Gordon Community Woodland

An interesting short circular from Melrose to Newstead along the ancient Priorswalk and passed the Rhymer’s Stone.

You follow in the footsteps of the monks along Priorswalk before heading through the old settlement of Newstead. Newstead is, arguably, the oldest inhabited village in Scotland, although the name suggests that it was a “new stead” or farm dating from the early medieval period. The Romans occupied nearby Trimontium intermittently from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The village was the home of the masons who built Melrose Abbey in the early 12th century and Priorswalk was their route between Newstead and the Abbey.
You can also stop for a moment at the Rhymer’s Stone; Thomas Rhymer was spirited away by the fairies according to folklore.

1. From the Abbey car park, turn left down Abbey Street passing the Abbey buildings on the right. Continue onto Annay Road and at the right hand bend, bear left into Chain Bridge Road. Go through the second gate on the right (fingerpost), walk up the field edge and at the gate go right along the riverside path.

2. Follow the path passing behind a wood yard and sewage works. When the wall starts to appear continue on the path between the wall and the field fence. This path was created by Melrose Paths group and opened in 2013. The Battery Dyke was built by the monks to protect their fields ‘haughs’ from flooding. (It is still possible to walk along the top of the wall but it is narrow and can be slippery in wet or cold conditions). Continue on the path through the woodland to a kissing gate, then along the field edge and over a stile to reach the riverside haughs.

3. Follow the river round until the fields narrow and the path continues on a boardwalk over the riverbank. The path then turns away from the river and over a footbridge. Here there is evidence of how the Tweed has changed its course over the centuries. What was formerly a deep pool and eddy is now a meadow, but it still is locally known as The Eddy. Continue on to a track (Eddy Road) into Newstead village.

4. To explore Newstead turn left along Main Street through the village, but be aware that the road is narrow with no pavement. To continue the walk turn right along the road out of the village.

5. At the road junction bear left and take the waymarked path past the stables on towards Melrose. Passing through gates the path continues in front of a small row of houses to the road. Go straight ahead for about 150 metres then take the small tarmac path on the right through woodland, across a stream and then past the Abbey and graveyard to arrive back near the start.


To extend the walk from Point 4, continue on up Main Street through the village, then as follows:
5a. At the top of the village, turn right on Hazeldean Road and then go straight on to a gravel driveway, and immediately bear left along a footpath. At the first path junction, turn left, then left again. Go through a kissing gate and under the subway to another kissing gate. Turn left on the path going up the hill. At the path junction turn right to reach the Rhymer’s Stone and viewpoint on the old ‘Bogleburn Road’ between Melrose and Newtown St Boswells.

6a. Turn right down the road (now closed to through traffic), passing the crematorium and Wairds Cemetery. This was a joint burial ground for Melrose and Newtown St Boswells and contains the grave of Ned Haig, the originator of seven-a-side rugby. At the end of the road, carefully cross the bypass at the crossing point provided, then follow the High Road back towards the Market Square through the East Port, the historic eastern entrance gate to the town. Head right down Abbey Street back to the start point.