Archaeology Notes

Event ID 700516

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/700516

NS33NW 3 3192 3915

(NS 3192 3915) Seagate Castle (NR) (Remains of)

OS 1:1250 map (1956)

For trial excavation at NS 3197 3916, see NS33NW 50.

Although Seagate Castle stands in Irvine, it is in no sense a town lodging, having all the attributes of a castle or fortalice in its own right, and it may well incorporate all that is left of the strong castle of 'Irewin', a stronghold of note in 1184, in the shadow of which the town arose (N Tranter 1965). The present structure, now roofless and ruinous, represents a very fine fortified house of mainly 16th century date. It consists of a lengthy main block facing the street, to the E of which have projected three towers, two round and one triangular; this may have been dictated by the ground formation. It has been suggested

(W Galloway) that this last is part of the earlier castle, although the walls are of no great thickness. The S half of the long main block and one round tower are now reduced to the basement and foundations but the remainder is fairly entire as far as the wallhead. There has been a courtyard with curtain walling and subsidiary building to the E. The entrance is by a vaulted pend running through the N half of the main block. This has a fine ornamental arched doorway near which is a modern plaque stating that the treaty of Irvine was signed here in 1297. This would depend on this castle incorporating the earlier stronghold. The castle was inhabited until about 1746 when its roof was removed.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1892; G W S Barrow 1980

Seagate Castle is as described.

Visited by OS (JLD) 26 May 1954

No change. The castle and courtyard are closed to the public.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JRL) 9 June 1982

A trial excavation was carried out in October 1992. It revealed medieval deposits to a depth of 2.8m, where natural was encountered. The only structure was a short length of wall no dating evidence. Intermittent layers of clean blown sand were found, sealing that various deposits.

Sponsor: Irvine Development Corporation.

A Bailey 1992

NS 3192 3915 In February and March 2000 a watching brief was carried out during the removal of damaged concrete screed above the barrel vaults at the late 16th-century Seagate Castle (NMRS NS33NW 3), the oldest surviving structure in Irvine. The corbelled stonework of the upper roof of the vault was exposed, partly overlain by post-medieval to modern deposits of levelling material, and these were recorded before a waterproof membrane and new concrete screed were laid.

A drainage trench through the adjacent mound proved to be composed of modern dumped material, while a pit dug for a silt trap in the SE corner of the castle grounds established the presence of medieval and post-medieval cultivated soils up to 1.2m deep. Pottery dating from the 15th century was recovered from the earlier cultivated soils. (GUARD 841).

Sponsor: North Ayrshire Council.

O Lelong 2000.