Stow, Scottish Borders
Encyclopedia
Stow of Wedale, or simply Stow, is a village
in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
, seven miles north of Galashiels
. Population 620 (2004).
, a battle fought there by King Arthur
. Wedale itself is an old name for the vale of the Gala Water
, first attested in the 12th century.
on 3 November 1242. The church used today, St Mary of Wedale, was built in 1876 and features a 140 foot high clock tower
. Our Lady's Well is situated a mile south of the village and was rebuilt in 2000.
A rare example of a packhorse bridge
, built in the 1650s, can be found in Stow. Stow was an important place in the wool
len and agricultural
industries in the 19th century.
In 1870, James Thin
purchased a plot of land in the village and had a house built which was completed in 1873 and was named Ashlea. This house is still a private residence but is not owned by the Thin family.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Scottish Borders
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...
, seven miles north of Galashiels
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
. Population 620 (2004).
The name
The name "Stow" is thought to be derived from an Anglic word meaning either "holy place" or "fort" whilst "Wedale" is thought to be derived from the words "Wiche" meaning shrine and "Dahl" meaning valley. Another explanation is that "Wedale" means "Dale of Woe" commemorating, according to local folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, a battle fought there by King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. Wedale itself is an old name for the vale of the Gala Water
Gala Water
The Gala Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland and a tributary of the River Tweed. It is sometimes known as the "Gala", which nickname is also shared with Galashiels, which it flows through. The "Braw Lads O Gala Watter" is a song about people from Galashiels.-Gallery:...
, first attested in the 12th century.
The church
There has been a church at Stow since the 7th century, but the earliest example still visible today was built in the late 15th century on the site of the Church of St Mary which was consecratedConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 3 November 1242. The church used today, St Mary of Wedale, was built in 1876 and features a 140 foot high clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
. Our Lady's Well is situated a mile south of the village and was rebuilt in 2000.
A rare example of a packhorse bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
, built in the 1650s, can be found in Stow. Stow was an important place in the wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
len and agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
industries in the 19th century.
In 1870, James Thin
James Thin
James Thin was, until 2002, the principal academic bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, with its main premises near the University of Edinburgh in Infirmary Street. It also had branches in other cities, including Perth and Dundee....
purchased a plot of land in the village and had a house built which was completed in 1873 and was named Ashlea. This house is still a private residence but is not owned by the Thin family.
See also
- AddinstonAddinstonAddinston is a farming village, off the A697, close to the Carfraemill roundabout, with two hill forts and settlements, in Lauderdale in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Berwickshire....
, CarcantCarcantCarcant is a small settlement and a wind farm, near Heriot, Scottish Borders in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.The placename derives from carcanet, charchant, karkant, meaning "a collar of jewels" or "an iron collar". William Shakespeare uses the phrase 'Jewels in the carcanet'.A famous... - List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
- Stow railway stationStow railway stationStow railway station is to serve the village of Stow of Wedale in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It is to be reopened as part of the Waverley Line between Edinburgh and Tweedbank, just beyond Galashiels.-History:...