Cardrona Mains

Nearest town:
Innerleithen (4km E)
OS reference:
NT299389
OS sheet:
73
Latitude:
55° 38' 18.49 N
Longitude:
3° 6' 49.45 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Cardrona Mains (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Martin

16/11/03- southern side with the peak of Lee Pen just visible through the trees

Martin
Martin Nov 20, 2003
Image of Cardrona Mains (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Martin

16/11/03- with the blot-on-the-landscape that is the Cardrona Hotel in the background

Martin
Martin Nov 20, 2003

Articles

Cardrona Mains

Concern as new flats could close in on standing stone

Martin
Martin Feb 1, 2006

From the Peeblesshire News, Jan 20th 2006;

Concern as new flats could close in on standing stone

An ancient standing stone may be set to share its field with thousands of building blocks. Developers plan to build 21 new flats near the site of the rural relic at Cardrona. But local historical and environmental organisations have raised concern about the proposal. A representative from Historic Scotland, Lesley Brown, told the Peeblesshire News: “We have already written a letter to the council’s planning department to object about this. The stone is listed as being of national importance. When we talk about conserving it as a historical monument we are not only concerned with the physical impact on the stone itself, but also on its setting. This is part of national planning policy. The only was we would concede is in exceptional circumstances, but there is no real cause for building here. Housing needs are already being met” she added. Plans for the new building development have been put forward by Renwick Country Properties and the modern flats would be built behind the old Station House. Local planning officer, Barry Fotheringham, said: “We have already had a number of objections to this. The building would be close enough to the stone to warrant concerns. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the application will be refused, but these things will be taken into consideration.” Little is known about the stone, but archaeological experts believe it could have been standing in the field from as far back as 3000 BC. One theory is that it was a marker for an ancient ford crossing through the nearby River Tweed.

Cardrona Mains

C
CARL Jul 25, 2017

Visited 25.7.17

Directions:
Immediately south of the A72 – signposted Cardrona.

The stone was visible from the road – just! Access is over an old wooden field gate.

Since the photos were taken nature has taken over and the entire field is now covered in chest height vegetation, including brambles, thistles and nettles-far from ideal when wearing shorts! (at least I found some wild raspberries to pick – although the children ate them all!)

The stone is a decent size, approximately 4ft high x 1.5ft wide. The stone has a pronounced lean and is covered in white and yellow lichen. A large yellow snail clung to one side.

Worth seeking out when in the area.

Cardrona Mains

Martin
Martin Nov 20, 2003

Sunday 16/11/03
This is one of those sites which I have been meaning to visit for ages, but somehow, I’ve never got round to it. The position of the stone is (was) great (now the view west is marred by the blot-on-the-landscape that is the Cardrona Hotel, plus it stands at the entrance to the new Cardrona village- a disgusting housing scheme for those with more money than taste). To the south is Cardrona forest, the north is the forest of Glentress and to the east the hills of Lee Burn and Lee Pen. The stone itself is around 1.3 metres high and approximately 1.8 metres in girth. It’s now leaning to the north. CANMORE notes that it sits on the crest of a scarp representing the ancient course of the River Tweed, so it would have originally been right next to the water, but now is around 100 metres away.

Sites within 20km of Cardrona Mains

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