Castle Hill, East Links

On the East Links, North Berwick, is Castle Hill, a natural mound about 40 feet in height. The summit is roughly pear shaped and measures in diameter 36 by 30 yards. To the south is a bank to which the mound is attached by a narrow neck. There is no trace of a ditch at base or across the neck. There are mounds and traces of stonework on the summit probably relics of an early stone castle.

RCAHMS 1924, visited 2 August 1922.

NT58NE 1 5606 8516.

(NT 5606 8516) Castle Hill (NAT)

OS 6" map (NG)

'About 3 miles from Dirleton the OM shows a large motte called Castle Hill, which may possibly be the original castle of the De Vaux.'

(See NT58SW 1 - Dirleton Castle).

E Armitage 1912

'On the East Links, North Berwick, is Castle Hill, a natural mound about 40 feet in height. The summit is roughly pearshaped and measures in diameter 36 by 30 yards. To the south is a bank to which the mound is attached by a narrow neck. There is no trace of a ditch at base or across the neck. There are mounds and traces of stonework on the summit probably relics of an early stone castle.'

RCAHMS 1924

Information from Ordnance Survey Index Card c. 1960.

The site of this castle is generally as described above. On the summit are the remains of an earth-and-stone bank, probably the remains of a turf-covered wall, enclosing an area measuring c.32.0 metres north to south by c.36.0 metres along the north wall. This bank is 1.0 metre high externally and 0.1 to 0.2 metres internally.

Contrary to RCAHMS a ditch, 4.0 to 8.0 metres wide and 1.0 to 1.5 metres deep, cuts across the neck of land 12.0 metres south of the site, and spreads down both sides.

Resurveyed at 25".

Visited by OS, 30th August 1962

A maze of truths, baked and half-baked, appear to surround the castle of North Berwick. Very few hard facts emerge about the fortress. Local opinion maintains that the site of the castle is marked by a green knoll overlooking the East Links, and that 'this eminence was probably of a wooden palisade type' (Anon, n.d.,34).

Information from ‘Historic North Berwick: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1981).

The site of the castle is generally as described in 1962. It is a possibly natural mound with an earth and stone bank around its summit. It was thought to be the original castle of the De Vaux. The siting of benches and footpaths is causing some minimal erosion.

Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife'

A desk-based assessment and topographic survey of Castle Hill was undertaken. There are very few references to Castle Hill, however aerial photographs showed a number of previously unidentified cropmarks directly adjacent to the mound. Most of the cropmarks are probably the result of natural processes. A full topographic survey of the Scheduled area was carried out, and an assessment of the condition of the monument was undertaken in order to inform future management.

Full details lodged with the NMRS.

J Morrison 2001

NT 560 851 AOC Archaeology Group carried out an archaeological watching brief in July 2006 during ground-breaking works associated with the laying of an electricity cable to Glen Golf Club clubhouse, North Berwick. Work was undertaken within the vicinity of Castle Hill. No significant archaeological features or artefacts were encountered.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsor: Power Systems

Hamish Donald, 2006.

NT 5606 8516 Archaeological monitoring was undertaken between April and May 2007 during the laying of a gas main in the open ground parallel to the rear (S) side of the dwellings fronting onto Marine Terrace on the North Berwick seafront. The ground in Marine Park was found to have been levelled in relatively recent times. For most of the length of the trench windblown sand deposits were encountered, and no early finds. No

evidence for earthworks or a ditch was identified at the E end of the trench, in the vicinity of the castle mound.

Archive deposited with East Lothian Council SMR.

Funder: Scotland Gas Networks.

NT 5606 8516 As part of Fringe-by-the-Sea Performance Archaeology, EAFS surveyed two partial grids, a total of 560m2, on Castle Hill on 7 August 2013. The castle was held by three noble families, the MacDuffs, the Stewarts and the Lauders. The 13th-century 'castle' was a wooden motte and bailey built by the MacDuffs, Thanes of Fife. A substantial higher resistance anomaly 17 x 4.7m was noted to the NW of the survey area, possibly representing wall foundations. A further area of the East Links adjacent to Castle Hill was surveyed but nothing of note was detected.

Archive: East Lothian HER and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Fringe by the Sea, Connolly Heritage Consultancy, Historic Scotland and EAFS

Ian Hawkins, Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society, 2013

(Source: DES)

NT 5606 8516 As part of an awareness raising exercise regarding archaeology in the Lothians, this ‘pop up’ excavation on 7 August 2013 took place with support from ELCAS and Fringe-by-the-Sea. An open access dig, to the W of the Castle Hill outwith the scheduled area, showed a depth of sand deposits with several bands of soil growth and blown sand with one event at c0.8m which contained a large number of ‘live’ shells transported to this location by a large storm. The inclusion of two corroded nails and a small fragment of Scottish Red Ware ceramic suggest the date of 1656, when a large storm hit North Berwick. A geophysical survey of the Castle Hill showed a large retaining wall and other internal features, while an enhanced topographic survey showed areas of continued erosion, reflecting the impact of public access.

Archive: Connolly Heritage Consultancy

Funder: Connolly Heritage Consultancy

David Connolly, Connolly Heritage Consultancy, 2013

(Source: DES)