Newhailes Stables Drains Report

Newhailes Estate Stables Courtyard Drains May 2008

Carried out on behalf of The National Trust for Scotland

(YOUR GROUP NAME OR COMPANY)

Buildings Archaeologist and Heritage Consultant TRAPRAIN HOUSE LUGGATE BURN WHITTINGEHAME EAST LOTHIAN EH41 4QA

T : 01620 861643

E : [email protected]

Table of Contents

1.0

SUMMARY

2

2.0

INTRODUCTION

2

3.0

OBJECTIVES

3

4.0

METHODOLOGY

3

5.0

RESULTS

3

5.1 5.2 5.3

6.0

Fieldwork The Trenches Artefacts

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1: Location plan. Figure 2: Location of trenches and related structures Figure 3: Annotated Plans and elevations of trenches 1 and 2. Figure 4: Plan of Stables and features with 1798 Beuchop plan overlaid

Appendix 1: Context List Appendix 2: Photo List Appendix 3: Artefact List Appendix 4: Trench List References

DES

3 5 7

7

Newhailes House Estate, Stables Drains, January 2008

North Sea

Inverness Aberdeen

Glasgow

Edinburgh

100 km

Newhailes House

Area of investigation

stables

This map is based on an Ordnance Survey digital map reproduced with the permission of HM Stationery Office © Crown Copyright NTS licence No. 100023880.

Figure 1:

Location Plan

Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

1.0

SUMMARY

1.1

An archaeological watching brief was required due to remedial work required on the drainage system at Newhailes House Stables, Musselburgh. The site is located within the courtyard of the old stables block. The work consisted of a periodic watching brief with photographic recording and excavation to investigate the nature of the drainage system and record any features that were exposed as part of the project. These works were commissioned by Robin Turner, Head of Archaeology, The National Trust for Scotland. The work was undertaken in January, February and March 2008 and was restricted to the areas exposed by the contractor as part of the remedial works on the drainage system.

1.2

The work will enable the continued understanding and investigation of the Newhailes water management system.

1.3

Further work would entail the continued investigation of the main culvert exposed in trench 1 [1009/1010] which was traced to the south for c.10m, but the location and route beyond this is unclear. Wall [2006] in trench 2 is clearly part of the earlier stables and any further intrusive works within the courtyard will impact upon the surviving structure.

2.0

INTRODUCTION

2.1

Site location The site is located within the northeast half of the courtyard of the stables block at NT 332570 672410 (Fig. 1).

2.2

Site History The detailed and complex history of the Newhailes Estate has been covered in several prior reports. In brief, the Estate of Whitehill is of late 17th century origin though the majority of the designed landscape dates to the 18th century. The current stable block dates to the early 19th century and was preceded by an earlier range of structures. One of the least understood elements of the Newhailes Estate as a whole is its system of water management, of which the exposed drains form part. Bauchop’s estate plan of 1798 (Fig. 4) was used to underlay the current stables plan in order to correlate any features uncovered during the investigation. It became clear that the wall uncovered in trench 2 [2006] formed part of this earlier range of buildings. There has been no prior archaeological investigation within this area, however, Addyman and Kay had carried out extensive recording work within the area in 2000 and 2001 (summary reports, unpublished). Investigation within room 101 clearly showed what was to be expected during this current phase of works, with the earlier cobbled surface cut

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Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

through by a later stone capped drainage system of late 18th or early 19th century date, relating to the present stables buildings. 3.0

OBJECTIVES

3.1

The main objective was to record any archaeology and stratigraphy that was uncovered during the remedial works on the drainage system.

4.0

METHODOLOGY

4.1

The contractor co-ordinated the work to ensure that the archaeology was exposed, recorded and photographed prior to any further removal of archaeological deposits. Two main trenches were opened along the lines identified as requiring drainage works; Trench 1 running southwest northeast along the line of the stone lined drain and trench 2 running northwest/southeast where no known archaeology had been located in the past. All trenches were hand dug by the contractor and exposure of archaeological features was limited to these areas of intrusive trenching, with no remit to expand excavation beyond the channel. Each archaeological feature was recorded using a context system and a photographic survey of each trench was carried out to produce a photogrammetric plan.

5.0

RESULTS

5.1

Fieldwork The work was undertaken over a number of half day watching briefs during January, February and March 2008. Although cold and overcast conditions were perfect for recording on all occasions. The entire area is cobbled and a photo survey of the entire surface was produced by the contractor. In the areas investigated the ground had been made up with a thick 300 – 400mm layer of clay make-up. It should be noted however that this may not be the case in areas outwith the line of the drainage system as evidenced by Addyman and Kay’s investigations in Room 101 (shown on Fig. 2), where an earlier cobbled surface may be in evidence at a similar depth to the drain cap stones. The various datasets from the investigation are presented in the appendix section; Context list (Appendix 1 ), Photographic list (Appendix 2), Finds register (Appendix 3), Trench Register (Appendix 4)

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Newhailes House Estate, Stables Drains, January 2008

brick drain wooden pipe from pond stone drain

stone drain

trench 1 cobbled courtyard

wall

trench 2

stables

10 m

Figure 2:

Stables plan with drain trenches and previously located drain locations.

Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

5.2

The Trenches (Fig. 2)

5.2.1

Trench 1 was a total length of 14.80m x 1.00m wide. The depth of the trench was dependant on the slope of the drain. At the southwest end the cap stones were at a depth of 0.20m beneath the ground surface, while at the northeast end they were 0.84m below the surface. The drainage channel itself was 0.78m below the ground surface at the southwest end and 1.40m at the northeast end where it joined drain [1009/1010]. After the removal of cobbles [1001] which were set into a thin whin dust and earth bedding [1002] a mixed clay fill [1003] was removed down to the sandstone cap stones [1005] of the drain. This would have represented the deliberate back filling and levelling of the courtyard. At some points in the trench a cleaner orangey clay [1004] was exposed, and is potentially the underlying natural of the site through which the drains were cut. At six locations along its length the cap stones were lifted to reveal the drains beneath [1006]. This was formed by two flanking uprights (12” in height) resting upon a horizontal stone slab with a U-shaped drainage channel cut. Each of the cap stones was roughly hewn and gaps were filled with a pinky cream lime mortar. The drain beneath was not mortared and was constructed of well dressed sandstone. At the southwest end a brick-lined inspection hole [1007] had been cut through the cap stones to allow the rain water run off from the courtyard. A concrete gutter led from the centre of the courtyard to this drain. 18th-century bricks had been re-used for this later feature. An even later feature cuts across this area and is a steel pipe [1008] enclosing a copper pipe. At the northeast end of the trench it was discovered that the exposed drain emptied into a north/south drainage system of similar construction, with roughly hewn sandstone cap stones [1009] and well dressed sandstone drainage channel [1010] beneath. This drainage channel also had the Ushaped cut and is likely to connect with the stone drain reported by Addyman and Kay in 2000 (Fig. 2). Measurements were taken to the south of this drain and the route was traced for some 10m before the channel curved to the south-southwest.

5.2.2

Trench 2, 14.60m x 1.0m wide was excavated by hand on a northwest/southeast alignment, directly to the northeast of the internal stables wall (Fig. 2). Only the extreme southwest end was examined in detail following the discovery of a wall footing. The cobbles of the courtyard [2001] which were set into whin dust and earth [2002] and directly overlay a thick 30cm layer of mixed clay [2003] which had already been removed. The wall footing [2006] was of irregular sandstone blocks set in a creamy white lime mortar bond. Either side of the wall footing had already been cleared out by the contractors, however the southwest facing section showed evidence for the foundation cut [2007] (Fig.3). This foundation cut was filled with broken brick and pantile [2004]. The subsurface natural of an orangy brown clay [2005] had been exposed. The wall was an obvious continuation of the surviving stump of the earlier stables block part of which survived directly to the southwest (Figs. 2 & 4).

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Newhailes House Estate, Stables Drains, January 2008

1003

1001

1002

1005

1004

1007

1006

1005

1001

line of metal pipe 1008

1m

1002

1001 1003 1004 1009

1005

1006

1005 1010

1001 1009

1m

east end of trench 2

trench 1 2001

2001 2002

2004 2003

cut 2007

foundations [2006]

2005

2004 2006

cut 2007

2006

trench 2

Figure 3: above Trench 1, showing stone drain below trench 2 (east end) showing wall.

Newhailes House Estate, Stables Drains, January 2008

current stables

[2006]

stables

Lead air trap 10 m

Figure 4: Bauchop, 1798 estate plan with current stable block and investigation trenches overlaid. the lower plan shows the location of the earlier stables (dotted line) (note the correlation with wall [2006]).

Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

5.3

Artefacts

5.3.1

Very few artefacts were recovered during the watching brief. A broken flower pot and the stem of a 19th-century clay pipe were recovered from trench 1 and give an early 19th-century date to the current cobbled surface. The only notable artefact was a lead water pipe connected to a lead air trap. This artefact was placed in the storage area for Newhailles archaeological finds.

6.0

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The programme of evaluation has shown the existence of a stone-capped drainage system that dates to the late 18th and early 19th century - A later cobbled surface, which overlies this feature, relates to the current stable block. It is now confirmed that substantial foundation remains of the earlier stable block, at a depth of c. 350mm beneath the current cobbled surface. The fill of the foundation cut for this earlier structure contains broken brick and pantile, which is more abundant to the southeast of the wall footing, and would match with the external face of the earlier stable block. The location of the lead water pipe and associated air trap may be connected to the interior of this earlier range as its location is clearly within an extension to the main block (Fig. 4). Further work within the stable block will clearly require archaeological presence, as this investigation has shown that significant archaeological remains are preserved beneath the current cobbled courtyard at a depth of circa 350mm. Recommendations for further study would include a continuing examination of the culvert system and a more systematic investigation of the earlier foundations of the stables block.

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Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

Appendix 1 Context Register (could be Monument or Room/feature) Context List – Site Name (and or Code) - Nearest Named Location Context Description 1001 Cobbles 1002 Earth and whin dust cobble setting 1003 Mixed clay made ground 300 – 400mm thick 1004 Clay natural 1005 Sandstone cap stones 1006 Sandstone drainage channel culvert 1007 Brick lined vertical drain 1008 Metal pipe 1009 Sandstone cap stones 1010 Sandstone drainage channel culvert 2001 Cobbles 2002 Earth and whin dust cobble setting 2003 Mixed clay made ground 300 – 400mm thick 2004 Brick and pantile packing for cut to 2007 2005 Clay natural 2006 Sandstone and water wall foundations 2007 Cut for wall foundations

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Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

Appendix 2 Photo Register (Digital) Photo Record List – Newhailes Estate Stables Drains NHS08SD Photo ID 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Site Code

Description

NHS08SD View of cobbled surface [1001] and feature NHS08SD View of potential feature after investigation NHS08SD View of potential feature after investigation NHS08SD Area of drain [1007] prior to excavation NHS08SD View down culvert to northeast NHS08SD View down culvert to southwest NHS08SD View of drain [1007] after removal of cobbles NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Composite view of culvert in trench 1 NHS08SD Detail of drain [1007] NHS08SD View of inserted drain [1007] within culvert NHS08SD Location of damage caused by metal pipe [1008] NHS08SD General view of trench 1. Cap stones in place NHS08SD General view of trench 1. Cap stones removed NHS08SD General view of trench 1. Cap stones removed NHS08SD Wall [2006] NHS08SD Wall [2006] and southwest facing section showing cut [2007] and packing [2004] NHS08SD Wall [2006] NHS08SD Wall [2006] and southwest facing section showing cut [2007] and packing [2004] NHS08SD View of earlier wall stub continuing line of wall [2006] to the southwest NHS08SD Water pipe and air trap in-situ 2m northwest of

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Direction from vertical Vertical Vertical SE SW NE Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical Vertical NE Vertical

Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008

SW SW SW NW SW

Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008

Vertical SW

Jan/Feb 2008 Jan/Feb 2008

W

Jan/Feb 2008

NE

Jan/Feb 2008

Date

Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

Photo Record List – Newhailes Estate Stables Drains NHS08SD Photo Site Code ID 39

Direction from

Description

wall [2006] NHS08SD Detail of water pipe and air trap

Date

Jan/Feb 2008

Appendix 3 Artefact List Artefact Record List – Site Name (and or Code) - Nearest Named Location Trench Context 1 1003 1 unglazed redware (flowerpot) 2

1003

Description

1 clay pipe stem Pb water pipe and airtrap (retained)

Appendix 4 Trench List Trench List – Site Name (and or Code) - Nearest Named Location Trench Description Southwest – Northeast - 14.80m x 1m Final max depth 0.84m 1 Northwest – Southeast 14.60m x 1m Final max depth 0.54m 2

References Maps: 1st Ed Ordnance Survey Map 1853 Beachop 1798 Newhailes Estate Plan General Roy Military Map, surveyed 1750-55 Reports: Addyman, T. 2001. ‘Summary of archaeological works at Newhailes’ Addyman, T. 2002. ‘Summary of archaeological works at Newhailes’

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Newhailes Estate Stables Drains

Discovery and Excavation Scotland LOCAL AUTHORITY: East Lothian Site Name: Newhailes Stables Drains Parish: Inveresk Name of Contributor(s): David Connolly (Connolly Heritage Consultancy) Type of Site or Find: 18th-19th century Stables and Drains NGR (2 letters, 6 or 8 figures): NT 332570 672410 Report: An archaeological watching brief was carried out during remedial work on the drainage system in the courtyard of Newhailes Stables. Two drains were located of probable early 19th century date, and their routes traced where possible. A small section of sandstone and mortar wall foundation with a pantile damp course, was also uncovered that related to the earlier 18th century stable structures. Any further works in this area will require archaeological supervision Sponsor(s): HS, Society, Institution, Developer, etc. (where appropriate): The National Trust for Scotland Address(es) of Main Contributor(s): Connolly Heritage Consultancy Traprain House Luggate Burn Whittingehame East Lothian EH41 4QA

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