Scheduled MonumentsScotlandBegbie Wood,fort
Iron Age · Fort

Begbie Wood,fort

Scotland
HES SM3310
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Begbie Wood fort is an Iron Age fortified settlement located in East Lothian, Scotland. The fort occupies a commanding position in an area of Visean sedimentary rocks belonging to the Strathclyde Group, which form the underlying bedrock of this region. This geological foundation provided stable ground for the construction and occupation of the settlement during the Iron Age period.

The fort is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3310, recognising its archaeological significance and the information it holds about Iron Age settlement patterns in south-eastern Scotland. The Strathclyde Group geology underlying Begbie Wood is characteristic of the Lower Carboniferous deposits that dominate much of the Lothian landscape, contributing to the local terrain that would have influenced both the selection and defensive capabilities of the fort's location.

As an Iron Age fort in East Lothian, Begbie Wood represents the type of defensive settlement that was characteristic of this period in the Lothian region. The site's preserved remains continue to contribute to understanding of Iron Age fortification practices and community organisation in south-eastern Scotland, making it an important archaeological monument within the scheduled estate.

Begbie Wood,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3310. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Begbie Wood,fort?

Begbie Wood fort is an Iron Age fortified settlement located in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3310.

What period does Begbie Wood,fort date from?

Begbie Wood,fort dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Begbie Wood,fort?

Begbie Wood,fort is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM3310.

What other scheduled monuments are near Begbie Wood,fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kidlaw, fort (6.7 km), Stobshiel Cottages,enclosure 350m NNW of (6.8 km), Stobshiel,fort (6.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Begbie Wood,fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Begbie Wood,fort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Begbie Wood,fort

Begbie Wood,fort stands on Strathclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, strathclyde group type.