Ralph Cox•Follow

September 17, 2022

Corner to Corner, Day 48: Galashiels to Berwick-upon-Tweed

https://www.cycling4charity.org.uk Good route. Craggy sections soon followed by smooth roads.

Conservatory bike store at Kingknowles Hotel, Galashiels. Conservatory bike store at Kingknowles Hotel, Galashiels. From the Can ore entry: "... The very fine Mackenzie and Moncur conservatory appears to be contemporary with the house and remains largely unaltered. ..." https://canmore.org.uk/site/99759/galashiels-kingsknowe-drive-kingsknowes-hotel

Kingknowles Hotel. Good service from staff with pride in their work. From the Canmore entry: "This fine baronial mansion was commissioned by the [textile] mill owner Adam Lees Cochrane of Netherdale Mill to be built on the high ground overlooking his mill in the valley to the Northeast [in Dale Street, on the bank of Gala Water] and Abbotsford to the South [on the other side of the River Tweed]. William Hay, later of Hay and Henderson, designed the red sandstone house 1868-9 with an enthusiastic approach to style incorporating Gothic, French and Scottish details..." https://canmore.org.uk/site/99759/galashiels-kingsknowe-drive-kingsknowes-hotel & https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB31983

Our route from the hotel, just a little to the right of the steps via which Lorraine approached it . Our approach road went under the A6091 by which we left.

River Tweed from the Galafoot Bridge taking the A6091 over it https://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/boleside.html

We met a couple at Tweedbank railway station looking for Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford House and elected to add this to our itinerary. I should have followed Lorraine, today's leader, and instead went a long way there. There being an entry charge, we climbed a hill for the best free view, having explored a walk trail round the other side. Had we known, we could have looked from the hotel grounds. The Canmore entry includes many internal and external photos: https://www.scottsabbotsford.com & https://canmore.org.uk/site/55750/abbotsford-house

We saw a painting of The Three Sisters in the bistro restaurant at the hotel last evening. Here are two of them, viewed to our right/south from the :B6360 on the north side of the River Tweed (l>r): 1325ft/404m Eildon Hill North and further south: 1385ft/422m Eildon Mid Hill. Out of sight behind that is 1217ft/371m Eildon Wester Hill. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/eildon-hills.shtml

View of Eildon Hill North across the high-banked River Tweed, between Gattonside and Leaderfoot

Curious what the structure on the hill to our south is - searching OS maps and Google Maps' Streetview has not shed light. Near the site of Trimontium Roman fort. https://www.trimontium.co.uk

This monument appears for miles between Redpath and Eccles Newton. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_Monument

This is our new un-named road to the right, south from the B6360 at Brotherstone. The 150ft Waterloo Monument, 9 miles south near Ancrum, is on the horizon slightly to the left of the road.

Waterloo Monument, 9 miles south, visible from the Brotherstone T-Junction where we turned right down this road from the B6360.

Looking east north east along the B6360 from the junction, with another dark structure, Smailholm Tower, visible on a hill top..

Smailholm Tower was built as a tall fortified home in a larger estate. The Canmore entry includes photos of what remains and what it probably looked like. It was attached by cattle raiders in the mid-1540s. In later years, the family of Sir Walter Scott of Abottsford House used it. It was visible on our route for miles from Redpath to near Makerstoun. https://canmore.org.uk/site/57231/smailholm-tower

View south/to our right of Waterloo Monument from the B6406 after Maidenhall.

Looking back up the un-named Route 1 road from where the T-junction with the B6404 to Smailholm Tower.

With telephoto lens

0:22

Looking straight west: The Three (Eildon) Sisters as in the painting at the Kingsknowes bistro last night.

Smailholm Tower from the un-named road to East Dalcove, after turning left from Millfield.

Makerstoun's 1808 parish church. We met another long distance cyclist at this spot. I think he was carrying a bit more than us. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makerstoun & https://www.kelsocountrychurches.org.uk/about/makerstoun/

I was curious about the weight distribution on his mountain bike, which was fitted with front wheel panniers and I recall some type of light system. He warned us to observe the diversion signs and not go through Norman then Horncliffe for the Union Chain Bridge which was and in still closed for renovation. http://unionchainbridge.org

Thomson's Monument on the right of the B6461. I stopped and spoke with a gentleman sitting reading a newspaper by a house in the Sydenham House driveway. He told me what it was. https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst18606.html

1774 Eccles parish church. https://www.coldstreamdistrictchurches.org.uk/Groups/347289/History.aspx & https://canmore.org.uk/site/58538/eccles-parish-church

Skaithmuir Toll, former toll house, on the A6112. I think it was somewhere before this we met a spread-out group of Newcastle lads who had been battling their way against the wind towards Edinburgh for 2 days. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2028725

Lumber neatly piled outside the grand 1799 West Lodge of Ladykirk House on the B6437, with a lion on top. https://canmore.org.uk/site/59528/ladykirk-house-west-lodge

1887 Jubilee Fountain on the north west corner of the B6470 and NCN Route 1 crossroads. Our Komoot route would have us turn right here for Norman then Horncliffe in order to cross the Union Chain Bridge, but the diversion was via Ladykirk. https://www.fabulousfollies.net/borders.html

Ladykirk parish church, started in late 1400s, completed in 1700s.Originally all stone, even the pews. Now sold. More photos in Canmore entry: https://canmore.org.uk/site/59525/ladykirk-parish-church

The plaque includes a link to the website about the 1513 Battle of Flodden, indicating the church is site 8 in its eco- museum: https://www.flodden1513.com/places/local/ladykirk-church

Route 1 was diverted from Norham (England), its castle, its St Cuthbert's < https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norham > and the Union Chain Bridge
< https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Chain_Bridge > & < http://unionchainbridge.org > because work on the bridge commenced in October 2020. This was due to be completed in September 2022 and was in April 2023: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-65274771 >. Whilst we added two miles to visit Abbotsford, the diversion shortened our day by the same.