© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Old Melrose is a linear earthwork located in Roxburghshire, Scotland, situated approximately 300 metres west of the settlement. The monument is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4018. Linear earthworks of this type, common across the Scottish Borders, typically date from the Iron Age or Romano-British period and served defensive, territorial or ritual purposes.
The earthwork sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a formation of wacke stone laid down during the Wenlock period of the Silurian era. This geology underlies much of the Borders landscape and would have presented specific constraints to those constructing the monument, requiring significant labour to cut through or bank above the underlying stone.
The positioning of the earthwork within the undulating terrain of Roxburghshire reflects the strategic and topographic considerations of its builders. Linear earthworks in this region often relate to broader patterns of land use and settlement across the Scottish uplands, where such features frequently appear on valley floors or ridgelines commanding communications routes. Old Melrose's exact chronology and original extent remain subjects for archaeological investigation.
Old Melrose,linear earthwork 300m W of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4018. View the official record →
Old Melrose is a linear earthwork located in Roxburghshire, Scotland, situated approximately 300 metres west of the settlement. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4018.
Old Melrose,linear earthwork 300m W 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 SM4018.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Melrose, St Cuthbert's Chapel & monastery site (0.4 km), Newstead Roman military complex, 660m WSW of Broomhill Farm (2 km), Dryburgh Abbey (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Old Melrose,linear earthwork 300m W of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Old Melrose,linear earthwork 300m W of stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.