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# Big Wood Settlement
Big Wood Settlement is a post-medieval settlement located 400 metres north-west of Penkaet Rigg in East Lothian, Scotland. The site lies upon bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, a sedimentary formation dating to the Westphalian period, which would have influenced the character of the surrounding landscape and the agricultural potential of the land. The settlement represents the scattered farmsteads and associated structures that characterised rural East Lothian during the post-medieval period, when communities adapted to the changing economic patterns following the early modern reorganisation of Scottish estates.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM13814, reflecting its significance as evidence of domestic and agricultural settlement patterns in the region. The landscape context, situated within moorland country near Penkaet Rigg, suggests this was marginal farming territory during the post-medieval era. Such upland settlements typically supported pastoral activities alongside limited cultivation, relying on the natural drainage and soil conditions provided by the underlying geology.
The remains at Big Wood contribute to understanding how rural communities organised themselves in the post-medieval Scottish landscape, away from the principal estate centres. Archaeological investigation of such sites has demonstrated the complexity of settlement hierarchies and the diverse strategies employed by ordinary people managing subsistence and surplus production during this transformative period in Scottish social and economic history.
Settlement, Big Wood, 400m NW of Penkaet Rigg is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13814. View the official record →
# Big Wood Settlement Big Wood Settlement is a post-medieval settlement located 400 metres north-west of Penkaet Rigg in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13814.
Settlement, Big Wood, 400m NW of Penkaet Rigg dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a big wood, 400m nw of penkaet rigg. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Settlement, Big Wood, 400m NW of Penkaet Rigg 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 SM13814.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Longfaugh,enclosures 200m E of (6.1 km), Crichton Mains,souterrain 1280m E of (6.3 km), Longfaugh Fort,Crichton (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Settlement, Big Wood, 400m NW of Penkaet Rigg'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.
Settlement, Big Wood, 400m NW of Penkaet Rigg stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.