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Swallow Cleugh is a post-medieval palisaded enclosure located in East Lothian, Scotland. The site sits upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a sandstone and conglomerate formation dating to the Late Devonian period, which would have provided a stable foundation for the timber construction of the enclosure. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM5822.
Palisaded enclosures of this type were typically constructed by driving substantial wooden posts into the ground to form a defensive or demarcating boundary. In the post-medieval period, such structures served various purposes, from securing livestock to creating fortified compounds on rural estates. The choice of this East Lothian location reflects the continuing importance of defended enclosures during a period of significant social and economic change in lowland Scotland.
The archaeological significance of Swallow Cleugh lies in its potential to illuminate daily life and land use in post-medieval East Lothian. The durable geology beneath the site has ensured good preservation conditions for any organic remains and soil deposits, making it a valuable record of domestic economy and settlement patterns in the region during this transformative period of Scottish history.
Swallow Cleugh,palisaded enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5822. View the official record →
Swallow Cleugh is a post-medieval palisaded enclosure located in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5822.
Swallow Cleugh,palisaded enclosure dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a palisaded enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Swallow Cleugh,palisaded enclosure 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 SM5822.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hare Law,fort,Yester (3.3 km), Kingside Rig,enclosure (3.5 km), Whitestone Cairn,cairn,Harestone Hill (4.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Swallow Cleugh,palisaded enclosure'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.
Swallow Cleugh,palisaded enclosure stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.