• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
G E O P H Y S IC A LS U R V E YA D JA C E N TT O
C O U S L A N DC A S T L E
M ID L O T H IA N
SEPTEM BER2 0 0 8
H .M .D .JO N E S
E A F S G E O P H Y S IC S
O C C A S IO N A L P A P E RN o2 0
G eophysicalSurvey adiacent to C ousland C astle
C o u s la n d , M id lo th ia n
P
e
/
C o n te n ts
C
1 .
Sum m ary
2 .
In tro d u c tio n
3 .
M e th o d
4 .
R esults
5 .
C o n c lu s io n s
7 .
Illu s tra tio n s
7 .1 . P la n o f C a s tle S ite . S u rv e y S q u a re s S c a le1: 1 2 0 0

7 .2 . G ro u n d R e s is ta n c e S u rv e y P rin to u t. W e st o f C a s tle .
7 .3 . G ro u n d R e s is ta n c e S u rv e y P rin to u t. E a s t o f C a s tle .
7 .4 . G ro u n d R e s is ta n c e S u rv e y P rin to u t. S o u th o f C a s tle .
7 .5 . G ro u n d R e sista n c e S u rv e y P rin to u t. S o u th o f C a stle In te rp re ta tio n

8 .
R eferences
8 .1 . G e o lo g ic a l S u rv e y o f G t. B rita in (S c o tla n d ) S c a le 1 :1 0 ,5 6 0
N T3 6N E S o lid a n d D rift G e o lo g y .
E D IN B U R G H A R C H A E O L O G IC A L F IE L D S O C IE T Y
G eophysical Survey adiacent to C ousland ~astlec~id 1oth ian .-.
H
L
1 .
Sum m ary
A n a re a g ro u n d re s is ta n c e s u rv e y , to ta llin g 7 ,6 0 0 sq .m .. w a s c o n d u c te d in th e fie ld in w h ic h
the rem ains of C ousland C astle or T ow er H ouse stands.A further 3,200 sq.m . w ere surveyed
in th e field th at lies im m ed iately to th e so u th o f th e castle field .
In th e a re a a d ja c e n t to th e c a s tle h is to ric a l d o c u m e n ts s h o w e d a p p a re n t a n c illa ry b u ild in g s
a n d C o u sla n d N u n n e ry w a s re p u te d to lie fu rth e r to th e s o u th .
T h e fie ld s u rro u n d in g th e c a s tle a p p e a rs to h a v e b e e n q u a rrie d fo r lim e s to n e re d u c in g th e

fie ld le v e l b y a b o u t 0 .5 m a n d th u s d e s tro y in g a n y fo u n d a tio n s th a t w e re c lo s e to th e c a s tle .
T h e e a s te rn e n tra n c e to th e c a s tle s ta n d s o n s o lid lim e s to n e b e d ro c k s o m e 0 .5 m .a b o v e p re s e n t
fie ld le v e l. It is p re s u m e d th a t th e to p s o il w a s re p la c e d o v e r th e m a in a re a o f th e fie ld

subsequentto the quarrying.
H ig h re s is ta n c e p a tc h e s , to th e e a s t o f th e w a ll th a t ru n s s o u th w a rd s fro m th e c a s tle , lo o k e d a s
th o u g h th e re c o u ld h o w e v e r b e s o m e re m a in in g d e m o litio n d e b ris . O th e r a re a s o f h ig h a n d

lo w re s is ta n c e w e re a m o rp h o u s in s h a p e s u g g e s tin g th a t h o le s le ft fro m e x c a v a tio n , in fille d w ith p o s s ib le to p s o il a n d th e re fo re lo w re s is ta n c e , to g e th e r w ith p a tc h e s o f h ig h re s is ta n c e w h e re th e lim e s to n e h a d p ro b a b ly n o t b e e n re m o v e d , in d ic a te d q u a rry in g a c tiv ity ra th e r th a n b u ild in g .

T h e 2 ,0 0 0 s q .m . s u rv e y e d b e s id e th e s o u th fe n c e o f th e fie ld a n d th e 3 ,2 0 0 s q .m . th a t w e re
s u rv e y e d in th e a d ja c e n t fie ld to th e s o u th s h o w re c ta n g u la r a n d s q u a re fe a tu re s th a t a re v e ry
s u g g e s tiv e o f b u ild in g fo o tin g s . T h e s e e x te n d to th e e a s t fro m th e 2 0 b y 2 0 m e tre s q u a re s
beside the road for at least 50 m etres.
2 .
I n tr o d u c tio n

T h e re m a in s o f C o u s la n d C a s tleNGR NT 3 7 8 0 6 8 3 0 , s ta n d in a fie ld o n th e s o u th s id e o f th e m a in s tre e t, u n c la s s ifie d , th a t ru n s a p p ro x im a te ly e a s t-w e s t th ro u g h th e v illa g e o f C o u s la n d . B u ttin g o n to th e c a s tle -o n th e w e s t s id e is a w a ll th a t a p p e a rs to h a v e e n c lo s e d a la te r w a lle d g a rd e n . T h is a re a h a s b e e n le v e lle d , p o s s ib ly in a s s o c ia tio n w ith th e re m o v a l o f lim e s to n e a n d th e re a re th e re m a in s o f a d is u s e d lim e k iln a b o u t 2 0 0 m .to th e s o u th .

T h e a re a is a s s o c ia te d w ith th e M a c g ill fa m ily , in itia lly o f N is b e t a n d C ra n s to n R id d e ll w h o ,
b y m a rria g e in to th e P rim ro s e fa m ily , la te r b e c a m e o f 'C ra n s to n R id d e ll a n d D ry la w '. S ir
Jam es M acgill w as a P rovost of E dinburgh and his great grandson w as, in 1651,created
V is c o u n t O x fo rd a n d L o rd M a c g ill o f C o u s la n d . H e h a d h e ld th e p o s itio n o f L o rd o f S e s s io n
since N ovem ber 1629.
T h e s u rv e y o b je c tiv e s w e re firs tly to a s c e rta in , in a d v a n c e o f a p ro g ra m m e d e x c a v a tio n ,
w h e th e r b u ild in g fo o tin g s c o u ld b e d e te c te d in th e a re a s u rro u n d in g th e c a s tle a n d s e c o n d ly to
s u rv e y to th e s o u th o f th e c a s tle to s e e w h e th e r a n y re m a in s o f th e n u n n e ry c o u ld b e fo u n d .
T he use of area ground resistance survey equipm ent w as deem ed adequate to indicate
w h e th e r th e re w e re a n y re le v a n t fo u n d a tio n s s till in e x is te n c e .
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...