Scheduled MonumentsScotlandHardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of
Burnt mounds

Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of

Scotland
HES SM4940
Site type
Burnt mounds
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Hardcroft Burnt Mounds is a Bronze Age monument located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland, situated approximately 1600 metres south-east of Hardcroft. The site consists of burnt mounds—characteristic archaeological features comprising heaps of fire-cracked stone and charcoal debris. These monuments, typically dating to the Bronze Age, represent the remains of industrial or domestic activities involving the heating of stone and water, possibly for cooking, bathing, or textile production.

The mounds are situated on bedrock comprising the Portpatrick Formation and Glenwhargen Formation, wacke deposits of Caradocian age that underlie this part of Wigtownshire. This geological foundation would have provided suitable materials for the fire-cracked stones that form the visible archaeological remains of the burnt mounds.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM4940, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and subsistence practices in south-west Scotland. Burnt mounds of this type are widely distributed across Scotland and northern Britain, offering insights into Bronze Age communities and their exploitation of local resources.

Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4940. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of?

Hardcroft Burnt Mounds is a Bronze Age monument located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland, situated approximately 1600 metres south-east of Hardcroft. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4940.

Who is responsible for protecting Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of?

Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE 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 SM4940.

What other scheduled monuments are near Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig, cairn 700m SW of (3.9 km), Cascreugh Castle (4.5 km), Glenluce Abbey (5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE 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 Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of

Hardcroft,burnt mounds 1600m SE of stands on Portpatrick Formation And Glenwhargen Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.