Lanark, North Vennel

NS84SE 323 NS 88098 43779

A small excavation was conducted on the site of Houston's Printers, North Vennel, prior to redevelopment for housing. The first trench, 2 x 4m, was at the W end of the site. The excavation did not reveal anything apart from a pipe that ran across the trench. There were no finds.

The second trench, at the E end of the site, was more successful and was of similar dimensions to the first. In the top layer of black soil a wide variety of items were found, mostly modern rubbish; these included a length of iron pipe, a substantial amount of an earthenware Scottish and Newcastle ashtray, a mixture of 19th-century earthenware, some blue and white china, some clay pipe stems, a piece of a clay marble and one piece of late medieval green-glazed pottery. Glass, too, was found in this layer, mostly fragments of 19th-century wine bottles (23 pieces), whereas only one piece of window glass was found.

In the second layer, which was sandy brown, only a couple of pieces of pottery were found, one of which was the base of a red earthenware dish, and a sherd of late medieval green-glazed pottery. Underneath this layer was the bedrock, which was interspersed with sandy brown soil. From the overall shallow nature of the deposits, it was considered that most of the layers of occupation had been removed in the 19th century, when the cottages which became part of the printers were constructed.

Sponsor: Lanark and District Archaeological Society.

E Archer 2004