Balmerino Abbey Signage Replacement

Date 24 March 2011

Event ID 630550

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/630550

An Archaeological Watching Brief was carried out on 24th March 2011 in accordance with Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent ahead of the replacement of an interpretation panel. The work consisted of the demolition of an existing stone interpretation plinth and the excavation of two post holes in order that a new interpretation panel could be erected at the entrance to the Property.

Trench 1 was located within the West entrance to the ruins of the Church, 5.5m east of the modern steps which allow access into the Nave. The Trench was the result of the removal of an existing stone plinth previously used to house the NTS interpretation panel. Upon its demolition and removal a shallow 0.23m deep cut remained. This cut measured 1.8m east-west by 1.20m north-south and extended no deeper than natural topsoil. As such, Trench 1 presented no archaeological material.

Trench 2 and 3 comprised parallel rectangular postholes 1.05m apart on a east-west axis. They were located c.6m south-east of the main western entrance to the Abbey. Trench 2 measures 0.35m by 0.30m in plan and Trench 3 measured 0.45m by 0.45m in plan. Both contained three sub-surface layers directly below topsoil [1]. Context [2], directly below the topsoil consisted of a 0.15m thick mix of topsoil and small mortar fragments (less than 0.03m). Directly below this context [3] consisted of a 0.27m thick mid-brown silty clay and below this was context [4], a natural gravel consisting of water rounded pebbles (less than 0.03m in size). Context [4] was excavated to a depth of 0.45m below context [3]. In all, the two post holes were excavated to depths of 0.90m.

Trench 2 and 3, while offering up no archaeological material per se, present a interesting insight into the nature of the sub-surface layers in the vicinity. There exists, as is to be expected, a layer of collapse or demolition represented by the mortar fragments in context [2] which can be interpreted as representing a phase of deconstruction of the abbey’s nave entrance. It is unknown whether this is due to an intentional demolition and robbing event, natural deterioration due to neglect or landscaping by subsequent property owners. One interpretation is the possibility that it relates to what Kenworthy (1980) identified as Phase 5 in his stratigraphic sequence of the site;

“A layer of rubble mixed with topsoil and mortar overlay and sealed the graves of phase 4. This relates presumably to the demolition of the Abbey structure, and no stones of a size useful for building were left in the material excavated. The absence of clay pipes noted above, and the general impression that the rubble layer was not built up over a long period of time, suggest that this layer may be dateable to the shipping of stone by the second Lord Balmerino to Monifeith, mentioned above, in the period around 1625. It must, in any case, date to period before the records made by eighteenth-century visitors.”

NTS (DR) March 2011

Archive: The National Trust for Scotland

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Information also reported in Oasis (national3-99879) 26 March 2013