Scots' Dike

[2] The Debatable Lands, also known as "Debatable ground", "Batable ground", or "Threpe" – a Scots term meaning "something that is argued over"[3] – were in the West Marches, bounded on the west by the River Sark, to the east by the River Esk and Liddel Water, on the north by the Bruntshiell Moor and Tarras Moss, and on the south by the estuary of the Esk.

These lands were finally divided between the English and Scottish crowns by an agreement supposedly arbitrated by the French ambassador although his line was not the last and fynal Lyne of thr particion.

The terminal points of the dike were said to be marked by square stones bearing the royal arms of England and Scotland; however, these markers have disappeared, were broken up for building nearby cottages or they never existed in the first place.

It has been suggested that the name came from the archaic word "Batable" meaning land which was rich and fertile upon which stock animals were fattened or "battended".

In 1222 a commission of six representatives from each kingdom attempted to fix the border line, and one proposed by the English commissioners more or less equates to that which is shown on Ordnance Survey maps today.

In practice, however, this region was controlled by wardens of the marches who usually held the land in their own right and met at designated sites, such as the Lochmaben Stone to discuss and settle disputes.

In Scotland the Maxwells, Johnstons and Scotts secured the Scottish West March to Gretna and Langholm, and in England the region was controlled from Carlisle.

The commissioners agreed to a compromise demarcation line suggested by the French ambassador, and issued a final declaration that the borderline would run from the Sark to a point on Esk, opposite the house of Fergus Greme; a cross pattee at each end and styled 'this is the least and fynal lyne of the particion concluded xxiiij Septembris 1552.'

[8] Ridpath in 1776 records that "...after some scruples and delays, commissioners appointed by each of the powers, met on the spot, and agreed on a line to be marked by a ditch and march stones.

The tracks between fields were designed to be "narrow and somewhat crooked so that the enemy or thief might be met at corners and annoyed by crossbow or other means.

[8][13] However, the Commissioners stated that they should bear "...a cross pattée at each end and styled 'this is the least and fynal lyne of the particion concluded xxiiij Septembris 1552.'

[17] General Roy's Military Survey of Scotland, undertaken from 1747 to 1752, clearly marks the "Scots Dyke" by that name for the first time, shown as a set of parallel lines running from the Sark to the Esk.

[16] General Roy's Military Survey of Scotland undertaken from 1747 – 1752, indicates both "Craws Know", "English town" and "Scots Dyke"; however, March-dike-foot is not shown by that name.

[20] The 1901 OS marks a dwelling named 'Roamyrigg' at the Sark end of the dike, lying within part of what had been woodland with a boundary marker nearby (now fallen).

Parts of the plantation had been felled recently, but the dense vegetation rendered detailed survey impossible and investigation was limited to surface examination of the dike.

The course of the dike between the western end of Scotsdike Plantation and the River Sark could not be traced on the ground but it was thought that it followed the extant field boundary to the south of Craw's Knowe farm.

The Countrup Sike[25] at NT 8495 2912 is a much reduced bank, 0.2 m high and 2 m wide, running for less than 20 m, virtually along the line of the border in a north-west direction.

It was described as a rout in which the Scots lost and shortly after James V of Scotland died, although he had not been present at the battle in person.