Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Wattie's Spindles, pele house and associated buildings

A Scheduled Monument in Hawick and Denholm, Scottish Borders

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 55.3743 / 55°22'27"N

Longitude: -2.5263 / 2°31'34"W

OS Eastings: 366747

OS Northings: 609054

OS Grid: NT667090

Mapcode National: GBR B6S9.W8

Mapcode Global: WH8Z3.558S

Entry Name: Wattie's Spindles, pele house and associated buildings

Scheduled Date: 6 March 1997

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM6637

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Secular: pele house, peel tower

Location: Southdean

County: Scottish Borders

Electoral Ward: Hawick and Denholm

Traditional County: Roxburghshire

Description

The monument to be scheduled is the remains of a settlement originally known as "Wadespinnels".

On the summit of the knowe that is now called "Wattie's Spindles" are the footings of two rectangular buildings that lie parallel to each other. One building is c 42m long by 5m wide and the other 38m by 5m. 20m to the W of the northern building are the footings of a pele-house or tower measuring c 12m by 4.5m. This structure seems to have been heavily robbed in antiquity. There are traces of a turf bank enclosing the site on its SE side.

The area to be scheduled is irregular with maximum dimensions of 140m NE to SW and 110m NW to SE as indicated in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance as the remains of a medieval fortified house and associated farmstead that has the potential to provide important information about defensive architecture and contemporary land-use.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Reference:

RCAHMS (1994) Southdean Borders an archaeological survey.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.