Note

Date 2020

Event ID 1107391

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Note

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1107391

NT 63872 23750 A multi-faceted, local community driven project, in partnership with HES, Dendrochronicle, CARD Fund, Wessex Archaeology Coastal and Marine and SUERC, has led to the discovery and dating of one of Scotland’s earliest bridges.

The Society discovered the remains in the bed of the River Teviot in 2018, under the arches of the 1784 Toll Bridge. This verified archive references to an earlier bridge. That bridge is likely to have stood for over 350 years.

The remains comprised of pier foundations and oak branders (a wooden frame set into the riverbed). The timbers lie under the stone kerb foundations and are therefore the earliest part of the construction. From ADHS sampling, Coralie Mills of Dendrochronicle was able to identify the timber as very probably local native oak, but has so far been unable to dendro-date the branders due to lack of contemporary data, a situation which may change through the wider development of regional SE Scottish oak reference data through her SESOD research project. Wessex Archaeology underwater team surveyed, evaluated and photographed the site, retrieving more oak samples. Samples of the oak were sent to SUERC for carbon 14 dating, (funded by CARD and HES). The results gave a dating to the mid 14th century. These are the oldest scientifically dated remains of a bridge ever found in their original position across one of Scotland’s rivers. This is the first time branders have been found in an archaeological context in Scotland, a rare survival of this part of an early bridge, and in a nationally strategic location.

The 650 year-old remains appear to have been sealed under the riverbed until very recently. Recent storms and flood surges have exposed them. Now that they are exposed, they are under immediate threat of destruction. ADHS monitoring and Wessex Archaeology survey has proven that one quarter of the best-preserved pier platform has been undermined and lost to erosion over the past two years. The Society continues to monitor the riverbed remains, seeks to retrieve more data and continues to archive research the story of the bridge and its part in local, regional and national history.

Funders: Historic Environment Scotland and Community Archaeology Radiocarbon Dating (CARD) Fund

Geoff Parkhouse – Ancrum and District Heritage Society (ADHS)

(Source: DES Volume 21)