Scheduled Monument
Nenthorn,deserted village,farmsteads,mill and field systemSM4664
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 23/03/1989
- Type
- Industrial: farming, food production; mill, factory, Secular: farmstead; field system; settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships
- Local Authority
- Scottish Borders
- Parish
- Nenthorn
- NGR
- NT 68272 37463
- Coordinates
- 368272, 637463
Description
The monument comprises the remains of the deserted E part of Nenthorn village, cultivation remains associated with it and with the farmsteads succeeding it, at least three farmsteads and the remains of a mill dam and lade, and the probable site of the associated mill.
The monument is split in two by the A6098 road. To the N is the field known as Town Green. This is traversed by a track which is the continuation of the existing village street. Towards the end of the track are the remains of at least three rectangular buildings, with two circular scoops nearby. The rest of the field is covered with the remains of rig and furrow cultivation, separated into fields by low banks.
Scoops, possibly for quarrying purposes, have been formed at intervals across the hillside, and there is a cluster of shallow depressions and possible building stances at the W end of the ridge, closer to the village. An arc of stones in this group may be the remains of a corn-drying kiln.
To the SW of the road is an area of pronounced and well-preserved rigs, associated with the remains of the original farmstead of Burnbrae. An area measuring a maximum of 520m SW to NE by 260m transversely is proposed for scheduling to include the deserted village, the farmsteads, the cultivation remains, the mill site and the lade, as delineated in red on the attached map. The A6089, its verges, and modern field boundaries are excluded from the scheduling.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as the well preserved remains of part of a medieval village, later farmsteads, a field system, a mill dam, mill lade and the probable mill site, which has the potential to enhance considerably our understanding of many aspects of medieval and pre-improvement settlement and farming. It is of particular importance because medieval settlements, farmsteads and field systems survive only rarely on low lying ground; such sites provide a much clearer understanding of medieval settlement activities than do the relatively poor upland sites which survive more often. The monument is of even greater importance because of the survival together of a number of settlement features, covering several centuries of activity.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
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Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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