Geophysical Survey
Date 6 August 2013 - 19 September 2013
Event ID 994168
Category Recording
Type Geophysical Survey
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/994168
NH 97959 57775 A geophysical survey was carried out, 6 August – 19 September 2013, as part of a project to gain a better understanding of the potential survival of historic garden features and potential structural remains to help inform management plans. The survey at Brodie Castle aimed to gain a better understanding of the pre-18th-century landscape, including the gardens, walled courts, ancillary buildings etc, which may have surrounded the castle. The survey covered areas of lawn, tarmac and gravel. Resistance survey was undertaken over the lawn areas and GPR over the tarmac and gravel areas.
The survey identified numerous anomalies of potential interest. The resistance data suggests structural and other remains associated with the original formal SW approach to the castle. Suggestions of robbed out foundations have been detected to the NW of the castle near the extant stable block. More ephemeral anomalies to the SE of the castle suggest the possible limits of a former formal garden. Further anomalies have been recorded to the NW of the castle and are indicative of relic garden features. The GPR data are dominated by responses from buried services, primarily to the SW and SE of the castle. Other anomalies thought to relate to earlier layouts of the castle grounds may also have been detected.
A further resistance survey was undertaken within the Dovecote Park of Brodie Castle. This survey formed part of a wider evaluation of the area prior to potential development. A varied level of resistance was recorded across the area. This is believed to primarily be due to variations in recent ground cover and vegetation. Several trends are apparent in the data and reflect ploughing. Although several discrete anomalies of potential archaeological interest have been noted, interpretation is cautious given the varied use of this area in modern times.
Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants
Funder: National Trust for Scotland
Susan Ovenden, Rose Geophysical Consultants, 2013
(Source: DES)
