Eyemouth, Royal British Legion
Building(S) (Period Unassigned), Public House (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Eyemouth, Royal British Legion
Classification Building(S) (Period Unassigned), Public House (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 60286
Site Number NT96SW 91
NGR NT 9460 6430
NGR Description Centred NT 9460 6430
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/60286
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Eyemouth
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Berwickshire
- Former County Berwickshire
NT96SW 91 centred 9460 6430
See also NT96SW 80
The Royal British legion site (NT 9458 6434). The watching brief demonstrated that no archaeological deposits survive in this part of the town which can be dated before the late 18th century. All the structures identified may be related to buildings on the 1842 Blackadder map of Eyemouth (RHP 14828). An extraordinary feature of these buildings was the slightness of the foundations which were rarely set more than s ingle course deep in the sandy subsoil and comprised large boulders bonded with lime mortar. Traces of the former public house called the Cross Keys on Chapel Street were not found, but adjacent to it on the E side, that is towards the harbour, the remains of a cellar were uncovered which used to serve as a store for the public house (Area 2 on fig.3, Dixon 1986). Although walled in rough cxoursed stone, its door and window were finished in dressed sandstone. A second cellar, probably for fish storage, was found in the middle of the site which was built in red brick with steps down from the S (area 4, fog.3, Dixon 1986). It lay in the corner of Cormack's Yard which was entered from Commerce Wynd.
The finds recovered from the site included a fine whale-bone 'borkin' or bodkin, a number of sherds of pottery and china dating to the last 250 years, a quantity of glass bottles of the same timespan and fragments of clay-pipe.
Two conclusions may be placed upon these findings: firstly that this part of the town was not developed until the late 18th century and secondly that the development removed any traces of earlier periods of activity.
P Dixon 1986.
Sbc Note
Visibility: This site has been excavated.
Information from Scottish Borders Council