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Jedburgh Castle

Jedburgh Castle was demolished in the 15th century, and is now the site of Jedburgh Castle Jail and Museum.

Although nothing now remains of Jedburgh Castle, it’s easy to see why this spot was chosen. With a commanding view over the surrounding countryside, the castle would have dominated the town, standing on an earthen mound at the top of Jedburgh’s main street (the High Street, becoming Castle Gate as it climbs the hill).

The first castle at Jedburgh is thought to have been a wooden motte and bailey structure built in the first half of the 12th century by David I. A royal castle, it was the place of death of David’s grandson and successor Malcolm IV in 1165.

In 1174 the next king, William I, Malcolm’s brother, was captured by the English at the Battle of Alnwick. To secure his release the Scots signed the Treaty of Falaise which gave the English possession of the castles of Roxburgh, Berwick, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling.

In 1189 the castle returned to Scottish hands when Richard the Lionheart terminated the agreement in return for 10,000 silver marks. However over the next couple of centuries the castle changed hands several times as a result of border wars between Scotland and England, and in 1409 Jedburgh Castle, by now a stone structure, was demolished by the Scots under Sir James Douglas of Balvenie, the 7th Earl of Douglas, to prevent it being occupied again by the English.

The site was later used for Jedburgh’s gallows, and later still became overgrown with trees. In 1823 the last remains of the castle were removed and a jail was built. This operated until 1886, and it is now run as Jedburgh Castle Jail and Museum.

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Where is Jedburgh Castle?

Jedburgh Castle is in the parish of Jedburgh and the county of Roxburghshire.

Grid reference: NT 64761 20184

Lat / long: 55.474211, -2.558952

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Jedburgh Castle

OS map OL16
The Cheviot Hills (Jedburgh & Wooler)
OS Explorer map OL16


Directions to Jedburgh Castle

Enter a starting point

Weather at Jedburgh Castle

15°C
max 15°C / min 15°C
5km/h WSW
1026mb
83%
100%
03:27 20:55

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Jedburgh at 20:56

References (books)

The Scots Peerage (Volume 3)
James Balfour Paul
Edinburgh, 1906

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
Wikipedia

Castles near Jedburgh Castle

Dabie's Tower (site of)

0.3km away

St Ninian's Tower (site of)

0.4km away

Kirk Wynd Tower (site of)

0.4km away

Ladfield's Tower (site of)

0.5km away

Moscrope's Tower (site of)

0.5km away

Queen Mary's House

0.6km away

Pyle's Walls

0.8km away

Stone Hill (site of)

0.9km away

Hundalee Tower

1.5km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Jedburgh Castle

Littledean fort

11.2km away

Eildon Hill North fort

15.6km away

Newstead (site of) souterrains

15.9km away

Brothers' Stones standing stone

16.1km away

Earlston standing stone

20.2km away

The Dod souterrain

22.5km away

Torwoodlee broch and fort

25.8km away

Ninestane Rig stone circle

26.3km away

Bow Castle broch

28.5km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Jedburgh Castle

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

21.8km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

65.9km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

65.9km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

66.6km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

82.6km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

82.6km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

82.8km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

82.8km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

84.1km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Jedburgh Castle

Whitlaw silver chain

31.4km away

Hoardweel silver chain

42.2km away

Haddington silver chain

54.9km away

Traprain Law silver chain

55.0km away

Borland silver chain

64.1km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

66.0km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

83.4km away

Norrie's Law hoard

90.3km away

Dunnicaer fort

166.0km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Jedburgh Castle

Larkhall Burn luxury cottages
self-catering cottagesJedburgh
0.4km away
The Spread Eagle Hotel
hotelJedburgh
0.5km away
Jedforest Hotel
hotelJedburgh
5.0km away
The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course
hotelRoxburgh
10.5km away
The Buccleuch Arms Hotel
hotelSt Boswells
12.1km away
Melrose SYHA Hostel
hostelMelrose
16.9km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
17.1km away
Plough Hotel
hotelTown Yetholm
19.3km away
The Farmhouse at Yetholm Mill
hotelTown Yetholm
19.4km away
Kirk Yetholm SYHA Hostel
hostelKirk Yetholm
19.6km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Jedburgh Castle

Johnstons of Elgin Eastmill Café
caféHawick
14.7km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
15.4km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
15.9km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
17.1km away
Selkirk Deli
caféSelkirk
19.6km away
Baxters Selkirk
caféSelkirk
19.7km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
20.8km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
26.9km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
27.4km away
Saffron
restaurantInnerleithen
35.7km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
Dunbar harbour and castle
Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 25th of May 2010 at 4:59 pm. Updated on the 25th of May 2014 at 4:25 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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