Skip Channel4 main Navigation
|Powered By Google


Big Royal Dig

Holyroodhouse

The cloisters

A 19th century illustration of the inside of Queen Mary’s bathroom
A 19th century illustration of the
inside of Queen Mary's bathroom
Photo: akg-images
The James IV palace is shown on an 18th-century map by Rothiemay, produced shortly before the Charles II rebuild. The map is of considerable historical interest – and is a great help to modern archaeologists because Rothiemay used a camera obscura to attempt an accurate 3D depiction of the palace and its surroundings. Stuart Ainsworth will use the map to plot the palace accurately onto the modern landscape. This, together with guidance from geophysics, should help the Team to target trenches into precise areas in the palace ranges.

Mary, Queen of Scots' real tennis court

The heyday of Holyroodhouse Palace was during the reigns of James V, who continued his father James IV's construction work, and his daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, who used it as her base. The Rothiemay map appears to show Mary's real tennis court, which has never been located archaeologically. Time Team intends to find and excavate it.

One final target, also associated with Mary, is a peculiar structure to the north of the palace known today as 'Queen Mary's bathhouse'. Its original function, purpose and date are currently unknown. Time Team will use dendrochronology to date it.

<< Back

top ^

> Update
The Big Royal Dig review. Channel 4, 31 Dec 7.00pm
Read the update here
> First Shown
Big Royal Dig was first shown on Channel 4 and More4 in August 2006
> Vote
Who do you think is the greatest monarch of all?
> Royal Collection
Royal Palaces, Residences and Art Collection
> British Monarchy
Check out the official website of the British Monarchy
> Get Talking
Discuss the finds, the personalities and the action from Big Royal Dig here
> Time Team
Check out the latest news from the team
> Monarchy
Find out how England evolved from a land of warlords to become a constitutional monarchy