Newstead, Scottish Borders
in undefined, United KingdomCategory: Attraction
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A6091, Melrose TD6, UK Print route »
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Newstead is a village in the Scottish Borders, just east of Melrose. It has a population of approximately 260, according to the 2001 census.
It is reputedly the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Scotland. As there were undoubtedly buildings, inhabited by the locals who provided for the needs of the soldiers when the Romans were there, and that the people who remained when the Romans went back south continued to live there, and that a population is recorded there from 650AD onwards, until the present day, then this statement is probably true. The stonemasons and architects and other tradesmen who built Melrose Abbey were lodged there. In 1905 it was the site of a discovery of a very rare Roman helmet.
It is situated in the valley of the River Tweed, at a crossing point for the Roman Dere Street. Newstead was of great strategic importance throughout history. This was principally due to the proximity of the prominent Eildon Hill. Former inhabitants include: the ancient Selgovae; the Roman army at Trimontium (Newstead); monks and masons, builders of nearby Melrose Abbey and, more recently, navvies working on the impressive railway viaduct at Leaderfoot.
Newstead lies within the Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk constituency and the MP is Michael Moore. It lies in the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Scottish Parliament constituency and the MSP is Jeremy Purvis.
