Watching Brief

Date May 1997

Event ID 573680

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/573680

NT 5960 8161 As part of the Scheduled Monument Consent works for the conversion of the Tithe Barn, Whitekirk, East Lothian into a dwelling house and for the creation of a sunken car park to the immediate W of the building, Headland Archaeology Ltd carried out an archaeological watching brief on ground breaking works within and immediatly outside the building and also on access roads to the site. During the construction of an access road to the car parking area to the W of the barn archaeological remains were identified. This meant the car park was eventually constructed further to the NW. The deposits and features found to the immediate W of the barn appear to be the remains of buildings and demolition debris. A section cut through these deposits shows atleast two phases of construction or demolition on the site. Pottery from the 12th to 15th centuries found in relation to these deposits support the identification of the building remains as those of the 'pilgrim houses' which were established on the site in the early 15th century, due to the proximity of the nearby healing well which was a major focus of pilgramage in the later medieval period. The report also says that a panel that may have come from a 14th century shrine was found, built into the 17th century extension to the building. To the S of the barn the watching brief of service trenches revealed a halo of demolition rubble in the vicinity of the tithe barn and a series of possible structural remains in the SW corner of the field.

Sponsor: George Tuer, Whitekirk Mains

NMRS MS/899/34 (May 1997 Headland Archaeology Ltd)