Scheduled MonumentsScotlandMelville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of
Homestead and pit alignments

Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of

Scotland
HES SM4592
Site type
Homestead and pit alignments
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Melville Grange is a homestead and pit alignments situated in Midlothian, Scotland, approximately 600 metres to the east-south-east of its namesake farm. The monument comprises a residential structure and a series of aligned pits, evidence of settlement and early industrial activity in this part of the Central Belt. The site lies upon bedrock of the Scottish Coal Measures Group, a Moscovian-age formation comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interspersed with coal, ironstone and ferricrete deposits. This geology has shaped the landscape and economy of Midlothian for centuries, supporting both agriculture and coal extraction.

The pit alignments at Melville Grange likely represent shallow coal working or other mineral extraction associated with the homestead, reflecting the dual subsistence and industrial practices common in rural Scotland during the post-medieval period. Such features are characteristic of the transition between primarily agricultural communities and those increasingly engaged in coal winning. The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM4592, recognising its significance as evidence of past settlement patterns and the early exploitation of mineral resources in the region.

Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4592. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of?

Melville Grange is a homestead and pit alignments situated in Midlothian, Scotland, approximately 600 metres to the east-south-east of its namesake farm. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4592.

Who is responsible for protecting Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of?

Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE 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 SM4592.

What other scheduled monuments are near Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barrow, 55m E of 20 David Herkes Way, Gowkshill (5.7 km), Rosslyn Chapel, burial ground, buried remains of nave and remains of St Matthew's Church, Roslin (5.9 km), Capielaw, enclosed settlement (6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE 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 Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of

Melville Grange,homestead and pit alignments 600m ESE of stands on Scottish Coal Measures Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.