Building record MAB18573 - CASTLE FRASER GARDENS

The walled gardens of Castle Fraser lie to the north of the castle.

The walled gardens of Castle Fraser lie to the north of the castle. They were probably built circa 1795. The walls are of brick with header courses, every 4th with granite dressings. It is rectangular in plan, and contains 17th-century sundial with complex lectern dial in freestone. The gardeners cottage to the east is still in use. In order to inform a garden restoration project in which much of the original path system of the walled garden was to be restored, a small trench was excavated in October 2003 by NTS across the line of a former path. This was once the eastern arm of a centrally planned cross pattern, now grassed over, which first appears on a plan of the garden in 1816 and most likely dates to its inception in about 1794-9. The central cross appears to have been removed in the 1960s or early 1970s. The excavation revealed a series of path surface layers immediately below the turf and topsoil, forming a deposit ranging from 8-18cm in depth and about 130-140cm across. Each surface was composed of the same loamy sand, very similar to the natural subsoil and most probably from a source on the Castle Fraser Estate. The original path surface lay directly over the pre-garden ploughsoil, with no base layer of coarser material or metalling. A watching brief was carried out in April 2011 by MAS during works to establish a soak-away to the east of the walled garden. No archaeological features or finds were evident.

Period Notes
Built c.1795; garden contains 17th Century sundial. Listed 16/04/1971

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2011, SOAKAWAY TEST PITS CASTLE FRASER WALLED GARDEN - ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4725.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2012, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 12, 2011, p.15 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5536.

Apr 22 2009 , DP 067824,27,30, 32-5, DP 067824,27,30, 32-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20405.

Jul 12 2014 , AAS-GR-14-07-254 - 255, AAS-GR-14-07-254 - 255 (Ground Photograph). SAB35533.

Sep 2 2008 , AAS/08/4/DG9683, AAS/08/4/DG9683 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15453.

Sep 12 1988 , HW 12-14, HW 12-14 (Ground Photograph). SAB33567.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2022 10:53AM