Archaeology Notes

Event ID 843959

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/843959

NT27SE 57.00 26092 73695

NT27SE 57.01 NT 2609 7369 Trial excavation

NT27SE 57.02 NT c. 2609 7371 Watching Brief

(NT 2609 7369) John Knox's House: a manse occupied by John Knox between 1560 and 1569 when he was minister of St. Giles' Church. The house is first mentioned in 1525.

P Miller 1891; 1893; 1899; C T Guthrie 1891; 1899.

An unpretentious 16th century house in good preservation.

Visited by OS (J D) 26 December 1953.

A wall plaque describes it as being the house of John Knox.

Visited by OS 6 February 1953.

As described in previous information.

Visited by OS (S F S) 3 December 1975.

Restoration of the 16th century house allowed the excavation of two small exploratory pits within the building, immediately behind the High Street frontage. The sequence of construction and alteration of the cellars beneath the house was elucidated, and a small length of stone wall of a structure pre-dating the construction of the house was identified.

Sponsor: City of Edinburgh District Council.

M Collard 1992.

NT 2609 7370 A watching brief and standing building recording were carried out between April 2004 and July 2005 at the Netherbow Centre/John Knox House (NT27SE 57). Part of the redevelopment involved the removal of stonework associated with the former 20th century arts centre, which partly exposed the E-facing elevation of John Knox House. Foundation works within the basement were expected to lead to the recovery of medieval archaeological remains, but two test pits failed to provide any evidence.

A new internal opening through an arched press recess on the ground floor of John Knox House led to the recovery of a large oak lintel, which was submitted for dendrochronological dating. A felling date of 1560 was attained, and correlating evidence showed that the timber was imported from Norway.

The standing building survey recorded three blocked cupboards and floor-joist sockets associated with a former tenement building, one of several that were known to stand on the site before the construction of the Moray Knox Church.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsor: Malcolm Fraser Architects.

M Cressey 2005