Edinburgh, Cramond, Waste Water Treatment Works

NT 190 771 (area) A programme of archaeological works was undertaken in advance of the construction of a new pumping station, rising main and associated works at Cramond.

NT 1905 7708 In March 2000, a single evaluation trench (25.5m2), located across the footprint of a proposed new pumping station, failed to locate any significant archaeological features. A single unstratified sherd of samian ware was recovered.

A subsequent watching brief in April 2000 on ground-reduction works associated with the construction of the new pumping station unearthed a shallow ditch feature. This linear feature, 8m long by up to 1.8m wide, aligned N-S, survived to a depth of up to 0.5m. The feature had been truncated at its southern end by the trench for a storm drain. Excavation showed the feature to be a shallow U-shaped ditch, the fill of which was uniform with no evidence of gradual silting. Mammal bones were retrieved from throughout the fill, as were Roman ceramic sherds and a metal ring. The feature may have served a drainage or boundary function.

NT 1905 7708 - NT 1928 7690 Over two phases of fieldwork in June 2000 and March 2001, an evaluation trench, 3m wide and roughly 260m long, was excavated on the line of the proposed rising main lying within the Scheduled area of Cramond Roman fort. Over almost its entire course within the Scheduled site, the rising main was planned to be adjacent to, and inserted into the backfilled trench of an existing storm drain. Near the present Cramond car park, a 10m long section of trench diverged from the course of the storm drain. At this point, two buried soils were recorded in the southern section, the uppermost soil layer being rich in midden material. Two linear shallow ditch features, probably serving as drains, emerged from below the midden soil. Aligned roughly N-S, these features were truncated by the storm drain trench, which still occupied the northern part of the trench. On the basis of a very limited ceramic assemblage, one of the ditches at least would appear to be late medieval in date, situated below a heavily middened medieval/post-medieval cultivation soil and truncating an underlying Roman soil level. However, this chronology must remain tentative in the light of the limited dating evidence.

Sponsor: East of Scotland Water.

J Gooder 2001

NT 190 771 (area) A programme of archaeological works was undertaken in advance of the construction of a new pumping station, rising main and associated works at Cramond.

NT 1905 7708 In March 2000, a single evaluation trench (25.5m2), located across the footprint of a proposed new pumping station, failed to locate any significant archaeological features. A single unstratified sherd of samian ware was recovered.

A subsequent watching brief in April 2000 on ground-reduction works associated with the construction of the new pumping station unearthed a shallow ditch feature. This linear feature, 8m long by up to 1.8m wide, aligned N-S, survived to a depth of up to 0.5m. The feature had been truncated at its southern end by the trench for a storm drain. Excavation showed the feature to be a shallow U-shaped ditch, the fill of which was uniform with no evidence of gradual silting. Mammal bones were retrieved from throughout the fill, as were Roman ceramic sherds and a metal ring. The feature may have served a drainage or boundary function.

NT 1905 7708 - NT 1928 7690 Over two phases of fieldwork in June 2000 and March 2001, an evaluation trench, 3m wide and roughly 260m long, was excavated on the line of the proposed rising main lying within the Scheduled area of Cramond Roman fort. Over almost its entire course within the Scheduled site, the rising main was planned to be adjacent to, and inserted into the backfilled trench of an existing storm drain. Near the present Cramond car park, a 10m long section of trench diverged from the course of the storm drain. At this point, two buried soils were recorded in the southern section, the uppermost soil layer being rich in midden material. Two linear shallow ditch features, probably serving as drains, emerged from below the midden soil. Aligned roughly N-S, these features were truncated by the storm drain trench, which still occupied the northern part of the trench. On the basis of a very limited ceramic assemblage, one of the ditches at least would appear to be late medieval in date, situated below a heavily middened medieval/post-medieval cultivation soil and truncating an underlying Roman soil level. However, this chronology must remain tentative in the light of the limited dating evidence.

Sponsor: East of Scotland Water.

J Gooder 2001

NT 190 771 (area) A programme of archaeological works was undertaken in advance of the construction of a new pumping station, rising main and associated works at Cramond.

NT 1905 7708 In March 2000, a single evaluation trench (25.5m2), located across the footprint of a proposed new pumping station, failed to locate any significant archaeological features. A single unstratified sherd of samian ware was recovered.

A subsequent watching brief in April 2000 on ground-reduction works associated with the construction of the new pumping station unearthed a shallow ditch feature. This linear feature, 8m long by up to 1.8m wide, aligned N-S, survived to a depth of up to 0.5m. The feature had been truncated at its southern end by the trench for a storm drain. Excavation showed the feature to be a shallow U-shaped ditch, the fill of which was uniform with no evidence of gradual silting. Mammal bones were retrieved from throughout the fill, as were Roman ceramic sherds and a metal ring. The feature may have served a drainage or boundary function.

NT 1905 7708 - NT 1928 7690 Over two phases of fieldwork in June 2000 and March 2001, an evaluation trench, 3m wide and roughly 260m long, was excavated on the line of the proposed rising main lying within the Scheduled area of Cramond Roman fort. Over almost its entire course within the Scheduled site, the rising main was planned to be adjacent to, and inserted into the backfilled trench of an existing storm drain. Near the present Cramond car park, a 10m long section of trench diverged from the course of the storm drain. At this point, two buried soils were recorded in the southern section, the uppermost soil layer being rich in midden material. Two linear shallow ditch features, probably serving as drains, emerged from below the midden soil. Aligned roughly N-S, these features were truncated by the storm drain trench, which still occupied the northern part of the trench. On the basis of a very limited ceramic assemblage, one of the ditches at least would appear to be late medieval in date, situated below a heavily middened medieval/post-medieval cultivation soil and truncating an underlying Roman soil level. However, this chronology must remain tentative in the light of the limited dating evidence.

Sponsor: East of Scotland Water.

J Gooder 2001

NT 190 771 (area) A programme of archaeological works was undertaken in advance of the construction of a new pumping station, rising main and associated works at Cramond.

NT 1901 7719 - NT 1942 7792 A watching brief was undertaken on trenching works associated with the insertion of a new pipe alongside the western side of the causeway and immediately adjacent to the existing Cramond outfall pipe. The watching brief extended for a distance of 875m from the existed sewage pumping station, at the head of the breakwater. This work was undertaken immediately alongside and to the W of the anti-shipping barrier (NMRS NT17NE 118) linking the Cramond breakwater with Cramond Island. No significant archaeological features or artefacts were encountered.

Sponsor: East of Scotland Water.

J Gooder 2001