Mertoun
| Mertoun | |
| Berwickshire | |
|---|---|
 Mertoun parish church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT6175231765 |
| Location: | 55°34’40"N, 2°36’27"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 239 |
| Post town: | Melrose |
| Postcode: | TD6 |
| Dialling code: | 01835 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Scottish Borders |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk |
Mertoun is a parish in south-west Berwickshire, adjacent to the border with Roxburghshire, which surrounds it on three sides. The southernmost point of the parish also forms the southernmost point of the county.
The parish is bounded by the Berwickshire parish of Earlston to the north and by the Roxburghshire parishes of Smailholm and Makerstoun to the east; Maxton and St Boswells on the south; and Melrose in the west. Maxton, St Boswells and Melrose lie on the other side of the River Tweed, which forms the southern and western border of the parish.[1][2]
The parish includes the hamlets of Dryburgh and Clintmains, the historically important sites of Dryburgh Abbey, Mertoun House, Mertoun Bridge and Bemersyde House.[3] Also the statue of William Wallace at Bemersyde.
Mertoun Church was erected in 1658 and restored in 1820 and 1898. It stands in a wood near Mertoun House ½ mile south-east of Clintmains. The date 1658 is carved in stone above one of the doors.[2][4] The original church of 1241, not on the same site, was dedicated to St Ninian. For church purposes the parish is united with Maxton and linked with St Boswells and Newtown St Boswells.[5]
The civil parish has an area of 6,377 acres[6] and a population of 309 (in 2011).[7]
References
- ↑ The New Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol. 2, Linlithgow-Haddington-Berwick. Publ William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1845. Article on Mertoun, p. 26
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by, Francis Groome, publ. 1882-4. Article on Mertoun
- ↑ Topographical, Statistical and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, Vol 2, I_-Z, publ by.A. Fullarton and Co., Edinburgh,1853
- ↑ Web site of Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland and its successor Historic Environment Scotland http://canmore.org.uk/site/57277 retrieved March 2016
- ↑ Scotland’s Churches Trust web site https://www.scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/mertoun-parish-church retrieved March 2016
- ↑ Gazetteer of Scotland, publ, by W & AK Johnston, Edinburgh, 1937. Article on Mertoun. Places are presented alphabetically.
- ↑ Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930
