Excavation

Date May 2022

Event ID 1161392

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1161392

NS 5170 3777 Small scale excavation work has been carried out by Mr Coxhead on the northeastern part of the Loudoun Castle site, with the support of Archaeology Scotland’s Adopt-a-Monument (AaM) project since 2019. A wider project including previously planned larger scale excavation work has been postponed due to COVID-19. In May 2022, as part of a staff training exercise, Archaeology Scotland undertook two days of excavation and recording at the site with Mr Coxhead.

Visual inspection and a previous topographic survey of the overall Loudoun Castle site indicated a large turf covered mound feature located further to the W of previous excavation trenches. The mound potentially abuts the continuation of the large bank already identified and excavated in Trench 1. The northern side of the mound is closest to the moat and the castle remains and slopes steeply towards the top edge of the moat. A small trench, Trench 5, measuring 4.6m in length by 0.5m wide was opened across the central part of the mound and down its northern face. Topsoil was removed to a depth of c0.15m, revealing the mound to be earthen in part, possibly comprising two different soils. The remains of a stone structure, a revetment wall or at least two small terraces/steps, were recorded built into N side of the mound. A small amount of subsoil had formed over the exposed revetment wall stones/steps before two large stones tumbled or moved slightly from their original context. No further excavation was undertaken and it is unclear at present if this feature relates to the castle; its stratigraphic relationship with the large bank from Trench 1 has still to be determined.

The large bank appears to terminate further W beyond the

mound feature. A small trench, Trench 6, measuring 1.5 x 1.5m was opened up just at the base of the bank terminus, across an area of visibly protruding stones. Topsoil was removed to a depth of 0.2m to reveal an area of partially level large mixed stones and a section of mortared stonework. These appeared to be sitting on another soil deposit and other stones. It is possible they represent the remains of a surface or other structure, but given the mixed nature of the stone, including the mortared stonework, it seems likely that at least some of this material represents redeposited/ dumped demolition material. A single sherd of white gritty ware was recovered from the topsoil in the trench. No further excavation was undertaken in Trench 6.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Archaeology Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland

Héléna Gray and Mac Coxhead – Archaeology Scotland

(Source: DES Volume 23)