Harken Burn Castlehill Survey

First season interim r e ~ o r t

Contents

1. Introduction

3. Results

4. Conclusions

5. Acknowledgements

6. Figures

6.1 Section of Ainslie estate plan

6.2 Layout of area surveyed squares, linear array lines and trench 1 position

6.3 Grey scale resistive plot of area survey

6.4 Linear array printouts

 EDINBURGH ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SOCIETY

Harken Burn Castlehill Survey

First season interim r e ~ o r t

1. Introduction
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The "castle" of castlehill stands on sharply rising ground to the southwest of the
cottages at Cornton on the Penicuik estate at NGR NT 20837 58753.
On its northern side the ground slopes steeply down to the Cornton (or Harken) Burn
and on the southern side less steeply to a field adjacent to the river North Esk.
The promontory geologically is based on two parallel ridges of limestone covered in
glacial sands and gravels. The ridges are faulted at the point where they overlook
Cornton. The ground slopes more gently away to the southwest but at a position some
80 metres from the castle a significant ditch has been cut across the promontory with
a marked bank on either side. The castle is shown in Castlehill Plantation on the
Ainslie plan of the estate made in 1796 and is referred to in the first Statistical
Account as "an encampment at the side of the Harkenburn within the woods of
Penicuik". A section of the Ainslie plan is shown in Fig. 6.1.
If the promontory can be seen as a "ness" beside the Harken Burn there is a possible
connection to a meeting held at St. Katherines chapel in the Pentland Hills in 1280.
At this "inquest" twenty-nine participants are named but the document, held in the
Public Record OEce at Kew and recorded by J. Bain in his "Calendar of documents
relating to Scotland", is in parts in poor condition and not all names are readable.
Surnames do however relate participants to Balerno, Bonaly, Harlaw, Braidwood,
Coates, Walston, Listonshiels, Buteland and Newton but it is a matter of conjecture
whether Thomas de Hardkneys mqy be associated with the "ness" beside the Harken
Burn. If Castlehill was his residence the meeting date would suggest that the site
could be that of a motte and bailey.

2. Method

The decision was made to make a topographic and ground resistance survey of as
much of the area of the promontory as was possible. The area is still a plantation of
mature, mainly deciduous, trees with many old trees fallen and limiting easy access.
The fallen trees and areas where the ground dropped away sharply at the edges of the
promontory restricted the ground resistance survey. When the area survey had been
completed two linear array resistance surveys were made to explore features to a
greater depth than that shown in the area survey. On the basis of the information from
the two surveys it was decided to open two trenches, one alongside each of the array
lines. Due to the limited time for digging only the first of these was opened.

3. Results

The area resistance survey involved taking readings in each square metre in a series of
20 by 20 metre squares except where sloping ground prevented the completion of a
square. A total of 4560 readings were taken; the layout of these is shown in Fig. 6.2
and the grey-scale resistance plot in Fig. 6.3. The lines along which the linear array
measuremeqts were made are also shown in Fig.6.2 with the start ends marked 0.0.
 The first of the linear array lines was laid out to extend from the estimated centre of
the castle 38 metres to the southwest on a line that could have been the approach road.
The second was laid out to cross the ditch and banks on either side of it in the hope of
showing what was incorporated within the banks. Due t o the uneven ground E.D.M.
measurements were made at metre intervals along the lines of the arrays so that the
printouts could be corrected topographically. The printouts are shown in Fig. 6.4.The
15 by 3 metre trench was excavated alongside the first of the linear array lines at the
castle epd.
It had been noted that there were some apparently cut stones lying on the slope of the
hill overlooking Cornton. A very limited excavation was made and what appears to be
a revetment of stones contours round the end of the promontory for about 10 metres
but could extend further.

4. Conclusions

The area resistance survey shows an indistinct high resistance circle with a lower
resistance centre in the position that Ainslie places the castle and it is to intersect this
that the 15 by 3 metre trench was opened. Immediately beneath turf and shallow
topsoil the subsoil is an apparently undisturbed sandy gravel. To the western end of
the trench there are a considerable number of stones that do not extend the full width
of the trench; it is possible that these have been brought to the surface in the root ball
of a fallen tree. A sonde at the eastern end of the trench to a depth of 0.5metres has
however not encountered stone and further investigation is required.
The area resistance survey across the banks either side of the ditch shows high
resistance which is confirmed by the linear array measurement. The high resistances
that show in the linear array plot are underlain by lower resistance indicating that the
high resistance is not due to bedrock. It remains to be seen whether this high
. resistance is man-made or whether it is a ridge of glaciated gravel.
Between the castle and the ditch a number of features appear in the area resistance
survey that require future investigation in particular the double curved line on the
south side of the third complete square.
The stone revetment, that contours round on the slope below the plateau area on
which the castle stood, is not continuous but has only partially been investigated.
Some stones have been dressed but others are slabs or boulders but their regularity of
placing suggests a man made structure. It is possible that this stone revetment could
have been at the base of a palisade and that, in the gaps between the sections of
revetment, post holes might be found.

5. Acknowledaements

Permission has been given by Sir Robert Clerk to continue excavation and hrther
survey after the end of January 2004. We wish to record our thanks to him for this
permission and his cooperation in the project.
We would also record our thanks t o Dr Bruce Hobbs of the University of Edinburgh
Department of Geology and Geophysics for his cooperation in taking the linear array
measurements and supplying printouts.
A grant from the research h n d s of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was
received to assist in administration, equipment and travel costs; we record our
gratitude for this grant. In the absence of this financial support the project would have
been unlikely to have proceeded with over 100 member-days worked between 8
February and the end of July when the dig had to terminate until the site will again be
available at the beginning of February 2004.