Trial trenching and evaluation, Dock Street, Leith

Date January 2002 - August 2002

Event ID 560252

Category Recording

Type Trial Trench

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/560252

NT 267 765 Two phases of archaeological trial trenching were carried out on the site of the Brodies Tea and Coffee building, 1 Dock Street, Leith. The site was believed to lie within the area occupied by a citadel (NT27NE 10) built in 1656 by General Monck and mostly demolished by 1779.

The first phase beneath the car park to the rear of the building identified post-medieval building foundations. The orientation of these was consistent with interior citadel structures shown on Naish's plan of 1709.

The second phase of work was carried out following the demolition of the building. Modern clearance, probably associated with the construction of Brodies, had removed all archaeologically significant remains above the level of compact clay subsoil. The southern part of the site contained the defensive ditch of the citadel, which extended to a depth of 3.8m below the level of subsoil and was lined on the inside with a thick ashlar-faced sandstone wall bonded with lime mortar. The ditch did not return to the N in the excavated area, and it is suggested that this must occur beneath modern Dock Street, as suggested by Wood's plan made in 1777. The fill of the ditch was a relatively clean clay, probably its own upcast, used for a time as rampart material. The remains have been preserved beneath the new development.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Gregor Shore plc.

G Brown and S Stronach (Headland Archaeology) 2002.