Published by Archaeology Scotland three times a year. Free to members. ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2012 GARDENS King’s Knot Newhailes Castle Semple A Japanese Garden MUSEUMS ROMAN FORT Carpow Log Boat Carzield Scotland’s Gardens Digging the Dirt AS_Summer_2012.indd 1 15/06/2012 13:26:41 2 CONTENTS ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2012 GUEST EDITORIAL 3 FEATURES Issue No 14 / Summer 2012 4. ‘The best and most pleasant situation’ - survey of the King’s Knot ISSN 2041-7039 6. ‘A very pleasing place’. Newhailes historic garden & designed estate Garden Archaeology in Scotland Views and opinions expressed within 8. Castle Semple garden - medieval to Victorian Gardens, by their nature, are self-destructive creations, with Archaeology Scotland magazine are not living components which age and die, leaving little obvious necessarily those of Archaeology Scotland, 9. A Japanese garden - collaborative work between GHS and A-a-M trace of their former existence. Until recently, therefore, the its Board or the Editor. business of conserving historic gardens has depended largely ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS on the study and interpretation of cartographic, pictorial and Published by Archaeology Scotland, documentary sources. Yet, information from such sources can Suite 1a, Stuart House, 10. Bronze Age boat back in the Tay Valley prove to be unreliable and incomplete, unless corroborated by Eskmills, Station Road, 11. Building roads - protecting monuments? field evidence. It is the search for this physical evidence which Musselburgh EH21 7PB has encouraged the development of new techniques which have Tel: 0845 872 3333 seen garden archaeology emerge as a discipline in its own right Fax: 0845 872 3334 NEWS in the last quarter of a century. Given that garden making has Email: [email protected] 12. ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND: Education and Outreach; Adopt-a- been a part of Scottish history since medieval times, there is a Web: www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk Monument progress; Membership; Scottish Archaeology Month wealth of evidence yet to be explored, whether by the use of Scottish Charity SC001723 non-destructive techniques such as aerial or geophysical survey, Company No. 262056 14. OTHER NEWS: Fundraising walk; Members’ Competition or through excavation and the analysis of physical remains. Pioneering work at Aberdour Castle in Fife c.1980 can be seen BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS as having laid the foundations for modern garden archaeology 15. Review: Roman Camps of Britain; Forthcoming: Scotland’s Lost in Scotland, since when there has been a gradual increase Gardens in the number and variety of projects in which archaeology has played a significant part, as evidenced in this edition of Archaeology Scotland. Thus, we can learn of the early development of the royal gardens associated with Stirling Castle COVER: Topographical and resistivity from Steven Digney’s paper on survey work at the King’s Knot, Traces of former gardens, swept away in the mid 18th century, are survey on the King’s Knot, Stirling © R.E. where local historians and archaeologists have teamed up clearly visible as cropmarks in this aerial view of Taymouth Castle and Jones with staff and students from Glasgow University to examine this golf course, taken in 1976. © C Dingwall 4 6 remarkable, though enigmatic earthwork, which dates at least as far back as the 15th century. Evidence that the Scots nobility, has been a fruitful collaboration with members of the Garden too, were involved in garden making from an early date is to History Society. As at nearby Newhailes, where some remnants be found in Stuart Nisbet’s account of Castle Semple garden. of the early planting and landscaping still survive, one of the This describes the development of this now sadly degraded and challenges faced by the archaeologist is that of separating fragmented landscape from medieval times onwards, initially elements of the original design from later accretions, a process overseen by successive Lords Sempill and, from the early 18th aided by reference to documentary and pictorial records. century, by the McDowall and Harvey families. Here work An encouraging aspect of these papers is the extent to which Editing and typesetting involving members of the Renfrewshire Local History Forum is they have involved partnerships with other bodies and the wider Sue Anderson, CFA Archaeology Ltd still ongoing. community. Whether viewed from an aesthetic or a scientific standpoint, garden archaeology has a crucial part to play in Based on an original design by Another site where archaeology has played a vital part in enhancing our understanding of landscape and social history, Neil Kinnaird gaining an understanding of the evolution of its landscape is Newhailes, by Musselburgh in East Lothian. In his account of and in correcting past misconceptions. It is vital that such 8 9 Newhailes Historic Garden and Estate, Daniel Rhodes outlines work continues, drawing on the experience of others within Deadline for articles and news items for Scotland, and in the wider world. For those interested in an the next issue of Archaeology Scotland is the history of the estate from its origins in the early 18th century, overseen by successive generations of the Dalrymple overview of the subject, there is Chris Currie’s excellent Garden 12 October 2012. Contributions can be Archaeology: a Handbook, published posthumously by the sent by post to the Archaeology Scotland family, until its acquisition by the National Trust for Scotland Council for British Archaeology in 2005. Meanwhile, Scotland’s offices or e-mailed direct to the Editor in 1997. Here, more than ten years of painstaking research archaeologists and garden historians alike can look forward marked ‘ArcScot contribution’. and excavation by the Trust has helped piece together an intriguing story of changing fashions in landscaping. This article to the publication by RCAHMS in September 2012 of Marilyn Brown’s book Scotland’s Lost Gardens, which will be seen to [email protected] emphasises the value of combining physical and documentary evidence in interpreting the history and significance of features draw on her many years’ oversight of the Royal Commission’s The Editor welcomes members’ letters, such as the shell grotto and tea-house. Also based in East aerial photographic survey work, and on its unique collections. which may be edited for reasons of length Lothian is the project described by Cara Jones, dealing with a Christopher Dingwall, Research Adviser to the Garden History and clarity. smaller and much more recent garden, the product of a brief Society in Scotland surge of interest in Japanese gardens around 1900. Here there Copyright for text published in Archaeology Scotand magazine will rest with Archaeology Scotland and the 10 11 individual contributors. Editor’s Note Water pipe (027) Advertisers should contact the Archaeology trench monitored (022) 103.5m (005) Entrance (003) The next issue will be on the theme of ‘Community Archaeology’, include copyright details and caption as the name of the file), (034) Scotland offices in the first instance. to Glebe (033) House 0m (031) (038) (020) (021) (004) and will include an article by our Competition Winner. We also although we can scan other formats. Please email contributions A large print version of Archaeology welcome articles about more general themes, specific community direct to me if possible, no later than 12 October 2012. Scotland is available on request. Please projects, SAM events and research projects. Members are encouraged to send comments, short articles, contact the Archaeology Scotland office If you plan to include something in the next issue, please let me photos and opinions relating to Scottish archaeology at any time for further information. know well in advance as space is always tight. High resolution for inclusion in our “Members’ Section”. digital images (300dpi+) are preferred for publication (please Sue Anderson, Editor Printed on recycled paper. AS_Summer_2012.indd 2-3 20/06/2012 11:59:09 4 FEATURES ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2012 FEATURES 5 ‘The best and most pleasant situation’ A survey of the King’s Knot, Stirling ‘at the platting and contriving of his Majesties new gairden excavation it is impossible to say more. If this monument and and orcheard park of Stirling’. The project would have been possible pond really were features of the garden then they were completed in time for Charles’ Scottish Coronation and his stay swept away by the Charles I garden. We also revealed evidence in Stirling in June/July 1633. of 19th-century drainage systems and various other anomalies. Watts and his team appear to have been responsible for All of this awaits further work and testing through excavation. creating the octagonal stepped mound and geometric Historian John G. Harrison has identified two hawthorn trees earthworks we see today. What we do not see, and have no which may be survivors from 1501. One of these died recently record of, is the arrangements of plants, hedges, trees, statues and was then blown over in the December gales. It is hoped that or other ornamental features which would have adorned the dendroanalysis will now follow. Harrison also highlighted the garden. Such extravagances of course contributed to Charles’s great terraces on the nearby Haining Brae as potentially being downfall and eventual execution in 1649. Charles II was in part of the original garden. These may have provided a link Stirling in 1650 and 1651, but war with Cromwell rather than between the garden and castle and could have been planted gardening was his main concern. Extensive repairs to the park with fruit trees. Work to record, understand and preserve these dykes were made in the 1670s but we have no account of any terraces is currently being planned. In the long term we aim work in the garden. It was probably maintained, but after the to investigate various elements of this unique castle landscape death of Charles II in 1685, and the exile of James VII in 1688 which we believe is of national and European importance.