Kelso, Bridge Street, Former Croall Garage

Demolition work on the site of Croalls garage on Bridge Street offered the opportunity to examine any surviving archaeology before houses were built on the site. The garage site lies to the south of the west range of the Abbey and adjacent to the old ford used as a crossing of the Tweed until the building of the bridge.

The excavation revealed the foundations of a series of broad walled, stone built buildings interpreted as being part of the outer abbey court. Much of the stonework had been removed, or robbed, before new buildings with much narrower stone walls were built on the site. In turn these were demolished and more recent buildings put up.

Following the Reformation in the 1560s, it is likely that Kelso Abbey was used as a source of building stone for new houses and repairs throughout the burgh.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

NT73SW 102 7282 3373

NT 7282 3373 Demolition of the former Croall garage led to a programme of archaeological work in advance of house building. The site lies immediately to the S of the W range of the abbey and adjacent to the old ford across the River Tweed, in use until the construction of the bridge (and Bridge Street) in the early 19th century. Work was undertaken between November 1996 and April 1997 and comprised a watching brief during demolition and an evaluation leading to further recording. The work to date has revealed a complex of well-preserved medieval and post-medieval features. An earlier phase of broad wall foundations (possibly buildings in the abbey outer court) was largely robbed before the construction of buildings with narrower stone walls which in turn were levelled. Contemporary surfaces partially survive between the wall footings. A pottery assemblage and considerable quantities of carbonised grain were recovered.

Sponsor: M & J Ballantyne Ltd.

C Lowe 1997.

NT 7282 3373 A report detailing additional works to the evaluation and watching brief at Bridge Street, Kelso by Headland Archaeology Ltd gives further information on the site. The report documents work done between the 5th and 7th of February 1997. This work is the final phase of the investigations carried out between November 1996 and April 1997, see above. The archaeological remains below the post-medieval topsoil at the NE corner of the site were cleaned up and recorded prior to it being covered during construction work along the W side of Bridge Street. The area investigated is 28m long and between 3.5m and 7.7m wide. The work generally filled in specific details in the complex of well preserved medieval and later or post-medieval features uncovered in earlier work. The report gives detailed appendices giving context listings, a photographic record, sample record, finds record and drawing record.

Sponsor: M & J Ballantyne

NMRS MS/899/26 (February 1997 Headland Archaeology Ltd)