Stawford

About Stawford

The Stawford crosses the Halterburn from Scotland to England. In the 1500s in times of wars between England and Scotland, this ford often saw the passage of plundering troops. In 1524, for instance, the English troops rode back across Stawford having laid waste to the surrounding borders as far as Cessford. Reiving across the border was continuous in the 1500s, and Stawford was a meeting place where the Wardens of the Middle March (those charged with keeping order on each side of the border) met to settle complaints of violence and theft from the other side. In practice, their meetings were often a chance for shows of force and intimidation. In 1596, the Wardens, accompanied by 600 armed men, 300 on each side, met here, but no justice was done as the English side ‘were so forward to breaches of peace’ that no talking could take place.
Grid Ref: NT 88541 27413