Excavation

Date 11 August 2003 - 9 October 2003

Event ID 1034304

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1034304

As part of Phase 3 of the Service Upgrade Project at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, a brick culvert to carry gas pipes and other services was to be constructed in the S loggia between the S range of the palace and the central piazza, continuing S into the palace through rooms G44, G44A, G45, G46a and G46b. The majority of the excavation was to be undertaken by archaeologists. As part of the same programme of works, standing building recording took place in various rooms in the S range.

It is clear that the excavation trenches revealed a complex sequence of structures earlier than the current palace. These are not from a single phase, but reflect the continual evolution of buildings on the site. These buildings may not only be from the buildings of the royal palace, but may also be from the mediaeval abbey buildings, which were absorbed by the earlier palace. There was no archaeological proof that the current S range is an adaptation rather than a complete rebuild of the earlier palace range. However, analysis of the finds may provide dating evidence for this as well as dates for the phases recognised in the excavation results.

The excavations show that the earlier buildings on the site were not completely cleared for the construction of the current palace. Their reduced remains, along with substantial amounts of levelling material, were used as a platform on which to build the late 17th-century palace. This may have been a deliberate way providing extra drainage to cope with the boggy, low-lying nature of the Holyrood area.

The future correlation of the remains found during these excavations with those found by other works around the palace, especially within the piazza and surrounding loggia will be informative. It will provide a more extensive, in-depth overview of the layout of the earlier palace buildings, if not those of the abbey.

More detail about the Standing Building Recording can be found in the full report.

G Ewart 2003

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology