Scheduled MonumentsScotlandBurnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of
Roman · Ring ditch,pits and roman camp

Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of

Scotland
HES SM5695
Period
Roman
Site type
Ring ditch,pits and roman camp
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Burnside of Baltersan is a Roman ring ditch, pits and camp located in Dumfriesshire, approximately 700 metres south of Baltersan. The monument lies on Stewartry Group bedrock, a formation of sandstone, breccia and conglomerate laid down during the Early Permian period, which would have provided firm ground for military construction.

The site comprises multiple components typical of Roman temporary encampments in Scotland. The ring ditch represents a defensive earthwork, whilst the associated pits likely served storage or other practical functions within the camp's layout. Such camps were constructed during Roman military campaigns and occupation, providing protected bases for soldiers and supplies.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM5695, recognising its significance as evidence of Roman activity in south-west Scotland. The Dumfriesshire landscape contains several such Roman sites, reflecting the strategic importance of the region during the period of Roman incursion into northern Britain.

Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5695. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of?

Burnside of Baltersan is a Roman ring ditch, pits and camp located in Dumfriesshire, approximately 700 metres south of Baltersan. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5695.

What period does Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of date from?

Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of dates from the roman period, and is classified as a ring ditch,pits and roman camp. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of?

Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of 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 SM5695.

What other scheduled monuments are near Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hall Hill,fort (1 km), Twelve Apostles,stone circle (3.3 km), Holywood, cursus 1250m SSE of (3.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of

Burnside of Baltersan,ring ditch,pits and Roman camp 700m S of stands on Stewartry Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Permian. The rock here is sandstone, breccia and conglomerate.