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Birny Knowe is an earthwork monument located in Roxburghshire, Scotland. The site sits upon bedrock belonging to the Hawick Group, a sequence of wacke deposits laid down during the Wenlock period of the Silurian era, approximately 430 million years ago. This durable greywacke foundation has shaped the local landscape and would have influenced the construction and preservation of the monument over millennia.
The earthwork itself represents a form of defensive or ceremonial construction typical of early medieval or Iron Age settlement patterns in the Scottish Borders. Such monuments commonly served as fortified homesteads, communal gathering places or territorial markers. The specific characteristics of Birny Knowe—its size, shape and internal features—would reflect the engineering practices and social organisation of its builders.
Birny Knowe is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's reference SM2151, recognising its significance as an archaeological and cultural resource. This designation ensures the site's preservation for future study and enjoyment. The monument contributes to understanding settlement patterns and land use in Roxburghshire during the formative periods of Scottish history, standing as physical evidence of the region's long human occupation.
Birny Knowe,earthwork is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2151. View the official record →
Birny Knowe is an earthwork monument located in Roxburghshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2151.
Birny Knowe,earthwork 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 SM2151.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dod,earthworks on right bank of Allan Water 670m WSW of (3.5 km), Dod,enclosure on Gray Coat,530m SW of (3.8 km), Dod,earthworks on Gray Coat 540m SSW of (4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Birny Knowe,earthwork's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Birny Knowe,earthwork stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.