Excavation

Date September 2002 - October 2003

Event ID 1084924

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1084924

NJ 189 672 Archaeological excavation, as well as monitoring of associated machine activity, was considered necessary during the initial stages of the bridge replacement over the outer moat in September 2002. This included the removal of four concrete emplacements as well as the hand-excavation of two deep trenches into both moat sides, dug initially to water level. The final part of the excavations was the deepening of the two side trenches by machine to create one large trench right across the moat, cut to well below the level of the water.

The concrete emplacements and borehole clearly come from the most recent bridge. This apparently replaced a footbridge at the same point, represented by the build-up of rubble and stone spreads on both N and S banks. Thick debris on the S side contained shattered clay drainpipe amongst the clay and boulders and is certainly redeposited material from the last 200 years. Boulders on the N bank top may be filling a shallow field drain exiting into the moat from the area of the present car park.

It was noted that a level taken on the field surface 50m to the N of the moat is the same height as the top of a brown clay horizon in both trenches and represents the general land surface prior to work on the castle. All clay and peat below the top of the brown clay surface is natural.

G Ewart 2002

Sponsor: HS

Kirkdale Archaeology