Excavation
Date 14 May 2018 - 25 September 2018
Event ID 1105111
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1105111
NS 88893 88520 Based upon a previous phase of excavation and building survey work undertaken at the Pineapple Walled Garden as part of the Building Histories Project, two further seasons of archaeological excavation and building recording were undertaken, 14 May – 25 September 2018, at the site (Seasons 1 and 2). This work was undertaken as part of Scottish Waterways Trust Canal College Scheme, a training and youth employability scheme supported by Archaeology Scotland.
The work aimed to explore any surviving remains of a former small mid-late 19th-century glasshouse located on the NW interior of the walled garden, and the History of use of the walled garden and other structures formerly present within it. The main objectives were to understand the construction and use of the glasshouse and the surrounding garden, to interpret and communicate their story, and to provide a basis for the overall future management of the site by the NTS.
A photographic survey and basic building recording were undertaken of elements of the interior elevations of the walled garden, primarily located in the NW corner of the garden at the locations of former glasshouses shown on OS maps. This work has recorded several features present on the interior garden walls, including former roof lines, blocked up doorways, glasshouse heat management systems, possible glass house roof and other interior fixings such as metal loops and hooks for anchoring ropes and plants. The building survey work will contribute to future recording and conservation management of the walled garden.
During the Building Histories Project, a small trial trench was excavated across the location of the small glasshouse. This identified the remains of internal walling, surfacing/flooring, possible bedding areas and a possible heating duct trench. During the Canal College Scheme, the trench was re-opened in Season 1, and the features previously identified were investigated. Season 2 saw the trench extended and then further excavated. Overall, the trench measured 4.4m N/S by 3.5m E/W, and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.7m in the NW corner of the trench where a small sondage was excavated into the basal deposits present in the trench.
Excavation during Seasons 1 and 2 recorded several deposits of brick rubble, mixed soil, blaize and ash dumps, which appear to have been used to infill and level the majority of the glasshouse interior prior to the construction of the areas of paving and surfacing, a brick pathway bisecting the glasshouse, and a low slate-capped secondary interior brick wall aligned with the main sandstone outer wall foundations. This later feature was previously thought to form a heating duct trench, but as yet no evidence has been identified to support this interpretation. Underlying the various deposits of rubble and soil infill in the northern half of the trench, a deposit of yellow crushed sandstone and sandstone rubble was recorded, which appears to overlie further mixed soil deposits and an alignment of rough sandstone stones, which have been interpreted as representing either an earlier structure and phase of use of the glasshouse, or, alternatively wall foundation stones for the main walled garden wall which formed the northern side of the small glasshouse.
Archive: NRHE and NTS (landowner)
Funder: Scottish Waterways Trust
Héléna Gray – Archaeology Scotland and Scottish Waterways Trust
(Source: DES Vol 19)
