Ladykirk and Swinton are the heart if the Merse – one of the best
agricultural areas in Scotland. (The name "Merse" means low flat land; but
the Oxford English Dictionary continues….."The Merse – the district between
the Lammermuirs and the Tweed").
The Community Council area comprises the village of Swinton (Pop. 255 per
1991 census) plus the small settlements of Ladykirk, Upsettlington, Horndean
and Simprim.
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Swinton Hall |
Swinton
The largest settlement in the area is an early example of a planned
village. The village, claimed to be "Queen o' the Merse" has a picturesque
village green with a monument in the middle of the football pitch. This
"12th Man" as it is affectionately known is said by some to be a memorial to
the last wild boar killed in the Merse but others will maintain that it is
in fact a Market Cross. |
The annual "Queen o' The Merse" Festival and Gala day takes place on the
village green around the 3rd Saturday in June.
Facilities in the village include a Primary School, large village hall,
church, Post Office, Hotel and village shop.
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Ladykirk
A small village/farm settlement which sits on the northern bank of the Tweed
overlooking the English village of Norham. The 16th century church with its
unusual stone roof is well worth a visit. There was in fact a primary school
in the village but this closed in the early sixties and the pupils
transferred to Swinton. |
Ladykirk Church |
Horndean – A delightful little hamlet one mile north of Ladykirk. There was
a public house here until 1945/46 when it finally closed after the nearby
Winfield aerodrome, a war-time R.A.F. training station, closed.
Simprim – Like Horndean, was once a parish on its own and had the
distinction of being the smallest parish in Scotland (about 2 miles long by
3 fields wide). It also had one of the smallest kirk buildings in Scotland
(22 feet by 13 feet), the remains of which can still be seen beside the
road. |
Sites of Historical Interest
Ladykirk Church (formerly known as The Kirk of Our Lady of the Steill)
– King James IV of Scotland was nearly drowned crossing the ford over the
Tweed which is just below the church. He vowed to build a church in memory
of the Blessed Virgin of the Steill who had saved him. (A steill is a deep
pool where salmon nets are placed). His vow also stated that the church
should be one that could not be destroyed by either fire or flood, thinking,
no doubt, of the many cross border burning raids and frequent floods of the
Tweed valley. By 5th March 1500 building had commenced on the site 120 feet
above the river and the whole structure, including the unusual roof and even
the pews (these were not replaced with wooden ones until1861) were
constructed in stone from Swinton quarry. The cost was about £1,200 which in
today’s terms is at least £1.5 million! The king came often to see how the
church was progressing – in 1501, twice in 1505, in 1507 and before the
ill-fated Flodden in 1513. He was present at a service in 1505 and gave 14/-
(70p) as an offering.
It is possible that when the kirk was originally built that the tower was
used as a watch tower as it commands a great view not only of the ford
across the Tweed, but also of Norham Castle. Across the ford came many
famous people – Malcolm IV, Robert the Bruce, William the Conqueror, Edward
1, Queen Mary of Lorraine, John Knox, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Walter Scott, and
also Sir Robert Carey, who in 1603 rushed north to proclaim James IV’s
great-grandson, James VI, King of England as well as Scotland. |
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Swinton Church |
Swinton Church – Swinton would provide a refuge or overnight stay for
weary Christian travellers from the 7th century onwards. The long narrow
shape of the building is reminiscent of a Celtic church of that period
(although the first written record of a kirk on this spot is not until
1098). As the church had to be strongly built to withstand raids from across
the border the walls from these early days are over three feet thick.
Swinton like much of the Merse paid a heavy toll for its position only three
miles from the border. The kirk was used as a place of refuge for in 1482 it
was burned by the English Army under the Duke of Gloucester, and in 1542 it
was defended and lives were lost by both defenders and attackers. |
The bell (one of the oldest in Scotland) although actually called "Mary” is
affectionately known as the "Flodden Bell” as it was rung in 1513 to sound
the death at the battle of Flodden not only of King James IV but also of so
many of Scotland’s finest men and of a whole nation’s hopes. Around the bell
are the words:- "MARIA EST NOMEN MEUM, 1499" (Mary is my name, 1499).
The effigy of the "Swinton Knight” – Sir Alan Swinton, who died about 1200
can be seen behind the pulpit on the south wall. This is probably the oldest
effigy in Scotland and above it can be seen the Arms of the Swinton family –
three boar’s heads. The stone coat of arms above the gallery door is
believed to be the oldest stone coat of arms in Britain. These are two of
the many links with the Swinton family, whose family tree, shown in the kirk,
is one of the longest recorded family trees in Britain (going back some 1200
years),
Over the year many alterations and additions were made to Swinton Church the
last being in 1910 when the roof was raised, the windows heightened, a
parquet floor introduced and new pews and pulpit were installed. The pulpit
was a gift from the Swinton family and was carved by the Kensington School
of Art. The Architect was Robert Lorimer, who later became famous as the
architect of the Scottish National Shrine in Edinburgh Castle, where the
inner walls are carved in stone from Swinton quarry. |
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Swinton Village Hall – This large building in the middle of the
village was originally the "Free Kirk” and was erected in 1860. It had a
very handsome spire which could be seen from all around the Eastern Borders
but sadly the top of the spire had to be removed in the interests of safety.
The two churches in Swinton re-united in 1932 and thereafter the building
eventually re-opened as one of the largest village halls in the area. |
Key Issues Facing the Community
The key issues facing this community are the same as any other community in
the area:-
- Low Pay – Scottish Borders is one of the
lowest paid regions in the U.K
- Lack of affordable housing for first time
buyers – properties coming on to the market are likely to be snapped up by
"incomers” either as holiday homes or as a place to retire to.
Local Projects
At present, the only ongoing Community Council project is the erection of
stone plaques at the four entrances to Swinton village. It was hoped that
these would have been erected in 2000 but problems obtaining good quality
stone from Swinton quarry has lead to various delays. However the plaques
have now been carved and should hopefully be erected very shortly.
The Community Council consists of a maximum of 9 Members (6 from Swinton & 3
from Ladykirk). Until recently we had six Swinton members and one from
Ladykirk but two Swinton members have now resigned.
We are currently looking to co-opt at least two new members. Please
click here for a
list of current members.
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Looking East |
View across green towards the Wheatsheaf |
View across green towards potting shed |
Horndean |
View from England |
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What's On |
| No events for this month. |
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Clubs & Societies |
| None currently registered. |
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