Roxburgh Survey Project

In spring 2006 RCAHMS began a topographical survey of the deserted medieval burgh and castle of Roxburgh.

The main objective is to generate a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the medieval burgh and castle as a basis for improving our understanding of the site in combination with other techniques such as air photography or geophysics.

The seat of government in the mid-12th century, Roxburgh is situated just to the west of the border town of Kelso at the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot. The survey area comprises pasture fields, river terraces and the impressive earthworks of Roxburgh castle. The large extent of the survey area means that recording height data to the detail required is not feasible if carried out on foot. Consequently RCAHMS have developed a method of rapid automated height data recording with its Global Positioning System (GPS) survey equipment, by mounting it on the roof rack of one of our landrovers.

This has enabled us to record automatically at set intervals as the vehicle is driven over the site area. This innovative approach has revealed the remains of strip cultivation, streets and the burgh defensive earthworks. Following field surveys in 2006 and 2007, approximately 70 per cent of the site has now been successfully surveyed and work has continue into 2010.