{"id":213021,"date":"2022-07-01T10:12:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T09:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=213021"},"modified":"2022-07-20T14:25:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T13:25:19","slug":"kelso-the-five-minute-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/kelso-the-five-minute-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelso The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Roxburghshire gem of the Scottish Borders.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kelso was once the largest, most important Abbey town in Scotland. Hard to believe, given that the modern town has a population of roughly 7,000 people. Kelso Abbey, which made the town famous, opened in 1128, some 70 years after the Normans landed on the east coast and decided to find their home here. It is on the heel of Scotland, and its very name means the heel of the land.<\/p>\n

We wanted to find out all about the rich history of this not-so-rich town. Why did Kelso fall from glory? How long has this stretch of land been occupied? Most importantly, if I take my motorhome there, will I be welcome or hunted out of town with a mob waving brooms in the air and calling Shenanigans? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

The Early Days of Kelso<\/h2>\n

Long ago and far away, the town\u2019s name was Chalkheugh. Over the years, this has shortened down to Kelso. Kelso lies within Clan Kerr\u2019s lands, but other prominent clans in the area include Clans Douglas, Pringle, Scott, and Elliot. Kelso lives at the juncture of the river\u2019s Tweed and Teviot.<\/p>\n

Clan Pringle has a tower nearby, so we will do a short delve into their history. We cover the Kerr family later. King Alexander III\u2019s records mention the Pringle clan in the mid-13th<\/sup> century. Pringle comes from Hoppringle and is mentioned in 1296 when Elias De Hoppringle, a Norman, added his seal to the Ragman Roll. The last clan chief died in 1737, with the historic seat of Hoppringle Castle razed to the ground. The mansion that laterally housed the remaining clan members was destroyed by fire in 1992. There are plenty of Pringles in Scotland to this day. They were a prominent southern clan.<\/p>\n

The history books mention the town before the clan Kerr inherited the titles there. The first written mention is in church records when King David I of Scotland gifted the \u2018church at Calchou\u2019 to the monks from Tiron in France. Scotland and France had a long history as allies in the old days. In fact, it is known as the \u2018Auld Alliance\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Scots and the French had an on-again, off-again relationship with their mutual neighbour. The two countries signed a pact in 1295\/6 that was never forgotten. In 1419 and again in 1424, an estimated 15,000 Scots left to fight for France. Legend says that a Scots merchant still got his first choice on the best Bordeaux<\/a> as late as 1707.<\/p>\n

Kelso was a small town connected to its other half, Wester Kelso, by a wooden bridge. Wester Kelso held a castle and a seemingly thriving market town. The town housed the servants to the Roxburghe estates and the town and abbey town were synonymous with one another. At some point in the middle ages, the two towns were split from one another. Although it was originally believed that the two towns absorbed into one, more recent evidence suggests otherwise.<\/p>\n

Kelso Abbey and the Town\u2019s Growth<\/h3>\n

In those days, people would flock to areas they felt safe and build towns there. When the Abbey formed around the church, it needed staff and a market to trade in. Abbeys were good news for towns since they brought pilgrims. Monks even built piped water supplies or taught locals how to farm. Originally, the town formed two burghs. Wester Kelso and Kelso. Wester Kelso lay across the river and the two shared a bridge. Between the growth propelled by the pilgrims and the abbey, and later the arrival of the Dukes of Roxburgh, the town eventually became one.<\/p>\n

The monks from Tiron originally settled in the Selkirk area, until King David gave them a home. The gift was paid off in abundance as the monks attracted wealth and several large noble families to the area. Over the years, several noble families built houses in the surrounding areas. The Royal Burgh of Roxburgh was just across the river from the Duke\u2019s castle. The Abbey and the Castle became a dual pilgrimage. The town flourished until the Roxburgh seat was destroyed. In 1545, the town was further decimated when part of the Abbey was destroyed by English invaders.<\/p>\n

The Eight Years War (the Rough Wooing)<\/h3>\n

The border town of Kelso was on the warpath during the 8 Years’ War, also called the Rough Wooing<\/a>. Sir Walter Scott visited Kelso over the years because he had family members in the area. He described the war as a romantic triste and the phrase stuck. The war lasted from 1543-1551 and included Kelso in the firing line. The King of England was trying to force his infant child into a marriage with Mary Queen of Scots. Kelso suffered as the Abbey declined, then again as it closed. The oldest house in town today other than the castle is Turret House, c.1694.<\/p>\n

This was a period of great religious turmoil in Scotland. There were long periods where Catholics and Protestants hunted each other, with Catholicism associated with allegiance to Rome. Mary Queen of Scots would later add to this by being a catholic, even when her cousin Elizabeth was a protestant. The Queen was urged to hide her Catholicism from the noble men of Scotland, who already believed her incapable of her role. Mary was forced to marry young and quickly, into arrangements that appeased the nobility. This ultimately led to her death as much as the betrayal by her cousin did.<\/p>\n

The Middle Ages in Roxburghshire<\/h2>\n

At the end of the 16th<\/sup> century, the Reformation saw the Abbey\u2019s close down. The church’s influence declined and the lands that belonged to the abbey went to the Kerr family. Clan Kerr are one of the prominent Reiver clans of the Scottish Borders. Reiver clans were those that performed raids into English territory to steal cattle and gold. The Reivers roved between the 13th<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> centuries, but the clan origins lie with the Normans.<\/p>\n

Many of the Normans came over with the invaders in 1066 and afterwards. Some settled the lands and took the names of the lands and others named themselves after the leader. The first recorded Ker in Scotland is Johanes Ker, c.1190<\/a>. The clan motto is Sero Sed Serio<\/em>\u2026 Late, but in earnest.<\/p>\n

The Dukes of Roxburgh built Floor Castle in 1721 and started the rapid expansion of the town. In 1715 and 1745, the Jacobite army passed through Kelso. Charles Stewart\u2019s horse cast a shoe on the way back. There is still a marker in town that commemorates the occasion. Bonnie Prince Charlie planted white rosebushes in the town, or so the tale goes on. They say you can still see them in neighbour\u2019s gardens at the right time of year.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts and Trivia About Kelso in the Scottish Borders<\/h2>\n

At this point in the tour, we stop for a breather and seek out some fun trivia about Kelso for you to snigger at. Some are fun, some are morbid, but all are as true as we can make them. Here\u2019s what you need to know about Kelso:<\/p>\n