Scheduled MonumentsScotlandKirkdale House,two cross slabs
Two cross slabs

Kirkdale House,two cross slabs

Scotland
HES SM3627
Site type
Two cross slabs
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Kirkdale House is a two cross slabs monument situated in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. These carved stones represent a significant survival from the early medieval period, when such markers commonly commemorated high-status individuals or marked sacred ground. The slabs are now located at Kirkdale House, where they remain under the protection of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

The wacke bedrock of the Hawick Group that underlies this site dates to the Wenlock period of the Silurian, some 430 million years old. This durable, fine-grained sedimentary stone provided the raw material for the cross slabs and would have shaped the early settlement patterns of the locality. The Kirkdale area itself has long been associated with ecclesiastical foundations, a pattern consistent with the presence of such decorated stone markers.

The two cross slabs embody a distinctive tradition of monumental carving that flourished in southwestern Scotland during the early medieval centuries. Their preservation and formal protection recognise their importance as rare survivals of sculptural work from this period. The monument is recorded under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM3627.

Kirkdale House,two cross slabs is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3627. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Kirkdale House,two cross slabs?

Kirkdale House is a two cross slabs monument situated in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3627.

Who is responsible for protecting Kirkdale House,two cross slabs?

Kirkdale House,two cross slabs 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 SM3627.

What other scheduled monuments are near Kirkdale House,two cross slabs?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kirkdale House,six cup & ring marked stones (0 km), Cairn Holy, chambered cairn 190m SSW of Cairnholy (0.7 km), Cairn Holy, chambered cairn 35m S of Cairnholy (0.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Kirkdale House,two cross slabs

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kirkdale House,two cross slabs'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 Kirkdale House,two cross slabs

Kirkdale House,two cross slabs stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.