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Excavation

Date February 2019 - October 2019

Event ID 1113122

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1113122

NS 88893 88520 Based upon previous programmes of excavation and building survey work undertaken at the Pineapple Walled Garden (Canmore ID: 46851) as part of the Canal College 2 Scheme (DES 2018, 91-2), a further three programmes of work were undertaken in 2019 during February, May/ June, and September/October.

The project is part of the Keep Scotland Beautiful (formerly Scottish Waterways Trust) Canal College Scheme, a training and youth employability scheme supported by Archaeology Scotland.

The work aimed to explore the surviving remains of a 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 being to understand the construction and use of the 19th-century structure 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 National Trust for Scotland.

Previous work included photographic survey and basic building recording, on elements of the interior elevations of the walled garden. The building recording work continued to focus on the southern elevation of the walled garden in the NW corner, which originally formed the northern wall of the former 19th-century glasshouse. A number of features had been identified on this south-facing elevation, such as interior fixings like metal loops and hooks, and evidence for possible heat management systems, and the 2019 survey continued to record the identified features in detail. The survey also identified a number of features on the east-facing elevation of the walled garden in the NW corner, which formed the western wall of the former 19th century glasshouse.

Previous phases of investigation involved the excavation of a trench across the central part of the interior of former 19th century glasshouse the trench being gradually extended and excavated during the course of the archaeological work.

The 2019 work further investigated the interior brick channel, the yellow crushed sandstone deposit and underlying clay deposits and stone alignment, and the L-shaped brick structure, extending the trench to approximately 4 x 6m in total, covering the whole of the eastern half of the building interior. The results suggest that the latter feature was a more recent insertion, cutting through the majority, if not all, of the interior infilling deposits, and likely also part of the brick channel walling. The L-shaped structure was filled with more modern rubble and rubbish, extending to at least the depth of the basal clay deposit already identified in the trench; it is possible this feature is the remains of a modern drainage system for a toilet. Excavation also revealed that the stone alignment was a wall, extending along the full length of the northern side of the trench and keyed in to the outer foundation wall visible on the ground surface. This wall had also been cut through by the later L-shaped structure. Excavation within the brick-lined channel revealed several small brick blocking sections of wall placed at intervals along its length. It is unclear if these are contemporary with the channel, or later insertions; they may represent supports for a heating pipe, or re-use of the channel to provide planting areas for plants such as vines. At least one of these small brick features is later, as it is mortared onto a large slab placed in the channel, on the same alignment as the L-shaped structure, suggesting it is associated feature (possible capping for a later drainage system).

Recording of the surface of the capping wall course of the exterior wall foundation was also undertaken. After careful cleaning, each capping stone was photographed, drawn and described. The work recorded several features present on the surface of many of the stones, such as masons’ markings, writing, and lead surrounded square sockets. At present, it is unclear if these form distinct patterns relating to evidence for structural elements relating to glasshouse architecture (e.g. uprights for glass panels) but it seems likely that many of these stones have been reclaimed and re-used from elsewhere.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Archaeology Scotland, Scottish Waterways Trust, Keep Scotland Beautiful

Héléna Gray – Archaeology Scotland

(Source: DES Vol 20)

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