- Newtown St Boswells
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Part of the Scottish Borders council offices at Newtown St Boswells
Newtown St. Boswells (Scottish Gaelic: Baile Ùr Chille Bhoisil) is a village on the Bowden Burn, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders Council. It is part of a ribbon of settlements running between the A7 and A68 roads, which also includes Galashiels, Melrose, and St Boswells.
Contents
The past
Despite its name sounding like a 1950s overspill development, Newtown St. Boswells is actually a very old settlement, being well-established by the 16th century. The town has been known at various times as Newtoune, Newtown of Eildon, Neuton and Newtown of Dryburgh.
Historically, Newtown St Boswells was a centre for milling grain, with watermills on its burns). It became a regional centre of communication and an exporter of livestock after the opening of its railway station. This importance has declined since the closure of the station in 1969.
Present and future
A large auction mart has the main presence of the centre of the town although this could soon change. A new site, on the other side of the bypass has been earmarked for a new multi-million pound mart and visitor centre creating one of the biggest auction-marts in Scotland. This move would make way for a sizeable residential development on the former site, and it would be part of the controversial 900 house expansion of Newtown to serve as a commuter town for the Waverley Railway. Upon completion, it will terminate in nearby Tweedbank which will connect the Central Borders to Edinburgh.
See also
External links
Coordinates: 55°34′36″N 2°40′23″W / 55.57667°N 2.67306°W
Categories:- Towns in the Scottish Borders
- Scottish Borders geography stubs
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