Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk
Medieval · Motte and bailey castle, selkirk

Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk

Scotland
HES SM2967
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte and bailey castle, selkirk
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Peel Hill is a motte and bailey castle situated in Selkirkshire, Scotland. The earthwork comprises a substantial mound, typical of this widespread medieval fortification type, constructed upon bedrock of the Hawick Group wacke formation, which dates to the Wenlock period. The motte and bailey design—a fortified mound with an adjoining defended enclosure—represents the dominant military architecture of the post-Norman period across Britain and its borders. Peel Hill's position within the Borders region reflects the strategic importance of fortifications along the medieval Scottish frontier. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Monument under reference SM2967, acknowledging its significance as a surviving example of medieval defensive earthworks in this landscape.

Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2967. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk?

Peel Hill is a motte and bailey castle situated in Selkirkshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2967.

What period does Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk date from?

Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte and bailey castle, selkirk. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk?

Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk 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 SM2967.

What other scheduled monuments are near Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including New Greenhill,fort (2.4 km), Middlestead,earthwork (3.8 km), North Synton,fort (4.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

New Greenhill,fort
Iron Age · Fort2.4 km
Middlestead,earthwork
Earthwork3.8 km
North Synton,fort
Iron Age · Fort4.4 km
Clerklands,fort
Iron Age · Fort4.5 km
Oakwood, Roman fort and camp SSE of
Iron Age · Roman fort and camp5.3 km
Riddell, motte and bailey 600m NE of
Medieval · Motte and bailey5.9 km
Campknowe Plantation,fort & enclosure
Iron Age · Fort & enclosure6.3 km
Broadlee Hill,fort
Iron Age · Fort6.6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk

Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.

The wider landscape

Around Peel Hill, motte and bailey castle, Selkirk

Battle of PhiliphaughBattle (1645) · ~1.7 milesBattle of DarnickBattle · ~5.7 milesBattle of Melrose (also known as Battle of Darnick), 1526Battle (1526) · ~6.1 milesBattle of Ancrum MoorBattle (1545) · ~10 miles
All Scheduled Monuments