Description

The site comprises two circular enclosures thought to be the remains of post-medieval stock control features. The remains are visible as turf-covered earthen features, located to the west of the low-lying Flemington Burn in upland grazing and at approximately 250m above sea level. 

The enclosures are defined by circular earthen banks around 0.6m in height and each measures about 13m in overall diameter. They are about 10m apart either side of a farm track. They both overlie rig, and are surrounded by a slight turf-stripping scar about 2m across. There is a very slight dip in the line of the banks on the west which may have been an entrance. Their form and location are consistent with turf-walled sheepfolds, while the relationship with the rig indicates that they are post-medieval in date. 

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The culture significance of the site has been assessed as follows:

Intrinsic Characteristics

The monument was first recorded in 1962 when researchers interpreted the remains as those of a prehistoric form of monument – a ring enclosure, thought to have a ritual or funerary function. This interpretation and the monument classifications were used as the evidence base supporting the original designation.

Subsequent research has revised the likely origins and function of the enclosures. Recent field and Lidar evidence shows that the two ring enclosures represent much later, agricultural activity and specifically a type of stock enclosure, or sheepfold, dating to the post-medieval period.

These remains are therefore relatively common features of post-medieval agricultural activity. They are simple turf and earth-built structures with relatively low archaeological potential. 

Contextual characteristics

The monument is an isolated component of a wider hill farming system, exploiting upland improved pasture at the west side of the Moorfoot Hills. It is only partly representative of the agricultural activity taken place here. It is part of a wider regional distribution of similar earthen structures built for the management of livestock.

It is not a rare survivor of its type and taken in isolation from the agricultural system to which it belongs, it has limited potential to help us understand how the wider landscape has developed.  

Associative characteristics

No known associative character relating to this monument.

National importance

The site does not meet the criterion of national importance for the following reasons: 

a. The monument, as a pair of post-improvement livestock enclosures, does not make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past and does not have the potential to do so. The features are of a simple earth and turf, circular construction with limited archaeological potential in the buried soil layers.  

b. The monument is not a rare example of its class, with over 280 examples of ring enclosure (used to describe small circular enclosure of an agricultural nature defined by a turf or earthen bank) recorded in the national record and 24 examples known of within 10km of this location. There are an additional 3316 sheepfolds recorded which will include a wide variety of enclosures used to collect and control sheep.

c. The monument does not have sufficient research potential with which to significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past. There is limited scientific, archaeological, historic or traditional, interest in this type of agricultural remains.

d. As an isolated component of a wider agricultural system, the monument does not a significant contribution to today's landscape or our understanding of the historic landscape.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 49949 (accessed on 20/05/2024).

https://canmore.org.uk/site/49949/flemington-burn

RCAHMS 1967, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Peeblesshire: an inventory of the ancient monuments. The Stationery Office. Edinburgh.

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/49949/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland