Excavation

Date 1990

Event ID 606805

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/606805

Excavation took place in advance of a new school building close to the medieval pottery and adjacent to the 16th century New Inn and the Abbey Mill Pond (end of 14th century onwards). Early Christian burials had also been found nearby in 1895. Excavation produced a NS gulley, with a stone-paved path beside it on the E side. Along the E side of the path were the collapsed remains of a stone wall. On the W side of the gulley was an alignment of stones, perhaps the base of a fence. These features were undated, but might be related to the Priory Complex, for example the New Inn.

The site was later levelled up, by truncation in the N and dumping in the S, apparently post-medieval. Over the levelled area were the remains of a 19th century smithy. In the south was found a substantial sandstone wall. This may have retained the post-medieval dumped layers or may have been the northern edge of the Abbey Mill Pond. During contractor's excavations on the site, dark silty layers were seen S of the wall, perhaps sediments in the Pond. Also seen in contractor's excavations were stone built drains just north of the wall.

Sponsors: SUAT, St Leonards School, Fife Regional Council, North East Fife District Council, The Russell Trust.

D P Bowler 1990.