Kelso Abbey Geophysical Survey

Date 12 June 2019

Event ID 1114169

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1114169

NT 73037 33692 A geophysical survey was undertaken, 12 June 2019, to the SE of Kelso Abbey (Canmore ID: 58418) in advance of planting of an orchard by a local community group. The area surveyed is a small field to the SE of the main abbey building complex, on the eastern edge of the Glebe Field. Kelso Abbey is one of a series of abbeys founded by David I in the early twelfth century. The extent and nature of the abbey precinct is not well understood, but the historic name of The Glebe implies the area to the south of the surviving abbey buildings was part of the agricultural lands within the precinct. This survey forms part of a wider archaeological evaluation of the site.

Both resistance and ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey were undertaken and have detected several anomalies and complement each other well. The resistance data is dominated by a broad, but well-defined, area of high resistance in the south of the area. The GPR survey suggests that this anomaly is very shallow and may indicate a possible rubble spread.

Towards the centre of the survey area several anomalies have been detected. A linear anomaly in the E of the area suggests a possible former field boundary or drain. Apparently associated with it is a comparable linear anomaly which appears to have a potential structure associated with it, although the responses could all be drainage features. Some 3m N of a linear low resistance anomaly a strong GPR response suggest a pipe or drain within a possible ditch which may have been associated with a former ditched field boundary.

While it is not clear from the data if this group of responses in the centre of the area are archaeologically significant, they are definitely anthropogenic in origin rather than natural. However, they could have a relatively modern origin. Early maps of the area do not show any structures within the survey area, although there were buildings immediately to the south of the survey area. As a result, it is possible that the anomalies might be associated with some form of short-lived outbuilding and drainage features associated with the mapped structures to the south, or simply early arrangements of field boundaries. However, an archaeological origin cannot be dismissed.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Northlight Heritage

Dr Susan Ovenden - Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES Vol 20)