Scheduled Monument
Pennymuir Bridge, barrow cemetery 700m NE ofSM10739
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
- 30/01/2003
- Type
- Prehistoric ritual and funerary: barrow
- Local Authority
- Scottish Borders
- Parish
- Hownam
- NGR
- NT 76753 15284
- Coordinates
- 376753, 615284
Description
The monument comprises the remains of a barrow cemetery comprising at least ten small barrows or ring cairns visible as upstanding earthworks. Cairns and barrows such as these are burial and ritual monuments, normally dating from the early Bronze Age (around 2000-1500 BC).
The cemetery lies some 700m NE of Pennymuir Bridge, at around 190m OD, on the edge of a terrace above the Kale Water. The barrows and cairns are generally small and low; those with central mounds stand a maximum of 0.3m high. Some are simple circular mounds, others have a shallow defining ditch, and a few have a low outer bank beyond the ditch. They range in size from 2m to 5m in diameter.
These barrows are almost certainly Bronze Age in date, particularly given their remote location. There is a slight possibility that they could be Roman as they are similar in form to Roman burials known from Northumberland; but Roman graves tend to be located close to military bases, while this cemetery is over 1.75km from the nearest known Roman feature.
The area to be scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is circular on plan and has maximum dimensions of 60m in diameter, as shown in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric funerary practices and social organisation. It is likely that ancient soil surfaces will be preserved beneath the barrows, which would also give an insight into the contemporary environment.
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.
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.
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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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