Scheduled MonumentsScotlandHayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems
Post-Medieval · Palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems

Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems

Scotland
HES SM1713
Period
Post-Medieval
Site type
Palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Hayhope Knowe is a palisaded settlement located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. The site comprises a post-medieval defensive settlement enclosed by timber palisades, together with associated field systems that demonstrate the organised agricultural use of the surrounding landscape. The monument sits upon bedrock of ancient mafic lava and tuff, volcanic rocks formed during the Devonian period, which would have weathered to create distinctive soils across the moorland setting.

The palisaded enclosure represents a modest fortified homestead of the type constructed in the border regions during the post-medieval period, when defensive architecture remained necessary in this volatile frontier landscape. The timber palisade, whilst less imposing than stone fortifications, provided practical protection for both dwelling and stored goods. The field systems visible around the settlement indicate contemporary pastoral and arable use, typical of self-sufficient rural communities in this period.

The site is designated and protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM1713, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of settlement patterns and land use in the Scottish Borders during the centuries following the medieval period.

Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1713. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems?

Hayhope Knowe is a palisaded settlement located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1713.

What period does Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems date from?

Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems?

Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems 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 SM1713.

What other scheduled monuments are near Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Three cross dykes on Middle Hill (4.9 km), Unenclosed round house, 200m north of Barrow Cleugh (5.7 km), Round cairn 420m north-east of Blindburn Bridge (7.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems'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 Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems

Hayhope Knowe,palisaded settlement,settlement & field systems stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.