Excavation at 2 Barnton Brae

Addyman Archaeology undertook an archaeological excavation at 2 Barnton Brae, Edinburgh, in advance of the redevelopment of the site, in FebruaryMarch 2023. The site lies within the grounds of the estate of Cramond Regis, a crown estate known from charters of the 14th century and a later aristocratic residence. The excavations recovered over 3m of archaeological deposits and features which may be assigned to five broad phases. Phase 1 consisted of cultivation soils and a linear ditch feature which produced Scottish White Gritty ware ceramics of the 13th-14th centuries. Phase 2 features consisted of a designed landscape of rectilinear planting and grazing plots divided by masonry walls, wide ha-ha ditches, and a sunken paved roadway, associated with the Cramond Regis policies in the 17th century. These features underwent a major phase of remodelling, with former metalled roadways filled in and new cobbled surfaces installed. Two carved sandstone recumbent lion figurines were recovered from this phase and were decommissioned gate pier embellishments of the Cramond Regis policies. Phase 3 was composed of the features and deposits associated with the downcutting, infilling, and transformation of the former designed landscape into a new parkland style, around 1810. Phase 4 features were associated with the final use of the site as an enclave of the New Barnton House policies, and later a private suburban villa garden. The final Phase 5 features were the late 20th century tennis court remains. A moderate corpus of medieval and post-medieval ceramics and a substantial assemblage of glass was recovered as well as the carved stone figures.