Watching Brief

Date 8 January 2013 - 7 February 2013

Event ID 980755

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/980755

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group on behalf of Edinburgh City Council during ground breaking works associated with the demolition of Fort House, Leith. The site was formerly a fort built in 1780, the boundary wall of which along with two gate house buildings still survive as B-Listed structures. A previous evaluation conducted around the modern flats indicated the survival of the fort buildings and also of earlier post medieval activity out with the modern building footprint. It was assumed that the modern piled foundations would have badly truncated the remains of the fort or earlier activity throughout the building footprint however the watching brief has proved otherwise. Several foundations and walls relating to different phases of the forts buildings were revealed throughout the site that match up with early maps of the site, and possibly pre-date the fort. Furthermore, a large post medieval pit was revealed next to the fort well that appears to pre-date the fort.

information from Kevin Paton (AOC Archaeology Group) 25 February 2013. OASIS ID: aocarcha1-143752