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Barney Mains,palisaded enclosure and pit alignments WSW of

A Scheduled Monument in Haddington and Lammermuir, East Lothian

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9756 / 55°58'32"N

Longitude: -2.7726 / 2°46'21"W

OS Eastings: 351879

OS Northings: 676110

OS Grid: NT518761

Mapcode National: GBR 2S.WF1X

Mapcode Global: WH7TY.C2YD

Entry Name: Barney Mains,palisaded enclosure and pit alignments WSW of

Scheduled Date: 10 June 1994

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM6032

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: palisaded enclosure

Location: Haddington

County: East Lothian

Electoral Ward: Haddington and Lammermuir

Traditional County: East Lothian

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a palisaded enclosed settlement and a system of pit alignments of prehistoric date represented by cropmarks visible on oblique aerial photographs.

The monument occupies a sharply sloping site on the E slopes of Barney Hill, with a level plateau at its W end. It varies in elevation from approximately 125 to 175m OD and lies in arable farmland immediately S of the major upstanding, multivallate fort of Kae Heughs. The enclosure lies in the central part of the site, perched on the edge of the level area. It is defined by an oval palisade trench enclosing an area some 40m N-S by 30m. The nature of

the underlying geology prevents the identification of any structures within this enclosure.

The enclosure is itself enclosed by a broad arc of pits to the S, which also encloses the fort of Kae Heughs to the N. This closely-spaced alignment of large pits runs for a visible distance of some 800m. The course of the alignment does not respect the topography and cuts sharply across the slope at various points. At least one N-S subdivision is visible within the large area enclosed by the pit alignment.

A further pit alignment running approximately E-W, joins the W part of the main alignment. The area to be scheduled encompasses the visible features, the area enclosed by the visible sections of the pit alignments, and an area around them in which traces of associated activity may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 710m ENE-WSW by 320m as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to add to our understanding of the nature of settlement, economy and land division in the immediate environs of a major prehistoric hillfort. The chronological and functional relationships between the various features and their relationships to the hillfort and the wider landscape of prehistoric settlement in the area will be of major importance in the analysis of the prehistoric farming landscape in lowland Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT 57 NW 23 and 57.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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