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Dykeheads homestead moat is a medieval defensive earthwork located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. The monument comprises a substantial moated enclosure typical of the period, designed to provide protection and status to a substantial rural dwelling. Homestead moats of this kind were constructed throughout the medieval period and served both practical and symbolic functions within the landscape of feudal settlement.
The site sits upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a Late Devonian formation comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate. These sedimentary rocks, laid down in ancient river systems over 360 million years ago, would have influenced the drainage characteristics of the moat and the choice of location. The underlying geology shaped both the construction methods available to the builders and the long-term preservation of the earthwork itself.
Dykeheads homestead moat is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2116. This designation recognises its significance as evidence of medieval rural settlement patterns and land organisation in the Borders region. The moat remains a valuable archaeological resource for understanding the lives and social standing of the rural gentry who occupied such fortified homesteads during the Middle Ages.
Dykeheads,homestead moat is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2116. View the official record →
Dykeheads homestead moat is a medieval defensive earthwork located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2116.
Dykeheads,homestead moat 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 SM2116.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Black Hill,settlement (1.6 km), Wheel Causeway,section 640m long on S slope of Wardmoor Hill (3.1 km), Westshiels,spur earthwork 1550m SW of (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dykeheads,homestead moat'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.
Dykeheads,homestead moat stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.