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ARCHAEOLOGY ON A GREAT POST ROAD by ANGUS GRAHAM, M.A., F.S.A., F.S.A.SCOT. INTRODUCTION THE objec f thio t s papeexploro t s i re histor eth a highway f yo , describee th n di eighteenth centur 'greaa s ya t post road'archaeologican a y b , l method s conIt . - clusions, that is to say, are based primarily on observations made on the ground, though eked out, where possible, with maps and record material. To the main work there have been added three Appendice firse th t s- givin g detailed descriptionf so the more important bridges,1 as accounts of only two of these have so far appeared in print; the second dealing with milestones and mileposts; and the third covering a number of miscellaneous points which possess some interest for the study of old road generalin s additioIn . individuanto l acknowledgments coursmadthe ein e of the paper, I wish to record my special indebtedness to Mr M. R. Dobie, C.B.E., B.A., F.S.A.SCOT. helpeo wh ,greatl e dm y wit field-worke hth Miso t ; . YoungsA , M.A., Nationae oth f . HaylD . Librar, G A.R.I.B.A. Roomp r M yMa o t ; , F.S.A.SCOT.d an , . DunbarG . J r ,M M.A., F.S.A., F.S.A.SCOT. advicr fo , architecturan eo historicad an l l matters; to Mr I. G. Scott, D.A. (EDIN.), F.S.A.SCOT., who prepared figs, i to 10; and to Mis . Muir sA typeo finae wh , dth l copy. THE GREAT POST ROAD The highway under review is the Scottish portion of A i, between Berwick-upon- Tweed and Edinburgh, with certain associated by-ways (fig. i).2 It represents a route which must have carried traffic since a very distant past, and that little is known abou earlies it t r history nee ascribee db nothino dt t deartgbu detailef ho d records. Facilitie contacr sfo t with shipping t Berwicka , , Dunba elsewhered an r , must always have made it attractive to invading armies, but traces of Roman road-work are notably conspicuous by their absence. Whether the volume of traffic has been as grea s thaa t t born certaiy b e n comparable e Lammermuirsrouteth n i s e th r o 3 Cheviots 4 estimatede cannob w adjacene muco no s tth s f a h,o t lan bees - dha nen close broughd dan t cas y undeobservee an eploughe th n th ri d d an , amoun weaf o t r cause traffiy db c varies froroae anothemo on dt puzzlina n i r g fashion. earliese Th t recorded evidenc pary thif roaan a o t sf n eo lindo e dates from 1128, when the place-name Colbrandespade (Colbrandispeth, Cockburnspath) appears in dimensione th r 1Fo Musselburgf o s Bridg d indebtem h Ol Ministra e eI th o dt Publif yo c Buildind gan Works, which allowed me to refer to its plan and elevations of the structure prepared in 1956; and for most of those of the other bridges, as well as for valuable advice, to Mr W. Henderson, M.B.E., B.SC., A.M.I.G.E., Road Enginee Scottise th o t r h Development Department. 2 National Grid references wil foune b l O.Sn do . 6-inch map, Provisional Edition, loo-km. squar, eNT , NE 5 9 , SE 6 8 , NE 6 8 , SE 7 7 , sw 7 7 , NW7 NE 6 , 7 5,, 6 7NE NW 7 5 , sw 7 4 , NE 7 4 , NW 7 4 , SE 7 3 , sw 7 3 , sheetSE 7 s2 95 SE, 96 sw. See also O.S. i-inch map of Great Britain, 7th series, sheets 62 (Edinburgh), 63 (Dunbar) and 64 (Berwick-upon-Tweed). 3 Example e discussear s P.S.A.S.,n di LXXXIII (1948—9), 198 ff.; xom (1959-60), 217 ff. r whic 4Fo R.C.A.M.e hse , Inventory of Roxburghshire, exampled 51an , s there quoted. ARCHAEOLOG GREAA N O Y T POST ROAD 319 the charter of Holyrood Abbey.1 As the name is used with the evident intention, of dennin eastere gth n limi f Lothiano t reference th , villagey probabls i ean o t ,t yno corresponding with the modern Cockburnspath, but to a 'peth', or steep hollow track,2 formin landmarga boundarye th t ka thin O s. showing place th , question ei n would naturally be identifiable with the crossing of the Dunglass Burn, frequently describe a 'peth s a dlaten i ' r time . 326)(p s , this burn being stile boundarth l y between East Lothian and Berwickshire. Travellers' accounts begin with that of FIRTH OP fOKTH o Kms. 10 1° "iiL Berwick.- upon -TivcfdlA FIG e roa. is recordeTh .a d y travellerb d e sixteentth f o d sseventeent an h h centuries John Hardynge noteo lengthe wh ,d th stagef so s alon routee gth , inaccurately, about I4-I5-3 From the end of the sixteenth century records become more common, and includ t onleno y travellers' narratives t als bu 4ousefua l report, mad 161n a ei y 7b bod f Commissioneryo s appointe Parliameny db e purposeth r fo trepair-worn o , k neede preparation di king'e th r sn fo journe y from London. e lateTh 5r eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are covered by the two Statistical Accounts* as well as by works on the agriculture of the counties concerned. In the later periods, too, the written records are reinforced by maps. On the strength of such information, 7 supplemented by surviving material evidence, it is possible to reconstruct much of rout d t musi ol s e a t th have existed befor radicae th e l improvement latee th f rso eighteenth century. 1 Lawrie, A., Early Scottish Charters prior 1153,o t interestins i 118 t I . noto gt e tha fore tth m 'Colbrandes- path' appear lats a ss 183 memorandua ea n 2i m boo Ladf ko y Helen Hal Dunglassf o l , preservee th n di Dunglass Estate Office. 2 Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, s.v. 3 Hume Brown , EarlyP. , Travellers Scotland,n i 17ffinaccuracn O . recordn yi below7 mileagef so 34 . p . e ,se For whom see Hume Brown, op. cit., 81 (Fynes Moryson, 1598); 126 ff. (John Taylor, 1618); 134 ff. (Sir Willia4 m Brereton, 1636); 227 (Jorevin de Rocheford, 1661); 231 (John Ray, c. 1662). To avoid inter- ruption narrativee th n si furtheo n , r individual reference theso t s e writers will ordinaril givene yb . 5 R.P.C., xi (1616-19), 92 f. r AytonFo , N.S.A., n (Berwickshire), 142 f., 149 Coldinghar fo ; m Moor, Stat. Acct., xn . (1794)59 , 44 , For 6 Cockburnspath and neighbourhood, Stat. Acct., xin (1794), 229 f., N.S.A., n (Berwickshire), 309 ff. To avoid constant repetition, further individual reference theso t s e sources wilt ordinarilno l givene yb . 7 Blaeu, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1654) , 'Mercia'v , , 'Lothia Linlitquo'd nan ; Adair' . map sMS Easf so t Lothian (1682 Midlothiad an ) n (undated) engraved an , d version . CoopeR y sb r (1735) Scot;f o Roy' p - sma land (1747-55); Armstrong' f Berwickshiro p sma e (1771); Taylord Skinneran . G , , A., Survey Mapsd f an o the Roads of North Britain (1776); Blackadder' Berwickshirf o p sma e (1797); Ordnance Surveyf 6-inco p hma Scotland, ist edition (1853-6). 32O PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1963-64 Berwick Aytono t (figs , 3)2 . 1 Rocheforde D mado journee wh ,reverse th th n yi e directio 1661n i , seemo st have use roada d which left Berwic side th e n towardko Tweede sth , presumably yb the Scotsgate, and which subsequently followed a line similar to that of Castle Gate ithed ,A aftef an no r reaching ground which face seae th d. Improvements have evidently obliterated the details of the earlier road-line, but this becomes identifiable Easw tNe Fart a m (978561), wher t divergeei s trendfrod an im A s obliquele th p yu hillside, eithe grassa s ra y terracfarm-traca s a r eo k through fields. Wher t passeei s "great•The post road" -.Other roads mentioned in the text. o Mites i r- 3 f . I 11] 11 T 1 I I I1 i o Hms.l 1 3 4- 5" (, 7 * FIG. 2. i. Scotsgate, Berwick; 2. New East Farm; 3. Lamberton Church some cottages, above Lamberton Church, a short stretch has been improved; and at 960578 it coalesces with the by-road to Ayton, which thence follows a course, typical of an early road, over the highest part of the moor. Margaret Tudor came by this route in 1503 for her marriage to James IV, her official reception into Scotland being held at Lamberton Church. In 1617, preparation for James VI's visit, repairs 2 m were found necessary 'abon toue eth Lamertounf no t 'tha myrea e etu th d t an sa ' march Lamertouf eo n lyand nix Aytouo t n Marche'3; whawely lma t have beee non of these 'myres strie th f rathe po s i ' r boggy ground drainedw no , , that flanke th s readjust NW. of the Mordington by-road (c. 949587), while another damp hollow, also drained roae , th liedshorf a o s . just distanctNE e further nort 947590). h(c e Th . latter is actually on and the former is within 200 yds.