ProcSocAntiq Scot, (1997)7 12 , 843-853 Excavation t Sauchisa e Tower, Clackmannanshire John Cannell* & John Lewisf ABSTRACT Excavations were carried out in 1984 and 1985 within the ground-floor chambers, the kitchen at entresol level and the first-floor hall of this 15th-century tower, prior to its restoration as a domestic residence. addition,In trenching outside towerthe revealed traces leastof at lean-to one buildingand outflowthe oflatrinea chute against northits wall; and, further north, remnants ofbarmkina wall. The excavation was funded Historicby Scotland (former SDD/HBM). INTRODUCTION Sauchie Tower (NGR: NS 896 957) stands near the right bank of the River Devon, 3 km north of Alloa in Clackmannanshire (illus 1). It is thought to have been built by one James Schaw, 'Comptroller to the King' (RCAHMS 1933,312), some time between 1430 and 1440 (MacGibbon & Ross 1887, 270), and bears close comparison with the secondary wing of nearby Clackmannan Tower (RCAHMS 1933, 309, 316). About 25 m west of the tower, and just inside a defensive ditch which is still visible, can be traced the remnants of a barmkin wall into which the residential successor to the tower was incorporated in 1631 (ibid, 311). This house had two storeys and a round tower (perhaps originally an element of the enclosure wall) projecting from its north-west corner. Later still a cottag buils ewa t agains souts it t h gable. Both buildings were demolishe 1930c n di , leaving only traces of the west face of the 17th-century house and its tower. Perhap mose th s t striking aspecarchitecture th f o t Sauchif eo e Towe share th s pri contrast betwee s externait n d internaan l l appearances s ratheIt . r plain, solid exterior, albei f higo t h quality, coursed ashlar relieves ,i d attractivn onla y yb e entrance arcsomd han e decoratioe th t na wall heads (illu . Withis2) s wallsnit , however e severali , l feature f architecturao s l interest including mural chambers at several levels, ornate fireplaces and elaborate window recesses complete with bench seating. The tower has four principal storeys. However, the division of the vaulted ground floor into neae levelth o r d certainttw san y that ther oncd eha e been apartments withi attie nth c effectively make six-storea t si y building t measure.I s 10. y 11.b externall35m m y over walls 1.6-2. thick0m , with the exception of the west wall, which is over 3 m thick and contains mural chambers at ground, entreso first-flood lan r levels. The entrance, which is now bricked up but which formerly had inner and outer doors, is at ground-floor level in the west wall and opens into a lobby contained within the thickness of the Bongatec 85 * , JedburgU 6D 8 hTD t Scotia Archaeology Limited Hillsid9 2 , e Crescent, EdinburgF 5E 7 hEH 844 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1997 Alva Tillicoultry A91 Edinburgh ILLUS 1 Location of Sauchie Tower. (Based on the Ordnance Survey map © Crown Copyright) wall. From there access is gained to a circular stair (the only one in the tower) in the north-west corne buildinge th f ro . Opposit stai e smala e th s ri l chambe guara r porterr fo d o soute d .Th hen wese th tf walo smala takes y li b l p cellarnu , accessed only fro maie mth n ground-floor chamber. narroo Thertw e wear window ease th tsemicirculaa n swali d an l soutre welth n hi l wal f thio l s room which is roofed at a height of approximately 2.25 m. maie Th n chambe t entresora recessea y lb levet li ds i lwindo w with bench wes e seatth tn si wall. Contained withi thicknese nth wese th tf s o wallong a s i l , vaulted chambe kitchea r— r no bakehouse — with a fireplace at its south end, wider than the room itself. t first-flooA r maie leveth ns i l hall, formerly heate larga y db e fireplace with fine, moulded jambs and a massive lintel in the east wall. To its immediate north is a large, recessed window with bench seating; ther anothes ei r such windo soute th w hn i wese wallth t n walI . spacioua l s window recess, almos rooa t m itself, lead privata o st e chamber norte .Th h wall contain murasa l garderobe and a small wash-hand basin. The main apartments are larger at second- and third-floor levels because there are no mural chambers withi wese nth t wall: although ther smalle ear , L-shaped chambers withi northe nth - easd south-easan t t corner e buildin e seconth th f o sn o gd storey e formeth , r containina g garderobe. Other features at that level include a large fireplace and another garderobe in the south wall and a window with bench seats in each of the south, east and west walls. Amongst the few original features surviving at third-floor level are a small fireplace, a pair of cupboards and a sealed window withil ,al soute nth h wall. wale Th l heads survive reasonably intact, wit broaha d parapet walk supporte doubln do e corbel embellished san cornere towee th th t da f rso with small, circular turrets restin foun go r continuou north-wesstairse e s th th corbe f n i o , p l to coursest e cornetowere th th t a f A s .o ri , hexagonal cap-house wit pyramidaha l roof. Before consolidation work began, the tower was surprisingly intact. Its basic structure appeared sound despite a crack down the east wall where the first-floor fireplace had reduced the wall's thicknes ground-flooe Th . onlm o st 5 y0. r vault appeare strons a e wheb s ga o dtowet e nth r was built. Nevertheless, ther d beeeha n some noticeable deterioratio t othena r pointe th f o s building since the survey published by MacGibbon & Ross (1887) a century earlier: they depict the gable ends of the building as more or less complete, and record the presence of oak beams, CANNELL & LEWIS: EXCAVATIONS AT SAUCHIE TOWER 845 ILLUS 2 Sauchie Tower, from the south-west; the entrance to the tower is through the west wall, on the left. (Historic Scotland © Crown Copyright) albeit in poor condition, still visible in the upper storeys. Neither gables nor beams were evident in 1984. It was not easy to discern contemporary features lying outwith the walls of the tower. Althoug course barmkie hth th f eo n wall coul tracee db d alon norts git wesd han t sidese th , remain f otheso r structures havthay ma te once stood withi enclosure nth e were buried beneath rubble, soil and coal waste, and further masked by dense vegetation. The heightened ground level is particularly noticeable on the south side of the tower where the road, which runs very close to the building, is almost at entresol level; against its west wall two gun ports have been completely covered with debris. THE EXCAVATION n 198I 2 Sauchie Towe purchases wa r Messry db s Robert Heat Alexanded han r Mair wite hth intention of restoring it, as far as was practical, to its original condition as a dwelling house. Prior 846 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1997 to this proposed work, it was decided to carry out a brief archaeological investigation of elements within the tower and specific parts of its immediate environs. Inside the ground floor of the tower the floor was partly excavated and the adjoining mural cellar cleared of debris. The kitchen, at entreso first-flooe l th level d an ,associates rit hald an l d chambers were treated similarly. Outwith the building three small exploratory trenches were opened adjacene entrance on : th e o th t t o et tower againse ;on norts it t h wall anothed ;an r cutting acros revettesa d bank some distance th o et north of the tower. This projec initiates wa t fundeAnciend e dth an y b d t Monuments divisio Scottise th f no h Development Department (now Historic Scotland) and directed by John Cannell. On-site work was carried out in November 1984 and March 1985. All of the rooms and trenches were excavated by hand. THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOWER (ILLUS 3) smalA l trench, measuring approximately 2.5m east/wes 1. y widet5b m openes ,wa d immediately outside the entrance to the tower. The remnants of what appeared to be a path were uncovered up to 1 m below the modern ground surface. The path was made up of large, tightly jointed, rectangular sandstone thick flagsm seemed 2 alon n towere 0. an , sidru e th go f dth t e o , extending 2.5 m from its west wall. It stretched beyond the north edge of the trench, but the flags appeared to have been robbed out on its south side. Near this point was a layer of bricks, perhaps evidence of a later repair to the path; unfortunately, it was not possible to investigate this feature further. Evidently, the flagstones had continued into the entrance passage of the tower, although few survived into the 1980s: most of the floor had been removed, exposing its mortared rubble base. THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE TOWER (ILLUS 3 & 4) originan A l objectiv projece th beed f eo ha investigatto n t wele eth l whic buils hwa t int soute oth h wall of the building at ground-floor level.