© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
The Hirsel, Settlements and Ecclesiastical Remains S of is a cluster of medieval and post-medieval structures located in Berwickshire, southern Scotland. The site encompasses residential settlements alongside ecclesiastical buildings, reflecting the religious and secular community life of the region during the medieval period. The remains are situated on bedrock of the Inverclyde Group, comprising sandstone, siltstone and mudstone formations laid down during the Osagean epoch, geology that would have influenced the availability of building materials and the drainage characteristics of the settlement location.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4522, recognising its significance to understanding settlement patterns and religious organisation in the Anglo-Scottish borderlands. The juxtaposition of ecclesiastical and domestic remains suggests a settlement with strong institutional connections, typical of many medieval Scottish communities where church and settlement were closely integrated. The combination of structures provides evidence for the organisation and social hierarchy of medieval Berwickshire life.
The site's landscape setting within Berwickshire would have made it accessible to both the surrounding agricultural lands and communication routes characteristic of the region. The preservation of these earthwork and structural remains offers important archaeological potential for understanding medieval occupation patterns, building practices and the relationship between religious and secular settlements in the Scottish Borders during this formative period of settlement development.
The Hirsel,settlements & ecclesiastical remains S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4522. View the official record →
The Hirsel, Settlements and Ecclesiastical Remains S of is a cluster of medieval and post-medieval structures located in Berwickshire, southern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4522.
The Hirsel,settlements & ecclesiastical remains S 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 SM4522.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wark Castle motte and bailey castle and artillery fort (2 km), Birgham Haugh,fort and enclosures 800m SW of (4.8 km), Redden,fort and enclosure 750m E of (5.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Hirsel,settlements & ecclesiastical remains S 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.
The Hirsel,settlements & ecclesiastical remains S of stands on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.