Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Torthorwald Castle

Torthorwald Castle

Scotland
HES SM713
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Torthorwald Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortress located in Dumfriesshire, south-western Scotland, dating to the Norman period following the twelfth century. The monument consists of a substantial earthen mound with an associated bailey, representing a characteristic form of early medieval military architecture introduced to Scotland during the Anglo-Norman settlement. The site occupies a strategically significant position within the lordship of the Annandale region, an area of considerable political importance during the medieval period. Though the superstructure has not survived, the earthwork remains an important archaeological testimony to the consolidation of Norman power and feudal settlement in the Scottish lowlands during the early medieval period.

Torthorwald Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM713. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Torthorwald Castle?

Torthorwald Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortress located in Dumfriesshire, south-western Scotland, dating to the Norman period following the twelfth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM713.

Who is responsible for protecting Torthorwald Castle?

Torthorwald Castle 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 SM713.

What other scheduled monuments are near Torthorwald Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rockhall Mote, motte-and-bailey castle (2.7 km), Hound Hill, cairn (4.7 km), Barrs Hill,fort (5.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Torthorwald Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Torthorwald Castle'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Torthorwald Castle report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Rockhall Mote, motte-and-bailey castle
Medieval · Motte-and-bailey castle2.7 km
Hound Hill, cairn
Cairn4.7 km
Barrs Hill,fort
Iron Age · Fort5.5 km
Range Castle, fort
Iron Age · Fort5.6 km
Moss Castle, fort
Iron Age · Fort6 km
Castle Hill, motte-and-bailey castle
Medieval · Motte-and-bailey castle6.3 km
Lochmaben Peel and Castle
6.3 km
Castledykes Park, motte and bailey, medieval castle and associated earthworks
Medieval · Motte and bailey, medieval castle and associated earthworks6.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Torthorwald Castle

Torthorwald Castle stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.

All Scheduled Monuments