Archaeology Notes

Event ID 711326

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/711326

NT27SE 1.14 25113 73565

Mills Mount Battery (NR).

OS 1/1250 plan.

(Centred at NT 2511 7355) No remarks. No information in RCAHMS 1951. Visited by OS (JLD) 29 December 1953.

No further information

Visited by OS (SFS) 10 November 1975.

NT 2511 7356 A watching brief was undertaken in April and May 2005 during the excavation of a large shallow trench at the usual position of the one o'clock gun, part of a programme of relaying flagstones over the whole area of the Mills Mount battery (NT27SE 1.14), which is intended to be the site of ceremonial guns. Structures thought likely to be uncovered were the top of the tunnel vault, the founds for the gun platform, and other undisturbed archaeological deposits. It was noted that the area to the S of Mills Mount had been massively disturbed in recent years in respect of

the new access tunnel, and that intact ancient surfaces and deposits may exist only in the area of this excavation.

The excavation revealed the almost intact remains of the foundation masonry for an old gun platform, altered at some stage by the removal of original paving slabs. The site was then buried under a thin skim of sand and mortar dust before a newer, smaller platform replaced it. The truncated E side of this structure suggested that the tunnel and vault to the E had been inserted through the E splayed side of this platform, and consequently post-dates it. The top of the tunnel vault was also seen, apparently built against the existing S face of the N wall of Mills Mount.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsor: HS

D Stewart 2005