Finding new joy in old landmarks
One of the main joys of archaeology is to find new things and occasionally you find something new on something very old.
All last week I monitored the installation of new lights at Stirling Bridge (lights on March 10 at 6.45pm).
I have never spent so much time at the Bridge.
The first bridge was likely built by David I nearly 900 years ago straddling Scotland proper to the north and what had formally been Northumberland to the south (yes that means people in Raploch were once Geordies).
That bridge was destroyed by the English as they fled Wallace’s fury in 1297.
The current bridge dates to the late 15th century when Stirling was entering its proudest era when the Stewarts played their games of thrones in the Castle.
This bridge originally had two iron gates and associated gate towers that were cleared in the late 18th century.
This was the bridge that was held by Colonel John Blackadder in 1715 and cut by Colonel Blakeney in 1745 to trap Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The same gates were opened as early 17th century plague victims were quarantined outside the burgh and over the years to over 100 million head of cattle.
All of this passed through my mind as I watched the machine carve the banks of the Forth.
I looked up and saw the five blocks projecting from the bridge and I wondered if they were on the other side?
Indeed they were. Now of all the millions of tourists, students, cattle and archaeologists to cross the bridge no one has ever said what these were…. hiding in plain sight.
These are the remains of the gate: blocks to provide support for a timber superstructure that straddled it and I think a unique survivor in Scotland… amazing!