Excavation

Date 27 March 2003 - 2 April 2003

Event ID 998223

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/998223

Headland Archaeology Ltd was commissioned by Mottram Patrick Partnership, on behalf of the Scottish Veterans Housing Association, to undertake an archaeological watching brief on ground-breaking works associated with refurbishment works and new build at Whitefoord House, Canongate, Edinburgh. The work was carried out according to a Project Design agreed with the City of Edinburgh Council Archaeology Service. The site is situated on the northern side of Canongate towards the foot of the Royal Mile (NGR NT 2665 7395). Whitefoord House, built in 1769, is currently used as an army veteran’s home. Two visits were made to the site on 27th March and 2nd April 2003.

Area 1

A trench measuring 9m by 4.6m was excavated to the west of the Manager’s House.

Excavation revealed up to 1.35m of overburden comprising demolition rubble and various, mixed levelling deposits. In the southern part of the trench this material overlay 0.50m of dark brown clayey silt, interpreted as garden soil. No finds were retrieved from the deposits. The maximum depth of the trench was 1.80m. Natural subsoil was not reached.

Area 2

Excavations in largely made ground close up against the exterior wall of a recently constructed building parallel and facing onto Calton Road exposed a short, 2 m long section through c 3 m of deposits. This area had been the subject of a watching brief in 2002. The section showed a build up of c 1.5 m of modern overburden sealed a c 1 m dump of crushed mortar and sandstone rubble of probable Early Modern date. This in turn sealed a build up of late medieval garden soil rich in animal bone, oyster shell and from which a sherd of green glazed pottery was recovered. This deposit was at least 0.5 m deep. Natural sub-soil was not reached.