Stow of Wedale

{{Infobox UK place

| country = Scotland

| official_name = Stow

| gaelic_name =

| scots_name =

| static_image_name = Stow - geograph.org.uk - 601928.jpg

| population = {{Scottish locality populations|name|POP=Stow}}

| population_ref = ({{United Kingdom statistics year|ScotSettlement}}){{Scotland settlement population citation}}

| os_grid_reference = NT456447

| map_type = Scotland

| coordinates = {{coord|55.692|-2.862|type:city_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| unitary_scotland = Scottish Borders

| lieutenancy_scotland = Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale

| constituency_westminster = Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

| constituency_scottish_parliament = Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

| post_town = GALASHIELS

| postcode_district = TD1

| postcode_area = TD

| dial_code = 01578

}}

{{Infobox settlement

| elevation_m = 180

}}Stow of Wedale, or more often Stow, {{IPAc-en|'|s|t|aʊ}} is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland (historically in Midlothian), {{convert|7|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} north of Galashiels. In the 2011 Census the population was 718. It is served by Stow railway station.

The name

The name Stow is an Old English word stōw meaning 'holy place' or 'meeting place', whilst Wedale is probably derived from the words wēoh (or wīg) meaning 'shrine' and dæl meaning 'valley'.{{cite book|last=Smith|first=A. H.|title=English place-name elements|year=1956|publisher=English Place-Name Society|location=Cambridge|pages=i.125, ii.159, ii.264–5}}

History

There has been a church at Stow since the 7th century, but the earliest example still visible today was built in the late 15th century on the site of the Church of St Mary which was consecrated on 3 November 1242. The church used today, St Mary of Wedale, was built in 1876 and features a 140-foot-high clock tower.{{Historic Environment Scotland|desc=Stow Parish Church, St Mary of Wedale |num=LB17403|access-date=5 October 2022}}

A mile or so north of Stow lies the clachan of Torquhan, likely in the 13th century to have been one of the last places where the Brittonic language Cumbric was finally replaced by English.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Our Lady's Well is situated {{convert|1|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} south of the village and was rebuilt in 2000.{{canmore|desc=Stow, Galashiels, Our Lady's Well|num=54525| access-date=5 October 2022}}

A rare example of a packhorse bridge, built in the 1650s, can be found in Stow.{{cite web|url=https://scotlandstartshere.com/point-of-interest/stow-packhorse-bridge/|title=Stow Packhorse Bridge|publisher= Scotland Starts Here | access-date=5 October 2022}}

Stow of Wedale Town Hall was completed in 1857.{{Historic Environment Scotland|desc=Townfoot, Town Hall |num=LB51301|access-date=5 October 2022}}

In 1870, James Thin purchased a plot of land in the village and had a house built which was completed in 1873 and was named Ashlea. This house is still a private residence but is not owned by the Thin family.{{cite web|url=https://www.capitalcollections.org.uk/view-item?i=50792&WINID=1664974818025|title=Ashlea House, Stow|publisher=Capital Collections| access-date=5 October 2022}}

Famous residents

Sir John Rose Cormack (1815–1882), born and raised in Stow{{Cite journal|last=Maclagan|date=1888|title=Sir John Rose Cormack|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|language=en|volume=14|pages=53–58|doi=10.1017/S0370164600004521|issn=0370-1646|doi-access=free}}
George Darling (physician) (1782?–1862), physician
Sir Walter Mercer FRSE (1890–1971) orthopaedic surgeon{{Cite book|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-40762|title=Mercer, Sir Walter (1890–1971), surgeon|last=Stevenson|first=Alison M.|date=2004-09-23|publisher=Oxford University Press|volume=1|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/40762}}

Gallery

File:St. Mary's of Wedale Parish Church - geograph.org.uk - 2232233.jpg|St. Mary's of Wedale Parish Church

File:Pack-horse bridge over the Gala Water, Stow - geograph.org.uk - 3148811.jpg|Pack horse bridge across the Gala Water, at the south end of Stow

File:Stow Town Hall (geograph 5401009).jpg|Stow of Wedale Town Hall

References

Sources

[http://www.scotsites.co.uk/ebooks/chroniclesofstrathearn3.htm E-book on "Celtic Saints and Ancient churches of Strathearn]
[http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=302586 RCAHMS record of Stow, Wedale View, General]
[http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/54523/details/stow+galashiels+road+old+stow+kirk+and+churchyard/ RCAHMS/Canmore record of Old Stow Kirk and Churchyard]
[http://www.scaht.org.uk/examples.html Scottish Churches Architectural Heritage Trust, grants awarded]
[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_130/130_677_704.pdf PDF: An excavation at the Bishop's House, Stow, Scottish Borders]
[http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townhistory246.html Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland] (extracts).
[http://www.killochyett.com/page2.html Killochyett: Stow of Wedale]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070222101210/http://www.heriot.info/church/histstow.html A History of Stow Church]
[http://www.fernvalley.co.uk/pictures.htm Pictures around Stow]

Category:Villages in the Scottish Borders

Category:Parishes formerly in Midlothian