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.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM8674_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013399)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the remains of Shieldgreen Tower, a 16th century tower house surrounded by a rock cut ditch. The remains of Shieldgreen Tower stand on the S shoulder of Tower Rig.

The site is a rocky knoll which projects S from the main hill, its SW, S and SE sides falling steeply to the valley of the Soonhope Burn. For the remainder of its circuit the knoll is surrounded by a rock-cut ditch having a maximum width of 8.8m and a maximum depth of 2.5m. The tower was approached from the N across a causeway that has been left unexcavated. Within the N sector of the ditch, there are two transverse stone walls of comparatively modern construction, forming what was probably a sheepfold.

Only the lowest portion of the tower survives, and this is almost completely buried beneath the debris crowning the knoll. There are large masses of masonry, still bound in lime mortar, spread about the site, which suggests that the building was deliberately destroyed by using explosives. Three external angles of the building are visible, and it appears that the tower measured 8.2m NW-SE by 7.2m over walls 1.6m thick.

The plan and dimensions of the tower suggest that it was erected in the 16th century, when Shieldgreen appears to have been occupied by the Stoddart family. In 1656, it passed to the Earl of Tweeddale, and in 1666 to Peebles Town Council with whom it remained until the mid-19th century.

The area to be scheduled is circular in shape, with a diameter of 55m to include the remains of Shieldgreen Tower, the rock cut ditch, and an area around it, which has the potential for associated archaeology: as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The top 30cm of the surface of the roadway within the scheduled area is excluded from the scheduling to enable minor repair and alterations without the need for scheduled monument consent.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a small, late-medieval tower house, surrounded by a rock cut ditch. The form of the tower's destruction, being blown up, is interesting in itself, but also have helped to preserve potentially rich archaeological deposits. The archaeology of this monument has the potential greatly to increase our knowledge about the defences, domestic life and function of such monuments.

References

Bibliography

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.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

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).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.