Oxton is a small rural village in the
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...
area of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, just off the
A68. It is north of
Lauder
The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, gd, Labhdar) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lamme ...
, and southeast of the centre of Edinburgh, yet in a quiet rural position.
History
The village of Oxton lies in the parish of
Channelkirk. This name for the parish appears to have come into general use in the district around the beginning of the eighteenth century but its ancient name was Childer-kirk and later Gingle-kirk. A
Roman camp
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term.
In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...
, visible from the air, and recorded on Ordnance survey maps has been identified nearby and may have been connected with the progress of the army of
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
in AD 209–210.
Saint Cuthbert
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nor ...
, who became
Bishop of Lindisfarne
The Bishop of Durham is the Church of England, Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler (bishop), Pau ...
, was born in the vicinity in AD 635, and probably baptised his early converts at the nearby Holy Water Cleuch (spring).
The village Oxton was called Ugston for several hundred years and appears under that name as late as the 1841 census. As with all Scottish parishes its inhabitants were ruled by a combination of the Kirk Session and the Heritors, the latter being local landowners who were jointly responsible for funding all projects in the parish such as repairs or extensions to the church, the manse, the school, the churchyard, the schoolmaster's house, and even the river bridges, all out of their own pockets.
The village now hosts Bird Gardens Scotland CIC, a bird conservation breeding centre and home to over 300 birds from around the world, including Chilean flamingos, Laughing Kookaburra, and Emu, as well as other animals such as Red-Necked Wallaby and Castlemilk Moorit Sheep. The gardens share the site with Oxton Pottery, a working pottery with regular classes and a gift shop.
Notable people
*
Jack Lowden
Jack Andrew Lowden (born 2 June 1990) is a Scottish actor. Following a four-year stage career, his first major international onscreen success was in the 2016 BBC miniseries '' War & Peace'', which led to starring roles in feature films.
Lowden s ...
, actor
Gallery
Image:Oxton3.jpg, Red house at Oxton
Image:Oxton5.jpg, Oxton house and post box
Image:Oxton Mains.jpg, Oxton Mains farm
See also
*
Addinston
Addinston is a farming village, off the A697, close to the Carfraemill roundabout, with two hill forts and settlements, in Lauderdale in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Berwickshire.
The Cleekhimin Burn joins the Leader Wat ...
*
List of places in the Scottish Borders
''Map of places in the Scottish Borders compiled from this list'':See the list of places in Scotland for places in other counties.
This list of places in the Scottish Borders includes towns, villages, hamlets, castles, golf courses, historic hous ...
*
List of places in East Lothian
''Map of places in East Lothian compiled from this list''
The List of places in East Lothian is a list for any town, village, hamlet, castle, golf course, historic house, hill fort, lighthouse, nature reserve, reservoir, river, and other place of ...
References
External links
Official websiteCANMORE (RCAHMS): Item SC 357126, Copy of plan of Oxton Roman fortCANMORE (RCAHMS): ID 54608 Roman coinSamian ware and one sherd of a mortarium, from the roman fortlet at Oxton, BerwickshireRCAHMS record: Oxton, GeneralRCAHMS: 19 resultsSCRAN: Willie Riddle, blacksmith, standing outside his smithy, OxtonTrimontium: Oxton fortletGenealogy of William HoulistonOxton
{{authority control
Berwickshire
Villages in the Scottish Borders
Holy wells in Scotland