Seafield Mill
Ditch (Post Medieval), Rig And Furrow (Post Medieval), Bracelet
Site Name Seafield Mill
Classification Ditch (Post Medieval), Rig And Furrow (Post Medieval), Bracelet
Canmore ID 330213
Site Number NT26SE 172
NGR NT 25194 64192
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/330213
- Council Midlothian
- Parish Lasswade
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District Midlothian
- Former County Midlothian
Watching Brief (March 2009 - July 2011)
A section of ditch and traces of rig were recorded during a watching brief during groundworks for the new Edinburgh Drinking Water pipeline. Finds from the ditch included 18th to 19th century earthenwares and a fragment of shale(?) bracelet possibly of prehistoric or Roman date. Eight cultivation furrows were excavted. The bracelt is likely to be residual. They lie at roughly right-angles to and respect the ditch suggesting that they are associated features.
M Kirby, CFA Archaeology Ltd, December 2011. OASIS-id: cfaarcha1-111885
Project (29 April 2011 - 31 July 2011)
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