Description

The monument consists of the remains of a narrow rectangular dwelling which has been identified through fieldwork as a bastle house, a type of fortifed farmhouse dating from the late 16th or early 17th century.

The bastle house is situated beside the E bank of the Old Town Burn. It survives as a distinct rectangular raised mound, with tumble from rough-rubble courses visible beneath the turf covering. The mound, aligned approximately N-S, measures about 15m N-S by by 7m E-W and is 1.5-2m high.

Surrounding field boundaries and banks protruding from

the marshy vegetation suggest that the dwelling was the nucleus of a complex pre-improvement farming settlement.

The area to be scheduled is irregular, bounded on the N and E by the Old Town Burn, and measures a maximum of 60m E-W by 60m N-S, to include the bastle house and associated field boundaries, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as an example of a distinctive type of structure, the bastle house, and an associated settlement dating from the 16th/17th centuries. It is a good example of this type of site, which served to protect farmers and stock from attack during the Border raids that were common during the period. The site has the potential to provide further evidence, through historical and archaeological investigation, of late medieval and early modern settlement, defensive architecture, domestic occupation, land-use and tenure, agricultural economy and material culture.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by NMRS as NS90NE2.

References:

Ward T 1986, 'Smithwood (Crawford p), foundation', Discovery Excav Scot, 33.

Ward T 2002, History of the Daer Valley, privately circulated report.

Historic maps:

Map of 1791 = National Archives of Scotland RHP 6875/1

OS, Lanarkshire 1863, sheet liii.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland