The National Trust for Scotland's Castle Environs Project

Date 11 November 2012 - 16 November 2012

Event ID 993332

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/993332

NO 73413 96801 The National Trust for Scotland's Castle Environs Project aims to gain a better understanding of the potential survival of historic garden features and potential structural features to help inform future management plans.

A resistance survey was undertaken, 11–16 November 2012, on the lawns to the N, S and W of the castle with the aim of mapping surviving remains of the inner court and ranges and other possible structures and garden features. Resistance survey was also carried out on the croquet lawn which lies in the walled gardens to the E of the castle. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was undertaken to map possible structures adjacent to the castle in the tarmac/gravel areas that were not suitable for resistance survey.

The resistance surveys detected numerous anomalies across the three survey areas. Within the main lawn to the S of the castle, anomalies indicative of possible structural remains were identified which may relate to earlier pavilions, or similar garden features, referred to in documentary evidence. These appear to be associated with a postulated earlier walled garden in the N half of the main lawn and possible further structural remains in the S half. However, responses from modern features, such as avenues of trees, services and possible earlier drives/paths, introduce a degree of complexity to the data. Survey of the croquet lawn detected a geometric pattern of anomalies indicative of a formal garden, including paths and possible parterres. The data from the GPR surveys are dominated by responses from modern services and foundations of a Victorian wing of the castle.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Susan Ovenden, Rose Geophysical Consultants, 2013

(Source: DES)