Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM6123_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600012015)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises part of a railway incline surviving as an earthwork, a cutting and an associated stone engine house, forming part of the former Dundee and Newtyle railway.

The Dundee and Newtyle was one of the earliest railways in Scotland, opening in 1831 to carry freight and passengers between Dundee and its Strathmore hinterland. The original construction employed horse- drawn carriages for its level sections, supplemented by stationary engines to provide haulage for the three steep inclines which formed an integral part of the original design. The inclines rapidly became obsolete as steam power was introduced for the line as a whole and in the 1860s they were by-passed.

The upper part of the Balbeuchley incline survives as a substantial earthwork, with the remains of stone facing on the N part of the E side. The earthwork survives to its original height, up to 15m above the surrounding fields. The flat summit of the incline is 4-5m wide and grassed over. All traces of the rails and sleepers have been removed or obscured. The S part of the surviving section is a cutting rather than an embankment, reflecting the need to maintain a regular gradient despite the irregular topography of the surrounding area.

At the top of the incline are the remains of a small stone building surviving up to 2.5m high on its E side. This represents the engine house. The E wall has been incorporated into a N-S field wall. The remainder of the structure survives to varying degrees, although the W wall has been robbed to its foundations.

The area to be scheduled encompasses the visible earthwork, part of the cutting, and the stone building. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 330m N-S by 40m as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved element of one of the earliest railways in Scotland. The use of steep inclines in association with horse-power on intervening levels represents a short-lived but significant episode in the development of railway technology. The association of the surviving earthwork, cutting and engine house preserves the essential component elements of the original design of the incline, which was integral to the operation and economic fortunes of the Dundee and Newtyle railway.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.