Archaeology Notes

Event ID 646798

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/646798

NT53SW 226 c.548 342

NT 548 342 A watching brief was carried out in September 2002 during the excavation of three trial holes to determine the location of services within the Scheduled area of Melrose Abbey and precinct.

A stone-built culvert, aligned N-S, was found in a trial hole located c 65m to the N of the Abbey Street/Buccleuch Street junction, adjacent to Melrose Abbey Gardens. Modern glazed potsherds, occasional small lumps of coal, bone fragments, a clay pipe stem, and a ceramic spherical bottle stopper were recovered from the fill. The base of the culvert was constructed of tightly packed cobbles. At the southern end of the excavated part of the culvert the base was formed of flat stones.

The proximity of the culvert to Melrose Abbey strongly suggests an association. Not enough of the culvert was exposed to ascribe definite usage to it, but it is likely that a substantial length of it survives intact. In its construction, the culvert closely resembles that of the abbey's main drain and lade system.

Report lodged with Scottish Borders SMR and the NMRS.

Sponsor: Scottish Water.

S Mitchell 2003