Bassendean, Scottish Borders
Encyclopedia
Bassendean is located in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Westruther
and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north-west of Gordon. It is by the Eden Water
in the fomer Berwickshire
, immediately south of the hamlet of Houndslow
.
The medieval village of Bassendean declined in the 17th century, and only a ruined church now remains of the settlement. The church, dedicated to St Mary, was established in the 12th century. Disused after the Scottish Reformation
, it was rebuilt in 1647, but was replaced only two years later by a new church at Westruther. It subsequently became the burial ground for the Homes of Bassendean.
Bassendean House has been the seat of the Homes
of Bassendean since 1583. Only a fragment of the original tower house
remains, although the 17th-century house is still in domestic occupation. The house and the ruins of the church are both protected as Category B listed buildings.
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Westruther
Westruther
Westruther is a village on the B6468, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the lower slopes of the Lammermuir Hills, in the former Berwickshire. The largest town nearby is Gordon....
and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north-west of Gordon. It is by the Eden Water
Eden Water
Eden Water is a tributary of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. "Water" is the Lowland Scots term for a small river.The Eden Burn rises to the east of Lauder at Corsbie Moor. The Eden Water passes Bassendean village and Bassendean House and the hamlets of Fawside and Mack's...
in the fomer Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, immediately south of the hamlet of Houndslow
Houndslow
Houndslow is a hamlet in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is situated on the A697, about west of Greenlaw, and north-east of Gordon. It has a population of approximately 30. Immediately to the south is the former village of Bassendean, with the 17th-century Bassendean House.-External...
.
The medieval village of Bassendean declined in the 17th century, and only a ruined church now remains of the settlement. The church, dedicated to St Mary, was established in the 12th century. Disused after the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
, it was rebuilt in 1647, but was replaced only two years later by a new church at Westruther. It subsequently became the burial ground for the Homes of Bassendean.
Bassendean House has been the seat of the Homes
Clan Home
The Homes are a Scottish family. They were a powerful force in medieval Lothian and the Borders. The chief of the name is David Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home.-Origins of the clan:...
of Bassendean since 1583. Only a fragment of the original tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
remains, although the 17th-century house is still in domestic occupation. The house and the ruins of the church are both protected as Category B listed buildings.