Scheduled MonumentsScotlandBlacklaw Wood,enclosure
Post-Medieval · Enclosure

Blacklaw Wood,enclosure

Scotland
HES SM5756
Period
Post-Medieval
Site type
Enclosure
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Blacklaw Wood is a post-medieval enclosure situated in East Lothian, Scotland. The monument lies upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a geological formation dating to the Late Devonian period, comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate. This solid foundation of local stone would have been readily available to the builders of the enclosure, and the underlying geology has shaped the landscape and land use of the site throughout its history.

Post-medieval enclosures such as this one typically date from the sixteenth century onwards and represent the reorganisation of the Scottish landscape as agricultural practices evolved. They served practical purposes in managing livestock and defining property boundaries during a period of significant change in rural settlement and farming methods. The enclosure at Blacklaw Wood reflects these broader patterns of land management in the Scottish lowlands.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM5756, recognising its importance to the understanding of post-medieval rural life and landscape development in East Lothian. The site contributes to our knowledge of how the land was structured and utilised during this transformative period in Scottish agricultural history.

Blacklaw Wood,enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5756. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Blacklaw Wood,enclosure?

Blacklaw Wood is a post-medieval enclosure situated in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5756.

What period does Blacklaw Wood,enclosure date from?

Blacklaw Wood,enclosure dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Blacklaw Wood,enclosure?

Blacklaw Wood,enclosure 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 SM5756.

What other scheduled monuments are near Blacklaw Wood,enclosure?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Soutra Aisle, burial aisle and part of site of medieval hospital (7 km), Prehistoric settlement, 470m NE of Andrew's Wood (7.3 km), Tollis Hill,fort (7.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Blacklaw Wood,enclosure

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Blacklaw Wood,enclosure'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 Blacklaw Wood,enclosure

Blacklaw Wood,enclosure stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.