In the area to the N of the car park excavations revealed a complex area of cobbling, demolished walls and late cuts. Examination of this group of features suggested the existence of a cobbled surface, complete with central surface drain, with a width E-W of almost 10m. The surface appeared to be bounded to the E and W by roughly built red sandstone walls, with the possible existence of a central wall just W of the surface drain. The cobbles were sealed by up to 500mm of demolition debris, mounded up in the E and centre of the structure, and lensing out to the E and W. A late drain appeared to be cut into the position of the E wall, while a wide depression-like cut filled with debris and redeposited natural lay over the W wall. The whole was sealed with between 100-250mm of topsoil.

There is clearly a substantial structure existing to the S of the cottages adjacent to the entrance archway which may have been partly removed by the new car park. The structure appears to be a large cobbled compound of some sort, aligned N-S, which may have had a perimeter wall and been unroofed. No slates or tiles were found in the demolition debris covering the floor levels. The surface drain seems to indicate that livestock may have been housed within the structure.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

D Stewart and P Sharman 2000

Kirkdale Archaeology