Standing Building Recording

Date 25 February 2019

Event ID 1094067

Category Recording

Type Standing Building Recording

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1094067

NO 51999 05234 Addyman Archaeology undertook an investigation of the below floor structure of bedroom 35 of Kellie Castle, near Anstruther in Fife. The early 17th century decorative plaster ceiling on the ceiling of the library room below (room 25) shows serious historic distortions along one wall as well as general slumping across the ceiling. The plaster of the ceiling may be showing fresh cracking suggesting new movement.

The project was intended to investigate and make an archaeological survey record of the floor structure supporting this plaster ceiling. A number of floor boards above the ceiling were lifted to allow some access to the below floor space. The recording included a drawn survey of the floor structure as well as a photographic record of the floor joists, with basic notes on each joist showing details of how the ceiling is attached to the joists and how the joists relate to one another. The floor structure was shown to be made up of 3 phases. The early ceiling joists were latterly supported by quartered/half cabers situated between the main joists. The plaster ceiling of 1617 was held up by lower joists of squared whole cabers; the wide gap between upper and lower joists is thought to have been in order to reduce vibration from the floor above to the plaster ceiling. If this is the case, then the modern bolting up rigidly fixing the plaster ceiling joists with the floor joist against which the overlying stone fire hearth rests may be transferring the vibration and weight of the hearth and floor directly into the ceiling below, and thus causing the observed movement within the plaster.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Kenny Macfadyen - Addyman Archaeology

(Source: DES Vol 20)