Dundee, Exchange Street

(NO 405 303) During site enabling works at Exchange Street, a series of vaulted cellars were discovered to the rear of the frontage properties. Desk-based assessment and limited evaluation were carried out between January and December 2001.

The vaults seemed to be entirely undocumented, but from the scant evidence available it was possible to fix their construction between the mid-17th century and early 19th century, most probably in the period 1776-93, or 1793-1813, when the shore line was extended onto land reclaimed from the River Tay.

Eleven barrel vaults were identified, aligned approximately E-W. The first three vaults (Vaults 1-3) and the last two (Vaults 10-11) appeared to run the full width of the site, c 21m, while the remaining vaults were c 16m long (including end walls), leaving an unvaulted strip c 5m wide along the western boundary of the site. The vaults had a clear span of c 2.25m, or 3m between centres. The southernmost vault lay adjacent to the N wall of the Exchange Street frontage buildings.

Because of the condition of the vaults access was not practicable so only limited inspection was possible. To allow the construction of the new build it was agreed that the most southerly vault could be broken open and infilled with a loose fill. Prior to infilling this vault was recorded from the surface. The remaining vaults were left in situ.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Robertson Residential.

B Glendinning 2002

Initially the works were to include an evaluation of the open ground to the rear of the site and a watching brief on the grubbing out of foundations. However during demolition work hitherto unknown vaults were discovered running east-west underneath the surface of the site. This prompted a different approach.

A desk based assessment was carried out in an attempt to identify the date and function of the vaulted cellars. However no specific information pertaining to them was recovered.

Kevin J Burnett of Droflet Consulting Engineers conducted a survey of the extent of the vaults on the surface. This forms the base plan for this report. Eleven vaults were discovered, which were numbered 1-11 from north to south.

A small programme of trial-trenching was carried out in the filled ground around the sides of the vaults. In all, three trenches were opened. Two were excavated up against the walls of the cellars and one was excavated within the footprint of 16-18 Exchange Street to see if the vaults ran under the frontage buildings.

A section of the third and fourth vault was broken open to allow engineers and archaeologists a proper look at the feature. The elevations of this small section of vault three were recorded and a concrete cap has since been placed over the voids.

A redesign of the development resulted in only one vault having to be filled to allow construction to take place; the elevations were recorded prior to infilling with a loose medium.

Information from SUAT,

Archaeological Works at Exchange Street, Dundee.