Newcastleton, General

A 'pant' is a public well or fountain generally covered with a stone or metal lid. The Newcastleton well in Douglas Square is a small stone structure with a domed top-a type uncommon in Scotland, though reminiscent of the larger well-heads in Edinburgh's Royal Mile and Grassmarket and the village pump at Oldhamstocks (NT 739705).

Newcastleton is an attractive, classic estate village, founded in 1793 by the third Duke of Buccleuch to house hand-loom weavers. It consists of a long main street, with Douglas Square as its modest centrepiece. Here, in addition to the well, are two-storey houses and the war-memorial. At each and of the street are two smaller squares- North and South Hermitage Square- with mainly one and one-and-a-half storey houses; and a parallel street, built up on one side only, faces the Liddel Water. The first house to be finished (44 North Hermitage Street) is dated 1793, with the initials of Francis Ballantyne carved into the entrance lintel. A characteristic feature of many of the houses was a large front window to light the loom.

A kilometre or two south of Newcastle ton, Milnholm or Millom Cross (NY 768(1) is said, traditionally, to have been erected c 1320 following the murder of Alexander Armstrong of Mangerton at Hermitage Castle. It is said that those bearing his body rested there on the way to Ettleton churchyard-at the top of the side road beside the cross. The churchyard (NY 4728(3) contains interesting early tombstones and cross-shaft fragments, as well as a curious mid 19th century memorial to William Armstrong of Sorbytrees "shot without challenge or warning in 1851 by the

Revd. ]oseph Smith, incumbent of Wait on, Cumberland"! There is a fine outlook along and across the Liddel Water.

Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).

Visibility: Standing structure or monument.

Information from Scottish Borders Council