Scheduled MonumentsScotlandNorman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope
Iron Age · Dun 830m sw of stanhope

Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope

Scotland
HES SM4253
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Dun 830m sw of stanhope
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Norman's Castle is a Iron Age dun situated 830 metres south-west of Stanhope in Peeblesshire. Duns were small fortified homesteads characteristic of Iron Age settlement in Scotland, typically consisting of a stone-built circular or oval structure with defensive walls. This example occupies ground underlain by the Gala Group wacke, a sedimentary bedrock formed during the Telychian period that would have influenced the availability of stone for construction.

The monument lies within the Borders landscape of south-eastern Scotland, an area rich in Iron Age settlement remains. Its location in upland Peeblesshire reflects patterns of pastoral occupation during the period when such fortified structures provided both domestic and defensive functions for Iron Age communities. The site commands views of its surrounding terrain, a positioning typical of duns which served to protect livestock and stored goods.

Norman's Castle is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM4253, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of Iron Age settlement practices in the Scottish Borders. The dun remains an important record of how communities adapted to this landscape during the pre-Roman Iron Age, employing local stone resources to construct their fortified settlements.

Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4253. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope?

Norman's Castle is a Iron Age dun situated 830 metres south-west of Stanhope in Peeblesshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4253.

What period does Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope date from?

Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a dun 830m sw of stanhope. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope?

Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope 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 SM4253.

What other scheduled monuments are near Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Menzion Farmhouse, two enclosed cremation cemeteries 400m NNW of (5.9 km), Menzion Farm,enclosed cremation cemetery 600m WSW of (6.5 km), Menzion Farm, settlement 735m SSW of (6.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope'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 Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope

Norman's Castle, dun 830m SW of Stanhope stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.