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Smailholm

Parishes in RoxburghshireVillages in the Scottish Borders
Cottages at Smailholm
Cottages at Smailholm

Smailholm (Scots: Smailhowm) is a small village in the historic county of Roxburghshire in south-east Scotland. It is at grid reference NT648364 and straddles the B6397 Gordon to Kelso road. The village is almost equidistant from both, standing 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the abbey town of Kelso. Since local government reorganisation in Scotland in the early 1970s, Smailholm has been part of the Scottish Borders Council.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Smailholm (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 55.616666666667 ° E -2.5666666666667 °
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TD5 7PJ
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Cottages at Smailholm
Cottages at Smailholm
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Mertoun
Mertoun

Mertoun is a parish in the south-west of the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Together with the parish of Maxton, Roxburghshire it forms the Maxton and Mertoun Community Council area. It was included in the former Ettrick and Lauderdale District of Borders Region, by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, from 1975 to 1996. The parish is bounded by the Berwickshire parish of Earlston to the north and by the Roxburghshire parishes of Smailholm and Makerstoun to the east, Maxton and St Boswells on the south and Melrose in the west. Maxton, St. Boswell's and Melrose lie on the other side of the River Tweed, which forms the southern and western border of the parish.The parish includes the hamlets of Dryburgh and Clintmains, the historically important sites of Dryburgh Abbey, Mertoun House, Mertoun Bridge and Bemersyde House. Also the statue of William Wallace at Bemersyde. Mertoun Church was erected in 1658 and restored in 1820 and 1898. It stands in a wood near Mertoun House ½ mile south-east of Clintmains. The date 1658 is carved in stone above one of the doors. For church purposes the parish is united with Maxton and linked with St Boswells and Newtown St Boswells.The original church of 1241, not on the same site, was dedicated to St Ninian. Robert Haig of Bemersyde built himself a stall or "laird's loft" in the old church in 1594. His neighbours, the Kers of Shaws and Dalcowie, took offence and dismantled it. A Parochial Board was established under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845. With the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 the Parish Council was established. Civil parishes in Scotland, as units of local government, were abolished in 1929 but have been used later for census and other purposes. The civil parish has an area of 6377 acres and a population of 309 (in 2011).

Nenthorn
Nenthorn

Nenthorn is a parish and hamlet in the south of the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is included in the Floors, Makerstoun, Nenthorn and Smailholm Community Council area, which also includes the parishes of Makerstoun and Smailholm. It was included in the former Roxburgh District of Borders Region, by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, from 1975 to 1996. The parish is bounded by the Berwickshire parishes of Earlston to the west and Hume to the north; then by the Roxburghshire parishes of Stichill and Ednam to the east, Kelso on the south; and Smailholm on the west. Its length from east to west is 4.5 miles (7.2 km), while its breadth varies between 0.25 miles (0.40 km) and 2 miles (3.2 km), there being a narrow neck of land where the Nenthorn portion of the parish in the west joins the Newton portion in the east.The Eden Water, which flows in from the north, runs 1.75 miles (2.82 km) along the western boundary, sharply bends and runs 2.25 miles (3.62 km) along the southern boundary, crosses the parish at its narrow neck in the middle, then runs 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along the northern boundary, then runs 0.5 miles (0.80 km) inside the parish before flowing into Ednam parish. Ednam (formerly Edenham), which is named after this river, originally included Nenthorn and thus old Edenham parish traversed the Eden valley from Mellerstain to the river's exit into the Tweed.Anciently called Naithansthirn, the name of the parish appears to be a joining of the name Naithan with a physical object, probably some rocks in the parish called thirn. This name may be the same as that occurring in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire. In 1105 the chapels of Nathansthirn and Newton were recorded as being within Ednam parish, while the area was in the possession of the De Morevilles of Lauderdale. During that period the manors of Nathansthirn and Newton were formed, following which the parish of Nathansthirn appears to have been created during the 13th century composed of these two manors. The chapel of Nathansthirn was then upgraded to become a parish church, while that of Newton continued as a chapel.Nenthorn House, the seat of the laird of Nenthorn, was built from 1862, as a replacing an older mansion. It is a three-storey building in Jacoobean style, whose architect is reputed to be Thomas Leadbetter of Edinburgh.Newton Don, the seat of the laird of the eastern part of the parish, namely Newton, is a three-storey house neoclassical mansion designed by Robert Adam, dating from 18th century, considerably altered 1815–1820. It overlooks Eden Water and, its surroundings were landscaped in the early 19th century with large areas of lawn, and planned woodland. Nenthorn Church was erected in 1802, replacing an older church near Nenthorn House. south-west of the village. It is in Gothic style including elements characteristic of medieval churches, with a belfry on the western side. The lairds of Nenthorn and Newton Don (the two estates which made up the parish) each had an upstairs gallery themselves. After 1945, the parish of Nenthorn was united for church purposes with the parishes of Stichill and Hume, which had themselves been united since 1605. Hume church was closed in 1640 and now, since 1974 Nenthorn church has also closed. Stichill church is still operational. Nethorn church was converted to a private residence and sold in 1980–81.Meanwhile, Makerstoun and Smailholm parishes were linked with Stichill-Hume-Nenthorn in 1975, with Roxburgh parish joining in 2001. As it was impracticable to continue using the names of all six parishes in every official reference to the united parish, the name Kelso Country Churches was adopted for the ecclesiastical parish in 2006.A Parochial Board was established under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845. With the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 the Parish Council was established. Civil parishes in Scotland, as units of local government, were abolished in 1929 but have been used later for census and other purposes. The civil parish has an area of 3,443 acres (1,393 ha) and a population of 168 (in 2011).