Scheduled MonumentsScotlandDown Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk
Iron Age · Fort 350m s of downfield,coaltown of burnturk

Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk

Scotland
HES SM807
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort 350m s of downfield,coaltown of burnturk
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Down Law is a Iron Age fort situated 350 metres south of Downfield in Coaltown of Burnturk, Fife. The monument occupies a defensible location, with its position afforded by the underlying dolerite and basaltic bedrock of Permian age, which forms a robust geological foundation across this part of central Scotland.

The fort represents the characteristic settlement pattern of Iron Age communities in the Lowlands of Scotland, where defended strongholds served as centres of population and territorial control. Its precise morphology and internal arrangements reflect the strategic requirements of the period, when hillforts and similar fortified enclosures dominated the landscape.

The site is protected as a scheduled monument under the care of Historic Environment Scotland, registered as SM807. This designation recognises Down Law's archaeological significance as evidence of Iron Age settlement and social organisation in the region, preserving it for future study and understanding of this important period of Scottish prehistory.

Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM807. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk?

Down Law is a Iron Age fort situated 350 metres south of Downfield in Coaltown of Burnturk, Fife. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM807.

What period does Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk date from?

Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort 350m s of downfield,coaltown of burnturk. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk?

Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk 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 SM807.

What other scheduled monuments are near Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Balmalcolm Farm, henge 240m NW of (3 km), Kilmux Colliery, beam engine house, 630m SW of Kilmux House (3.5 km), Kettlebridge, barrows SW of Back Park (3.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk'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 Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk

Down Law,fort 350m S of Downfield,Coaltown of Burnturk stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is dolerite and tholeiitic basalt.