Watching Brief

Date 23 November 2009 - February 2010

Event ID 634002

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/634002

NT 268 739 (centred on) In November 2009 a trench was excavated to the S of the SE corner of the palace. The excavation was halted when substantial in situ structural remains were discovered 150mm below the present ground surface. The remains may relate to 18th- and 19th-century buildings lying close to the S face of the palace. These buildings, associated with the Duke of Hamilton gardens, consisted of a combination of enclosures and roofed buildings.

A watching brief was maintained in December 2009 during an excavation of the N end of the ha-ha. The work disturbed little other than topsoil and material that may have been associated with a Victorian boundary wall. A deposit that may have been part of an earlier version of the ha-ha was seen but not excavated.

A watching brief was carried out in February 2010 during the excavation of 17 small holes in advance of tree planting in the gardens of the palace. Traces of a path that may have run alongside an earlier version of the E boundary wall were recorded in two of the holes. Traces of an earlier soil horizon were recorded in the majority of the holes at 0.3–0.4m below the current ground surface. Other features recorded included the remains of a structure formed with stone and clay, perhaps a drain, and a stone and mortar surface of

indeterminate date.

A Radley 2010

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology