The Discovery of Ancrum Old Bridge: A Significant Find in Scottish History

Scotland is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, and the recent discovery of the Ancrum Old Bridge has added to the country’s rich tapestry of stories. This medieval bridge, which has been hidden beneath the waters of the River Teviot for centuries, has now been rediscovered and has been confirmed as the oldest scientifically dated remains of a bridge ever found in its original position across one of Scotland’s rivers.

Built during the reigns of David II of Scotland and Edward III of England, the Ancrum Old Bridge was of historic and strategic importance. The bridge carried the ‘Via Regia’, or the King’s Way, on its journey from Edinburgh to Jedburgh and the Border. Many historical figures, including James V, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Marquis of Montrose, would have crossed the bridge on their travels.

The discovery of the Ancrum Old Bridge is a result of a multi-faceted, local community-driven project. The Ancrum and District Heritage Society, a local volunteer archaeology group, worked in partnership with Dendrochronicle and Wessex Archaeology to uncover the hidden remains of the bridge. The project used historical research, field survey, drone photography, dendrochronology, underwater archaeology, and radiocarbon dating to confirm the age of the bridge and evaluate the condition of the remains.

Initial archive research by the Ancrum and District Heritage Society led to the discovery of cutwater platforms and oak timbers that once supported the piers of the bridge. To establish the age of the bridge, the society approached Historic Environment Scotland for support and combined their research with radiocarbon dating. The results confirmed that the bridge stood for over 400 years.

Underwater archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology conducted a survey and assessment of the remains, and samples of the timbers were sent to the Scottish Universities Environment Research Centre for radiocarbon dating. The results of the ‘wiggle match’ radiocarbon dating confirmed a date range in the middle of the 1300s.

The discovery of the Ancrum Old Bridge is an exciting one, not only because of its age but also because of its significance in Scottish history. During floods or highwater, the Ancrum Bridge may have been the only place to cross the River Teviot between Hawick and Berwick, making it one of the most important structures in medieval Scotland.