Archaeology Notes

Event ID 714958

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/714958

NT27SE 62 26409 73796

(NT 2641 7379) Canongate Tolbooth (NR)

OS 1/1056 plan, (1854)

Canongate Tolbooth was built in 1591, following conventional lines, as it contains a hall, which served as a council room and courthouse, raised upon an undercroft, and a tower which projects at the W end, for the bell-chamber. The turrets of the tower, and bell-chamber have ornamental shot-holes. The front of the main block was extensively restored in 1879.

RCAHMS 1951.

The building is as described in previous information.

Visited by OS (S F S) 4 November 1975.

A four-storey, angle-turreted tower with panel dated 1591. Adjoining on the east is the near-contemporary two and a half storey Council chamber block with ariel window and re-aligned forestair.

J Neild 1812; G Stell 1982.

Excavation of most of the cellar area took place in advance of the lowering of the floor. Superimposed floor layers to a maximum depth of 67cm were removed, and a number of cut features of varying date were located. These included construction pits, a clay-lined water-tub and a wooden tub sunk into the floor. Part of a stone drain survived at the lowest level. Pottery ranged from post-medieval green-glazed to 19th century, and large numbers of clay pipe fragments were recovered. Part of a mounted figure in glazed ceramic was found. This has been dated to the later 16th century and may belong to either an aquamanile or a roof-ornament.

N M M Holmes 1988.

(Formerly scheduled as Edinburgh, Canongate, tolbooth). Descheduled.

Information from Historic Scotland: Certificate of Exclusion from Schedule dated 19 November 2003.