Excavation

Date 2015 - 2019

Event ID 1107469

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1107469

NS 5170 3777 Since 2010, a local resident has been investigating the former Loudoun castle site and its wider landscape, known as the Big Wood, or Bluebell Planting. A programme of vegetation clearance and test-pitting took place at the castle site, revealing additional sections of masonry and possible wall structures, together with finds dating from the medieval period onwards. Previously unknown features and sites were also identified within the Big Wood. One of these sites was investigated in 2011 through de-turfing and minimal ground disturbance.

Since 2015, Archaeology Scotland, through their Adopt-a-Monument (AaM) project, have been providing support to the local resident to investigate and record the archaeological features within the Big Wood, and during his small scale test excavations on the NE part of the Loudoun Castle site (2017-present).

To date, the AaM work has comprised desk-based assessment (DBA) to identify all previously recorded sites and any new sites from DBA sources within the Big Wood area, with three days of walkover field survey undertaken in March 2015 and September 2016 to visit and record those sites identified during the DBA and any additional sites. This work identified a total of 20 sites within the Big Wood, including: the former medieval Loudoun Castle; the Lime Road and associated bridges, and lime kiln and quarry of likely 18th century date; a possible tunnel or substantial stone-lined culvert; and, an augmented well or natural spring.

The small scale test excavations on the medieval castle site comprise four test pits (TP1-4), and two larger rectangular strip trenches across the alignment of an upstanding section of substantial bank (BTN and BTS).

TP1, measuring 1 x 1m, is located in the moat of the former castle and revealed a large amount of rocks, likely to be rubble and demolition from the castle. TP2, measuring 1.5m by 1.8m, is located across the remains of a possible drystone wall visible on the ground surface to the NE of the castle. The tumbled remains of an E-W aligned wall were found within the test pit together with a small area of possibly natural subsoil onto which the wall may have been constructed. TP3, measuring 1 x 1m, is located a few meters N of TP2. A flat-laid mortared stone surface was recorded in the base of this test pit, together with a small area of compacted clay-possibly a clay floor. TP4, measuring 1 x 1.2m is located between TP 2 and 3. A continuation of the drystone wall identified in TP2 was recorded in this test pit, together with the remains of a possible earlier wall underlying, visible on a rough N-S alignment and corresponding to a wall identified in the northern trench across the bank (BTN), which lies c. 1.5m S of TP4.

Excavation of the trenches across the bank revealed the presence of a large bank and stone-lined ditch with at least three fills, located to the south of the bank, and a possible ditch or wide cut, with at least two fills, located to the N of the bank. The northern ditch appears to have been overlain by a section of substantial wall, aligned NNE-SSW, and constructed of large rounded to sub-rounded river boulders with a rubble core. The wall seems to continue into TP4, and may relate to a long section of upstanding wall visible to the north and north-west. The wall, ditches and bank have been overlain by two later deposits of soil, containing mixed finds from the late 13th-17th centuries.

Further excavation and survey at the site is planned as part of a wider Big Wood project.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Archaeology Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland

Héléna Gray and Mac Coxhead - Archaeology Scotland

(Source: DES Vol 20)