Edinburgh, Mortonhall

At NT 26147 68746 a length of ditch was uncovered during a watching brief during groundworks for a new drinking water pipeline for Edinburgh. The exposed section of ditch ran ENE to WSW for 33m before turning and extending 11m to the NNW. It measured c.2.4m wide by 1.1m deep, and that it had sloping sides and a concave base. A sherd of 19th/20th-century pottery at the base of the ditch suggests that it is fairly modern in date. The large dimensions of this feature suggest that it is likely to have been something more than a simple agricultural drainage ditch, and it may have been either a feature associated with the Mortonhall House designed landscape (NT67NE 67.13), or a military feature excavated for military training by troops who were stationed at Mortonhall (NT26NE 90) during World War II.

M. Kirby, CFA Archaeology, December 2011. OASIS-id: cfaarcha1-111885

A series of archaeological investigations were undertaken in advance of groundworks for the Edinburgh Drinking Water Project which will see the installation of a new water pipeline from the new Water Treatment plant at Glencorse to the existing water treatment plant at Alnwickhall with a spur running, from NT 25354 66630 to NT 25025 67340, to join existing pipework by the City bypass.

The watching brief included the monitoring of upfill operations overlying the possible Roman fortlet at Glencorse (NT26SW 33), and the photographic recording of any field boundaries within the policies (NT26NE 67.13) and designed landscape associated with Mortonhall House prior to their demolition. This programme of work led to the identification of three sites considered to be of archaeological potential: a dyke and the remains of associated rig and furrow cultivation (NT26SE 172)); a single pit containing fire-cracked stone and a single flint flake (NT26NE 374); and a ditch with a right-angled turn (NT26NE 375). Pottery recovered from the base of this ditch suggests that it was modern in date. It may have been either a feature associated with the Mortonhall House designed landscape, or a military feature excavated for military training by troops who were stationed at Mortonhall during World War II.

A metal detector survey was undertaken pre-construction of the section of pipeline running from Mortonhall army camp (NT26NE 90) to the road leading to Meadowhead Farm over the site of a supposed Cromwellian Army Encampment (NT26NE 5).

M. Kirby, CFA Archaeology, December 2011. OASIS-id: cfaarcha1-111885

An excavation in advance of a new water pipeline revealed a ditch with a right angled turn. Pottery identified the feature as a possible military trench of the Second World War. Information contained in The National Archives (WO 78/4396) depicts a trench at this location dating to the First World War. This ditch formed the very southern end of the Edinburgh defences which ran from the shore at Craigentinny to Mortonhall (See NT27SE 6127.00 and 6127.03).

Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 16 February 2015.