Berwick Railway Station car park, Berwick-upon-Tweed
NZ 9944 5344; (Robin Taylor-Wilson); evaluation; April 22nd and 2nd May 2003; BCP02
Twelve trenches were investigated, which revealed archaeological evidence from the medieval and post-medieval periods. In broad terms, the activity can be split into two distinct main phases. The first comprises remains of medieval date, including structural remains related to a wall linking the castle to the defensive wall of the medieval town. The second comprises mid 19th century ground levelling and consolidation for the construction of the railway station, along with associated yards.
Possible natural deposits were encountered only in Trenches 9 and 11. In Trench 9 a mid orange brown silty clayey sand was encountered at a height of 38.09m AOD. This is interpreted as being natural sub-stratum on the upper edge of Gillies Brae ravine. A red brown silty clay was encountered at a maximum height of 34.27m AOD in the northern corner of Trench 11. It may have been a natural deposit on the eastern side of the now infilled Gillies Brae and its sterile nature generally supports this interpretation. However, it cannot be fully ruled out that the deposit was fill of a possible construction cut for a wall, the edge of which may have existed beyond the limit of the trench.
Trench 1 contained deposits of post-medieval date, which had been truncated to allow the insertion of a sandstone structure, possibly relating to the provision of gas lighting in the 19th century.
Trench 2 contained a series of laminated deposits, which probably formed part of the infilling of the castle ravine, Gillies Brae, in advance of the construction of the railway station.
Trench 3 revealed the existence of a substantial sandstone wall of probable medieval origin. It is likely that this structure formed part of the curtain wall, linking the castle to the medieval town walls, across Gillies Brae. Material banked against and overlying the masonry appeared to be made-ground from the 19th century infilling of the ravine. A second wall in this trench was of post-medieval origin, possibly being the remains of a structure within a former goods yard attached to the railway station.
Trench 4 encountered dumped deposits, probably the result of ground levelling during redevelopment of the former goods and coal yards adjacent to the station. These deposits appeared to seal made-ground similar to that in Trench 2, associated with the infilling of the castle ravine.
Trench 5 exposed structural remains of a brick-built building and associated yard or road surface, probably the remains of the former goods yard. Below the structural remains, made-ground was recorded, and again this material probably results from the 19th century infilling of Gillies Brae.
Trench 6 exposed part of a sandstone wall, cut into 19th century made-ground deposits. The structure probably related to the former use of this part of the site as goods and coal yards.
Trench 7 contained made-ground sealed by demolition rubble probably associated with the abandonment of the former goods and coal yards.
Trench 8 located a sandstone wall constructed upon made-ground of probable mid 19th century date. The wall was probably associated with the former goods and coal yards and may represent the southernmost boundary of those yards.
Trench 9 encountered a layer of material, possibly a natural deposit on the town side of Gillies Brae. It was overlain by an accumulation layer of probable medieval date. This had been truncated by the foundation of a sandstone wall, possibly representing the external wall of a medieval building aligned parallel to the putative line of the defensive wall of the medieval town. In turn this had been truncated by the construction of the retaining wall for what is now the railway station car park, but once formed the eastern boundary of the former goods and coal yards.
Trench 10 revealed possible natural deposits sealed by a cobble surface of uncertain date. While this could conceivably represent a medieval or early post-medieval yard or pathway, it seems more probable that it was the original surface for pedestrian access to the railway station.
Trench 11 encountered evidence for a series of masonry structures lying beyond the defensive walls of the medieval town and the castle curtain wall. Four different phases of building were identified within the structural remains in this trench, which was located to the north-west of the generally accepted position of St. Mary's Gate on the medieval town walls.
Trench 12 exposed a section of the castle curtain wall, on the same alignment as the wall recorded in Trench 3. The wall had made-ground banked against and partially overlying it, this probably dating from the 19th century infilling of Gillies Brae. Two further walls, running parallel to each other, post-dated the castle curtain wall, one having been partially constructed upon the curtain wall. These were probably related to a goods shed that occupied this part of the site before the station car park was established.
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