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The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope, is a prehistoric settlement located in Peeblesshire, in the Scottish Borders. The site sits upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a formation of wacke stone that dates to the Telychian period of the Silurian era. This underlying geology shaped both the settlement's location and the materials available to its inhabitants. The Bank is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland and holds reference number SM3050.
The settlement's name suggests an earthwork defensive position, a common feature of prehistoric settlements in southern Scotland. The Borders landscape in this period saw scattered farming communities occupying upland and valley locations, exploiting the locally available stone for tools and structures. The wacke bedrock, whilst harder to work than softer stone, provided durable material for building and daily use.
The monument survives as an archaeological site within the Peeblesshire landscape, part of a broader record of human settlement in the Tweed Valley and its tributary systems. Its protected status ensures that the remains, whether visible or subsurface, are preserved for future study and understanding of prehistoric life in the Scottish Borders.
The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3050. View the official record →
The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope, is a prehistoric settlement located in Peeblesshire, in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3050.
The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope 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 SM3050.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kirkhope,crossbase,tower & associated structures 500m WSW of (0.2 km), Kirkhope,scooped homestead N of (0.6 km), Langhaugh,settlement 130m SSE of (0.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope'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.
The Bank, settlement 485m SW of Kirkhope stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.