Document record MAB61632 - ABBEY STREET, ARBROATH

A watching brief was carried out by Alder Archaeology in October-December 2012 on the excavation of foundations for new flats adjacent to 16-18 Abbey Street, on a site close to the site of the Abbey and the Abbot's House.

A watching brief was carried out by Alder Archaeology in October-December 2012 on the excavation of foundations for new flats adjacent to 16-18 Abbey Street, on a site close to the site of the Abbey and the Abbot's House. Limited work in the rear of the High Street property revealed that any early archaeological deposits had been removed down to natural subsoil to create a level open courtyard and outhouses, probably in the 19th century. A mason's mark in the form of a star, probably of 19th century date, was found on stonework for the south doorjamb of one of the outhouses. Investigation in the upper area on Abbey Street revealed a modern surface over earlier garden deposits, below which was a surface of red sandstone fragments which indicated an earlier, probably medieval, surface. A small pit cut into the subsoil contained butchered animal bone and oyster shell, of likely medieval date. One sherd of unstratified medieval pottery was recovered from the spoil. The sandstone fragments surface had previously been identified during the excavation for the Abbey's new visitor centre in 2000 (NO64SW0202) and during water main works in Abbey Street in 2001 (NO64SW0211). It is likely that the sandstone fragments were chippings from the working of stone to construct the abbey that were then spread to form a consolidated area of hardstanding around the abbey construction site. The foundation trenches for the flats on this upper part of the site also indicated that there had historically been no substantial building development on this part of the site, it seems to have been used as garden ground/drying green.

ALDER ARCHAEOLOGY, 2013, ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF; DEVELOPMENT SOUTH SIDE OF 16-18 ABBEY STREET, ARBROATH, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3609.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2014, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 14, 2013, p.33 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5483.

Record last edited

Jan 3 2024 4:39PM