Bede House Dig 2019
July 2019
This July and August a new programme of fieldwork and excavation is being carried out by the ‘Bennachie Landscapes Fieldwork Group’ into an area near Pittodrie House Hotel where there is evidence of past settlement.
This follows on from their work last year
which uncovered the historically attested ‘Bede House’ on the Pittodrie Estate.
The work is being carried out with the kind permission of Macdonald Hotels who
own the estate.
Colin Shepherd of the Landsapes Group
explains:
“Bede houses were created to provide refuge
for the old and infirm of a parish and date from medieval times. Few have been
thoroughly investigated. They were patronized by local lairds; in this case, by
the Erikines, who lived at Pittodrie for centuries until the mid 19th
Century.”
"Last year we successfully excavated the remains of the 'Bede House' and parts of its enclosing dyke. During further fieldwork on the estate more settlement evidence was discovered. We don't know when they date from or who lived there and hope that this summer's dig will discover a little of their secrets."
People wanting to volunteer to help with
the excavations are most welcome, though space is limited, so booking is
essential. Work will start at 10am and continue until 4.30 starting on Monday 8th
and Tuesday 9th July and continuing on alternative Wednesdays and
Thursdays: a complete list of dates is available the calendar section of this website. Please contact info@bailiesofbennachie.co.uk
to arrange days you would like to attend.
Later in the summer guided tours of the sites for the public will be available. Dates and times will be on the Bailies webside.
The Outreach officer of the Bailies of Bennachie, Fiona Cormack, commented:
“We are delighted that this dig is taking place over the summer. Bennachie Landscapes is a project organized jointly by the Bailies of Bennachie and the University of Aberdeen. It has been running since 2010 and researches the social and natural heritage of Bennachie and its surrounding landscape. The work on the Bennachie Colonists has added greatly to our knowledge and understanding of their lives. Following on from the work on the Bede House this summer’s work may lead to new discoveries about life in the past on the Pittodrie Esate.”
