Description

The monument to be scheduled consists of the remains of a field system, enclosure bank and an old road line on the NW and SE sides of a watercourse known as the Martinlee Sike.

The field system is enclosed by a bank and ditch that run NW from the NW side of Martinlee Plantation for 350m to the edge of the A6088 road. Cultivation rigs runs SSW to NNE up to the edge of a recent forestry plantation. There is a short section of old road that runs from NW to SE on either side of Martinlee Sike. Several small field clearance cairns are also visible to the NW and SE of Martinlee Sike, the largest of these measuring c 6m in diameter. It is possible that the bank and ditch enclosure represents the continuation of the "assart" (an intake of land from the hill) that has been identified to the SE of Martinlee Plantation.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, to include all of the features described and an area around them in which evidence relating to their construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as the remains of enclosed field systems that are probably of medieval date. It has the potential to provide useful information regarding contemporary economy and land use and the strictures of medieval Forest Law.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT 60 NE 20.03 and 20.00.

References:

Gilbert, J. M. (1979) Hunting and hunting reserves in medieval Scotland.

RCAHMS (1994) Southern Borders an archaeological survey.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland