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Pilrig Park

Air Raid Shelter (20th Century), Building (Period Unassigned), Ditch (Period Unassigned), Forge (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Midden (Period Unassigned), Road (18th Century)

Site Name Pilrig Park

Classification Air Raid Shelter (20th Century), Building (Period Unassigned), Ditch (Period Unassigned), Forge (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Midden (Period Unassigned), Road (18th Century)

Canmore ID 295887

Site Number NT27NE 1596

NGR NT 2640 7575

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/295887

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Activities

Archaeological Evaluation (6 November 2006 - 10 November 2006)

NT 2640 7575 Between 6-10 November 2006 a trial trenching evaluation was carried out in Pilrig Park, which is to the S of the former French citadel of Leith. Five machine-cut trenches were positioned in order to 'ground truth' geophysical anomalies identified during a previous phase of work and also to establish the character of topographic features on the ground. The main aim of the project was to establish the presence or absence of remains related to the siege work known as Somerset's Mount, which is known from a map drawn in 1560 to have been in the vicinity (the Pertworth Map). The siege was conducted by a combined Protestant Scottish and English force against the French garrison of the citadel.

The evaluation succeeded in identifying the remains of a WWII air raid shelter, which was clearly visible as a geophysical anomaly. It also exposed the remains of a building associated with Pilrig House and demolished sometime in the early to mid-19th century. The same trench contained a road and midden deposits associated with the house, with domestic rubbish possibly dating back as far as the 18th century. Of most interest, however, were the remains of a possible ditch associated with the fort, into which several archaeological features including the foundation slot of a small building or other structure and probable blacksmith's forge had been cut.

Archive deposited with RCAHMS, Edinburgh City Council.

Funder: Edinburgh City Council.

T Pollard 2007

Watching Brief (20 May 2010 - 2 June 2010)

NT 2640 7575 A watching brief was undertaken 20 May–2 June 2010 during the placement of a new underground electricity cable next to a current service trench. The work revealed two possible eroded dry stone walls that may relate to earlier buildings associated with Pilrig Park House, and evidence of a possible ditch associated with the 16th-century fort known as Somerset’s Mount.

Archive: CECAS and RCAHMS

Funder: Scottish Power

M Kilpatrick and I Arabaolaza – GUARD

References

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