St Boswells

About St Boswells

St Boswells is a a small village on the south side of the River Tweed. The village is well known for being on the walking route of St Cuthbert's Way. This long distance footpath links Melrose Abbey to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

The village was originally called Lessudden, said to mean"the meadow by the sloping pasture". The current name of St Boswells holds its origins with St Boisil, an abbot at Melrose Abbey

St Boswells is said to be home to the largest village green in Scotland, with the 40acre stretch giving the area a nice natural feel. The Green is the venue for an annual fair held each year on July 18th. Dating back to the 1600s it was originally a sheep fair but has now expanded to other animals, primarily horses, with over 1000 being offered for sale each year in the early 1900s. It is even said that this was such an exciting affair that the author James Hogg declined an invitation to the Coronation of King George IV in 1820 after discovering that traveling to London would mean missing the fair.