Newtown St Boswells

Newtown St Boswells (Scots: Newtoon; Scottish Gaelic: Baile Ùr Bhoisil[3] [ˈpaləˈuːɾˈvɔʃɪl]) is a village in the historic county of Roxburghshire which houses the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders council area. The village lies south of the Eildon Hills on the Sprouston and Newtown burns,[4] between the larger settlements of St Boswells 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south-east and Melrose 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the north-west.

Newtown St Boswells
Old Station Court, formerly the location of St. Boswells railway station
Newtown St Boswells is located in Scottish Borders
Newtown St Boswells
Newtown St Boswells
Location within the Scottish Borders
Area1.37 km2 (0.53 sq mi) [1]
Population1,470 (mid-2020 est.)[2]
• Density1,073/km2 (2,780/sq mi)
OS grid referenceNT576316
• Edinburgh33 mi (53 km) NW
Civil parish
Community council
  • Newtown and Eildon
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMELROSE
Postcode districtTD6
Dialling code01835
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

History

Newtown St Boswells is an old settlement, well-established by the 16th century. The town has been known at various times as Newtoune, Newtown of Eildon, Neuton and Newtown of Dryburgh. It lies split between the civil parishes of Melrose and St Boswells.

Historically, Newtown St Boswells was a centre for milling grain, with watermills on its burns. It became a regional centre of communication and an exporter of livestock after the opening of its railway station. This importance has declined since the closure of the station in 1969.

Scottish Borders Council Headquarters

Roxburghshire County Council established offices at Newtown St Boswells in 1896, and subsequently moved its meeting place there from Jedburgh in 1930.[5] A large new building was added to the site in 1968.[6] From 1975 to 1996, the offices served as the administrative centre for Borders Regional Council. Since the 1996 the offices have been the headquarters of Scottish Borders Council and known as the Council Headquarters.[7]

Education

The village is served by Newtown Primary School, which is a feeder school to Earlston High School,[8] about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in Earlston. The primary school also has nursery provision for preschool-aged children. A Borders College campus at the southeastern tip of the village specialises in agricultural education.[9]

References
  1. "Mid-2012 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  2. "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  3. Roy Pedersen; Colmcille (2012). 2011 Gaelic Map (PDF) (Map). [1:1,200,000]. Collins Bartholomew Ltd.
  4. Local Development Plan Volume 2 (Report). Scottish Borders Council. 2016. pp. 435–440.
  5. "County Council meeting: Jedburgh meeting place to be abandoned". Hawick News. 19 December 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  6. "Roxburgh County Buildings". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  7. Newtown St Boswells: Overview of Newtown St Boswells
  8. "Schools - Newtown Primary School". Scottish Borders Council. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  9. "Rural Skills". Borders College. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
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