Torwoodlee House, Gate Piers

The Borders Railway Project proposals are to reinstate the Newcraighall to Tweedbank section of the former Waverley Line. The reinstated railway line will be approximately 48km long and the majority of the route will use the existing railway embankment.

Several field surveys, archaeological evaluations and standing building surveys were undertaken by CFA Archaeology from April 2009 until February 2015.

CFA Archaeology

NT 4564 4454 Stow Station was built in the Victorian revivalist style and occupies roughly a Z-shaped plan with an assortment of 20th-century additions attached to its E and W-facing external elevations. The building is constructed of snecked sandstone and has ashlar dressings. The S-facing elevation incorporates a pedimented arch with pilasters. Historical photographs show that the arch housed the station clock. The interior of the building has been refurbished to suit the needs of 20th-century living, and there are no surviving period features associated with its former use as a ticket office and station masters house.

NT 4772 3858 The Torwoodlee gate piers are located on a minor trackway leading from the N to the Torwoodlee mansion house. The piers were hewn from single blocks of sandstone and are probably of mid-19th-century date.

NT 51572 35251 A Level 1 survey was carried out on the Category B Galafoot (Redbridge) Railway Viaduct located to the E of Galashiels. The viaduct was constructed in c1849 to cross the River Tweed for the North British Railway and formed the first part of the Waverley Railway Line from Edinburgh to Carlisle. Also known as the Tweed or Redbridge Viaduct, it is constructed of squared sandstone rubble with ashlar voussoirs on its segmental arches. The piers consist of rusticated sandstone with boat-shaped cutwaters on the upstream and downstream sides. The parapet is constructed of sandstone with ashlar copings. The viaduct is approached along embankments on both sides of the river. The 1972 OS map shows a massive stone abutment to the W of the stream, while the viaduct also crosses a track to the E of the river. The Waverley Railway, which closed to regular passenger traffic on 6 January 1969 and much of the route in Midlothian, currently forms part of a cycle track.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended). Report: Scottish Borders HER and RCAHMS

Funder: ERM Ltd on behalf of Transport Scotland

Stuart Mitchell, Graeme Carruthers, Mike Cressey - CFA Archaeology Ltd, 2013

(Source: DES)

Three individual archaeological standing building recording surveys were carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd (CFA) between October and November 2011. The work was undertaken in advance of the construction of the

Borders Railway Project. The work was requested by the Scottish Borders Council Archaeologist and is detailed in the Cultural Heritage Management Plan (Jones & Neighbour 2010) for the development. Site numbers relate to study specific numbers from the Environmental Statement.

The three sites that were subjected to a standing building survey were:

Langhaugh Mill Complex, Galashiels, (Site 417) (NGR NT 49763583)

Station House, Stow, (Site 204) (NGR NT 45644454)

Torwoodlee Gate Piers, (Site 509) (NGR NT47723858)

Information from Oasis (cfaarcha1-119211) 20 August 2012