Borders Abbeys Walk - Denholm to Hawick (Part 2)
| Distance | Approximate Time | Height Gain | OS Map |
| 11 kms | varied | 0 metres | OS Explorer: Scottish Borders |
Description
The attractive village of Denholm is centred on its large Green and the monument to John Leyden, poet and oriental scholar. Born in 1775, Leyden exhibited an amazing facility for languages, and eventually mastered or had some knowledge of several dozen. He spent part of his life in the Far East, and died in far distant Batavia in 1811. At the south-west corner of the Green is the Text House, with its enigmatic four-part inscription 'Tak Tent in Time, Ere Time be Tint, All was Others, All will be Others'. Denholm was the birthplace of Sir James Murray (1837-1915), who became editor of the New English Dictionary in 1879 and devoted most of the rest of his life to this massive work.
In Denholm turn left then first right, keeping the Village Green on your left. Follow the road round to the right and then turn left, to cross the bridge spanning the River Teviot. Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left onto the path on the north bank of the Teviot. Follow the path which runs along the floodbank, then for a short distance on to the track on the right. On returning to the floodbank and after crossing two stiles, go up wooden steps and follow the edge of the field along the top of the bank before dropping down onto the minor road. Turn left onto the road and follow it for approximately 1.5km to the cottage at Knowetown. The Borders Abbeys Way ends here and starts again at Hornshole Bridge. You can reach Hornshole Bridge in two ways. Either follow the riverside path by leaving the road (yellow arrow), crossing the footbridge over Hassendean Burn and following the riverbank path, or follow the road as shown on the map. Please respect the privacy of owners if using the riverside path.
On reaching Hornshole Bridge by either route, steps take you back onto the riverbank for a pleasant journey of about 1km to the point where the Boonraw Burn joins the Teviot. Continue straight on along the track which eventually joins the road that leads into Mansfield Road. With the river still on the left, continue along Mansfield Road and before reaching the traffic lights, take the last turning on the right which leads uphill to the Teviotdate Leisure Centre and the end of this section of the Borders Abbeys Way.
The old railway line is an attractive alternative route for the last 1km of the section. To get there turn right at the roundabout by Mansfield Park and climb the steps in the tunnel ahead of you. After the steps turn left to follow the old railway towards the Teviotdale Leisure Centre. To reach Hawick town centre, turn left after the Teviotdale Leisure Centre. In the town centre, the 1514 Horse memorial is one of the bus stops and is also a good place for a photograph. Drumlanrig Tower and the Tourist Information Centre are also in Hawick.
Set in bonnie Teviotdale, Hawick isthe largest of the Border towns and is internationally famous for its fine quality knitwear. You will find big names and small businesses whose products can be bought in the many specialist shops. A textile mill can be seen at Peter Scott's in Buccleuch Street in Hawick. In former times there were many mills along the banks of the Teviot and its tributary streams, notably the Slitrig.
Hawick-born folk are known as Teries from the town's motto 'Ye Teribus y Teriodin', which is thought to derive from an ancient rallying call used in battle. You will find this motto carved on the plinth of the famous Horse Statue at the junction of the roads from Selkirk and Jedburgh.
Access Info
Service 20 between Jedburgh and Hawick (operated jointly by First Edinburgh and Buskers), runs fourteen times a day Monday to Friday, eleven times on Saturday, and four times on Sunday. The journey time between Jedburgh and Hawick is about 25 minutes.
