Richard's Pictureposts

Monastic Shiels

Posted by Richard (Ellemford, United Kingdom) on 17 May 2012 in Landscape & Rural.

The great Border Abbeys at Jedburgh, Kelso and Melrose were established in the twelfth century. Soon after large areas of land in the Lammermuir Hills were gifted to each of theses religious houses for farming. The hills then, like now, were used for the rearing of mainly sheep. Many of these monastic farms have the suffix ‘shiel’ – a word that means summer grazing.

At the time of the Battle pf Flodden (1513) these farms were in full operation and looking across the bridge to the building on the right we think this was originally the site of a farm. The round part of the building is thought to originally have been a grain store that was built by the monks and nuns from Kelso Abbey.

Looking down from the bridge is thought to have been the original ford at Ellem. So when King James IV and his 40,000 men headed south to Flodden in late August they would have crossed over the water here and headed past the grain store. The building a little further on is Ellem Old inn and although the building that is there now only dates back to the 17th century there was definitely an inn there at earlier times.

The photo was taken last Sunday which just shows you how late our Spring is this year.

Mostly I write books and other things that people pay me for. What I'd like to do is to take more photographs. Ideally I'd like to try combining the two at some point in the future. . .