Watching Brief

Date 3 May 2005 - 5 May 2005

Event ID 1034406

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1034406

NO 0826 2512 A watching brief was undertaken in May 2005 during the uplifting of cobbles in the narrow gap between the 15th-century E and W towers which has been incorporated into the general structure of the castle (NO02NE 1.00) and is now described as the ‘link block’. Intrusive works were confined to areas already affected by the 1912 and 1960 structural alterations to the castle.

The shallow excavation into the bedding deposits below the cobbled floor revealed no earlier levels. Observations of the level of the chamfered stones in the doorway into the W tower suggested that the old floor level in the link block had been reduced by 400mm, in which case all old surfaces would have been destroyed by the 1912 works. The 1960s work did little damage, except for pipe insertions and the removal of the N part of the cobbled floor. No finds or features of archaeological significance were revealed.