Edinburgh, Cammo House

A programme of excavation and recording work was undertaken with the aim of discovering the outline of the remains of Cammo House (NT 17399 74698) and clearing the undergrowth from the building known as ‘the offices’ (NT 17496 74393).

The excavation was undertaken over 11 days between 17 February and 7 October 2018. Eight new trenches were opened and Trench 3, dug in 2017, was revisited and extended, in order to confirm the size and line of the two back walls of the extension, added in the early 19th century. This work resulted in a good understanding of where the extension walls run and a better knowledge of the sequence of extensions added over the centuries by different owners of the estate.

The investigation of the structure currently known as ‘the offices’ took place over 12 days between the 6 February – 27 March 2018. Extensive ivy covering the building was cleared revealing a complex structure, which had been frequently altered over the centuries. The structure was surveyed and recorded. Small test pits were used to clarify boundaries between internal divisions. The internal area to the E end of the structure was found to have a high quality stone flagged floor. On the surface of this floor was found a penny coin of George V. A similar area at the W end of the structure also had a flagged floor, but it was not so fine. Close to the structure to the S we found a brick and concrete dish thought to be a boot scraper and the ornate base of an urn or sundial.

Archive: NRHE and City of Edinburgh Council HER (intended)

Funder: Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

Christine McPherson – Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

(Source: DES Vol 19)

NT 17399 74698 The project work for 2019 was to excavate, survey and draw the building known as ‘the offices’ (Canmore ID: 115197). The excavation programme took place every Monday between 27th November 2018 and 21st October 2019 except for the months of July and August.

Most of the excavation work consisted of removing the building rubble covering the internal space. This was piled up to 2m high over most of the internal structure. The E end of the structure was shown to be a dwelling with internal dividing walls of single brick, originally covered in thick plaster. A substantial, fine, flagged floor covered most of this area. A large quantity of finds was excavated from within the building rubble, mostly of a domestic nature, and those that could be dated had a late 19th century, early 20th century date. Hearthstones and fragments of fireplaces or ranges were found at the E and W ends of this room. A cupboard or alcove in the NE corner contained a quantity of nails and glass bottles. There was a passage-way from the east room to the centre room.

The central area of the structure has a very different range of finds. In the lower layers of the building rubble which has both grey slates and pantiles there has been found two sheets of corrugated iron, wooden remains, and animal bones. A hearthstone and fragments of a cast-iron grate or range was found at the E end. This area is still to be fully cleared.

The W end of the structure was again showing evidence of a domestic nature but here we found clay pipe fragments including two bowls, from the factory of T Whyte and Co (1832-64) and a silver shilling of Queen Victoria dated to 1865, as well as two pennies (George V and VI) and a wooden or bone chess piece. A fireplace was also found on the E side of the room and sleeper walls which may have supported a wooden floor. A stone and brick wall divided this room from the centre room. This area is also still to be fully cleared.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

Christine McPherson - Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

(Source: DES Vol 20)

NT 17496 74393 The project work for 2020 was to finish excavating the central area of the building known as ‘the offices’, and to survey and draw the building. The excavation programme took place every Monday between 11th November 2019 until 16th March 2020 when Covid regulations stopped the work. Some work was resumed on 2nd July 2020 and continued once a week until the 20th July 2020.

The central area of ‘the offices’ was cleared and the area recorded and drawn to highlight the remains of wooden sleeper beams. The W area of the range was also cleared and the fireplace showed evidence of metal hooks for cooking equipment. At the W end of the partially flagged floor, the flags showed evidence of slots for room dividers. The E end of the room had a low sleeper wall around it with an earthen floor below.

Research in the records has indicated that in the 1911 Census the E end of the building was at known as ‘Cammo Cottage’ and was inhabited by Margaret Wright the retired cook from Cammo House. This would fit with the range of domestic artefacts found at this end of the building. A full survey of these buildings is included in the report.

Archive: NRHE, City of Edinburgh HER (intended)

Funder: Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society,

Edinburgh Airport

Christine McPherson − Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society (EAFS)

(Source: DES Vol 21)

NT 17474 74374 This season we worked at the building called ‘The Piggery’ in the Buildings at Risk Register, this description was attributed to it by Historic Scotland. We worked there once a week from 20th July 2020 until 26th October 2020. Our aim was to clear the rubble from the building, excavate through the debris to find a floor surface and to see if we could understand the sequence of building and the purpose of the separate parts of the building range.

We started in the N area of the range. This consists of an oblong open area c16.2m N–S and 6.5m E–W. The S wall was at a height of 2.2m down to the slate layer, while the other walls were c1m high. An internal wall bisected the area to the N at 2.15m. It butted up against the outer wall, indicating it was a later addition. Two doorways, one on the W and one on the E, were found at the N end of the open area but no evidence of windows remained. The small divided-off area to the N had a doorway on the E side and what appeared to be a window on the W side. Oral history collected from local residents informed us that originally there had also been a round window in the far N wall.

A 2 x 2m trench was put in in the centre of the open area to find a floor level. Some building debris was removed and a clay floor was found at a depth of 200mm. A significant amount of broken glass was found in the middle area. Some very fine, thin glass. A badge from a ‘Rowatts Patent Safety Lamp’ was also found. A series of large ridge tiles made by Lilliehill, Dunfermline, were found across the site.

At the N of the larger open area we found a spread of bitumen but this did not cover the whole floor and looked more like a spill due to the uneven cover. A quantity of metal objects was found in the spill and on the surrounding floor area as well as a clay pipe stem with the inscription ‘Louis Fiolet’ running around the stem.

To the S of the E doorway was found a pit with three slabs surrounding it. Two of the slabs had 70mm metal rods set in them. The pit contained a range of metal objects including paint tins and a round metal band. Also broken flower pots and an ‘Indian Tree’ plate as well as a ‘torpedo bottle’. The pit was 0.5m deep and had a void at the base on the E side with the remains of a wooden beam in it.

In the 1895 sale prospectus, the outbuildings include ‘a wright’s shop’, and from the range of metal finds and the machine base in this area it would seem we have found this part of the steading.

Archive: NRHE, City of Edinburgh Council HER (intended)

Funder: Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society, Edinburgh Airport

Christine McPherson − Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society (EAFS)

(Source: DES Vol 21)

Ian Hawkins – Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society (EAFS)

NT 17474 74375 During 2021 EAFS continued clearance of the N structure, uncovering a concrete floor surface. A NW corner fireplace with much of its cast iron oven and hotplate surviving was in situ. Finds indicating domestic occupation were recovered including ceramics and parts of a bed frame. A quantity of fine (1.0mm) enamelled glass possibly from a door or partition panel was found although there were no traces of internal divisions. This continued the work started in 2020 (DES Volume 21, 47–8).

The central area was completed to below the fallen slate level. A build-up of fallen stone by the S wall was cleared and produced some hand tools and a hoard of 50p pieces. A trench by the W perimeter wall yielded some clay tobacco pipes and a small pin badge or brooch with a fleur-de-lys motif. A section along the wall to the N of the machine base held ceramics, clay tobacco pipes, and a whetstone.

The room to the S was cleared to floor level, which consisted of two rectangular cobbled areas probably for livestock to the E and S and a concreted area to the W possibly for cart storage. There were two N–S aligned rows of post sockets and a large drain exiting under the wall to the E. A cast iron drain cover was noted at the S end of the structure. There were three low level feeding hatches on each side wall. Two on the W wall had been blocked up. There was a wide (2.2m) gateway at the S of the building and an external stone staircase in the SE corner. There is documentary evidence that access to an upper level was by means of wooden steps. The structure was probably a two-storey byre and loft constructed in 1780.

A system of clay drainpipes was located running E/W along

the length of the external passageway and exiting by a culvert under the staircase to the E. The passageway was roughly cobbled. A length of sewer pipe leading to the SE, which probably replaced the clay pipes, was noted. Several buried coping stones were recovered from the passageway above the cobbling.

A small room at the S end of the range was cleared uncovering some ceramic material and metal wall spikes and hooks. Two separate openings with stone doorsteps were cleared but there was no sign of any internal divisions. There was a patch of stone flooring inside the E door. There was another doorway in the W end of the room. A large carved stone slab (1250 x 420 x 150mm) had been deposited by the E wall. This was finely worked with bevelled edges and was probably relocated from another structure.

Archive: NRHE and City of Edinburgh HER (intended)

Funder: City of Edinburgh Council; Edinburgh Airport Community Board

NT 17484 74380 Further excavations were made in a stone-walled enclosure to the E of the byre. The enclosure was rectangular with a rounded corner to the NE, possibly to permit the passage of carts from a field gate to the SE. The enclosure’s dimensions were 14m N/S and 10.3m E/W with a smaller internal partition of 4 x 3m in the NE corner. There was an entrance 3.1m wide on the N wall. The S wall was formed by the estate perimeter wall. Large amounts of discarded ceramic wares were recovered during the excavation as well as glass bottles and clay tobacco pipes, mainly from the area around the internal partition. The excavated floor surface was mainly rough cobbles with a stone kerb running from the entrance to the W wall. Some outcrops of sandstone bedrock and large rounded whinstone were incorporated in the cobbles. There was part of a brick floor surface beside the S wall possibly the base of a lean-to structure.

The central part was unavailable for excavation owing to a large

mass of stone rubble, some worked, dumped in the centre. Archive: NRHE and City of Edinburgh Council HER (intended) Funder: City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Airport Community Board, Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

Ian Hawkins – Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

(Source: DES Volume 23)