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Cairnfield enclosure is a post-medieval field monument situated on the Fife uplands approximately 700 metres north-north-east of Cairnfield itself. The enclosure occupies ground underlain by the Stratheden Group, a Late Devonian bedrock formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that would have influenced both the landscape's drainage and the availability of stone for construction. This stable geological foundation supported the agricultural use of the surrounding land during the early modern period.
The monument represents a phase of rural settlement and land management characteristic of post-medieval Scotland, when improved agricultural practices prompted the formalisation of field boundaries and working enclosures. The Stratheden Group's durable sandstone and conglomerate would have provided practical building material for any stone-built elements of the enclosure, whilst the natural topography of the region governed the practicality of its layout and extent.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the scheduled monument reference SM4442, recognising its value in understanding the evolution of Fife's rural landscape from the medieval period onwards. The enclosure survives as an archaeological record of post-medieval land use patterns in this part of eastern Scotland, contributing to broader understanding of how communities organised their working land during the early modern centuries.
Cairnfield, enclosure 700m NNE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4442. View the official record →
Cairnfield enclosure is a post-medieval field monument situated on the Fife uplands approximately 700 metres north-north-east of Cairnfield itself. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4442.
Cairnfield, enclosure 700m NNE of 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.
Cairnfield, enclosure 700m NNE 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 SM4442.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Glenorkie, barrows 300m SSE of (4.3 km), Forthar Cottage, enclosure 200m W of (4.6 km), Nether Drums, fort 300m NW of (5.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairnfield, enclosure 700m NNE of'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.
Cairnfield, enclosure 700m NNE of stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.