Bonchester Bridge

Bonchester Bridge (Scots Binster Brig) is a village in Roxburghshire, within the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, lying on the Rule Water, six miles away from the market town of Hawick.[1]

Bonchester Bridge

Bonchester Bridge
Bonchester Bridge
Location within the Scottish Borders
LanguageEnglish
Scots (Southern Scots)
OS grid referenceNT586119
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHAWICK
Postcode districtTD9
Dialling code01450
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

History

The name of the town is said to be Roman being devised from the term "Bona Castra" meaning "good camp"[1] and on nearby Bonchester Hill 322 metres (1,056 ft) to the east of the village, rises to 322m and it is topped by a hill fort.[2][3]

In 1701 the town's coaching inn "The Horse and Hounds" was opened, although the building there today dates from rebuilding over 100 years later by James Chisholme. The bridge in the name dates from the 19th century when a toll road was constructed from the pass over the Cheviots in England at Carter Bar and the market town of Hawick which is six miles away.[1]

At the turn on the 19th century James Pearson Alison designed nearby Jedburgh Town Hall[4] and the William Laidlaw Memorial Hall for Bonchester Bridge. It was a gift to Bonchester Bridge from his father Sir Robert Laidlaw.[1]

During the second world war, Hallrule Hall of Bonchester Bridge became the temporary home of St George's School, Edinburgh from 1939 to 1942.[5]

The memorial hall is managed locally, seats 120 people, and it was renovated in 2000.[6]

Today

In 2010 the Bonchester Bridge community formed Bonchester Brass, the village brass band, to serve its annual civic, religious and historical events. Bonchester Bridge was home to Hobkirk Primary School, but it closed in 2015 when its student roll fell to zero.[7]

The Jersey cow's milk Protected designation of origin Bonchester cheese[8] takes its name from the village.

See also
  • RCAHMS: Earthworks at Bonchester Hill
  • Historic Environment Scotland. "Bonchester Bridge (55312)". Canmore.
  • SCRAN Images of Bonchester Bridge

References
  1. Redpath, Alastair M. (15 May 2014). Hawick Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-3926-0.
  2. "Bonchester Bridge". Visit Scotland. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  3. "Moves under way to confirm closures of Hobkirk and Ettrick primary schools". www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  4. "Jedburgh, Abbey Place, Public Hall | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  5. "Our School's History - St George's Independent Day & Boarding School". www.stge.org.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  6. "William Laidlaw Memorial Hall - The Hall". bonchesterhall.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  7. "Moves under way to confirm closures of Hobkirk and Ettrick primary schools". www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. "Press corner". European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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