Page 34 THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / WWW.BSPC.CO.UK

FOCUS ON THE KELSO AREA

While no longer a village, Kelso has retained itsappearance along with its character and cultural heritage.Here, the local property market spans everything frommodern flats, luxury apartments and one-off houses, totraditional flats and terraced styles, picturesque ruralcottages and larger stone-built houses from the Georgianand Victorian eras.

In addition to its mix of house styles to suit all agegroups and prices ranges, Kelso has an outstandingrange of facilities and amenities, including primary andsecondary schools, shops, restaurants, sports facilities – including a 25-metre swimming pool - and clubs foreverything from gliding and curling to arts and bridge.

Lying in a fertile valley between the Lammermuir Hills andthe Cheviots, only a few miles from the English border,Kelso is a historic town with more than its fair share ofancient monuments alluding to past centuries whenthe town, like many others in the region, was involvedin Border wars and skirmishes.

The 18th century cobbled market square, once the main hub of activity for what continues to be a largelyagricultural community, is now a conservation area andstarting point for the Town Trail, which gives a fascinatinginsight into local buildings of historic and architecturalinterest, including the Town Hall, which stands on thesite of the old Tolbooth, and the Cross Keys Hotel, aformer coaching inn built in 1761.

The diversity of architecture in this part of the Borders is a major attraction. On the outskirts of Kelso is themagnificent 18th century Floors Castle. Designed byWilliam Adam in 1721, it’s Scotland’s largest inhabitedhouse and the ancestral home of the Duke of Roxburghe.

Other outstanding buildings include Mellerstain House, aGeorgian stately home to the north of the town designedby William and Robert Adam which is open to the public;the well preserved 15th century Smailholm Tower; and theremains of the 12th century Kelso Abbey.

Modern Kelso is an attractive place to live; Sir Walter Scott once described it as ‘the most beautiful if notthe most romantic village in Scotland’.

Beverley Brown highlights the many lifestyle attractions on offer in and around Kelso and Jedburgh

Overlooking Kelso from the Millenium Viewpoint

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As to the future, we don’t expect a new price boom orbust. Overall, conditions are not likely to change muchfor a few years but we are confident that when it doesoccur and pent-up demand is set free, the ‘prophets of doom’ will be proved wrong.”

Predictably, given its variety of attractions, Kelso currentlyoffers a good choice of new build property and localhousebuilder M&J Ballantyne has several high profiledevelopments available in the town. Just off SheddenPark, in the centre of the town, Sutherland Gardens is a small niche development of only eight, individuallydesigned and traditionally styled four and five bedroomdetached houses, each with its own character andfeatures.

Being in the Borders this is rugby country, but the townalso lists parks and riverside walkways, athletics,badminton, cricket, tennis, cycling, hockey, trout andsalmon fishing, football, swimming and golf as just someof the leisure opportunities available.

Unique among Border towns, Kelso also has an ice rinkand a racecourse, home of National Hunt racing and awell-known venue for steeple chasing and point-to-pointraces. For these reasons – and many more besides – thetown and surrounding villages offer a lifestyle muchfavoured by house buyers.

According to BSPC executive member Ron Hastings, of Hastings Property Shop in Kelso, ‘location, location,location’ may be an old cliche but it remains the keyfactor when it comes to that all-important decision andfor many this area still ticks all the boxes.

“The Borders is a desirable area with Kelso and Jedburghboth rightly considered the jewel in the Crown – and evenmore so in the summer months when the sun comes outand everything looks at its best,” he says.

“This year has been no exception and the better weatherhas brought a welcome increase in activity in the propertymarket from buyers who discover the Borders - and theKelso and Jedburgh area in particular – is a great place to live.”

He adds: “While sales on average are taking longer tocomplete than they did a few years ago, patient sellers will be rewarded - and can be reassured the problem isgenerally not the property or local conditions but widereconomic factors affecting buyers who may be willing, butnot able, to buy until they sell elsewhere.

Kelso Square The River Tweed, Kelso Kelso Abbey and Memorial

Page 36 £250,000 TO £150,000 / WWW.BSPC.CO.UK THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / WWW.BSPC.CO.UK Page 37

To be called Queens Court, this will be a small and selectsite with only 23 properties in total, made up of threebedroomed semi-detached styles and three, four and five bedroomed detached.

North east of Kelso, the town of Coldstream lies on theboundary between Scotland and England and oncerivalled Gretna as a base for runaway couples looking tomarry under Scotland’s more lenient laws.

Nowadays it’s better known as the birthplace of theColdstream Guards, which has since been amalgamatedinto the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Coldstream is wellpositioned for access to Berwick-upon-Tweed andaccess to the rail network that links Edinburgh andNewcastle.

Also on the border – albeit on opposite banks of theBowmont River – are the picturesque villages of TownYetholm and Kirk Yetholm, the latter home to the famousYetholm Gypsies. A commemorative standing stone onthe village green dedicated to the gypsies, that alsoofficially marks the end of the Pennine Way, a challenginglong-distance walk that begins in Derbyshire and windsits way through three National Parks before crossing theborder into Scotland at Kirk Yetholm.

Nearby Morebattle, seven miles south of Kelso and onthe banks of the River Kale, is typical of many Bordervillages, with a picturesque main street, village hall,primary school and shops.

The village name means ‘the dwelling on the lake’,whichrefers to a sizeable loch that used to exist betweenMorebattle and the village of Linton. St Cuthbert’s Way,another long-distance route popular with walkers, passesthrough Morebattle on its way from Melrose toLindisfarne.

With so few properties available sales here werepredictably brisk. As a result only one remains, a fivebedroomed Bowring for sale at £483,250, which has the unusual feature of an en suite guest bedroom wingabove the double garage.

Overlooking the River Tweed on the edge of the town, East Broomlands is another M&J Ballantynedevelopment, now in its second phase of 76 houses.Designed to have widespread appeal for families, thereare nine house types available in a choice of three, fourand five bedroomed styles including bungalows – thePaxton, a particularly well designed and attractivebungalow with three bedrooms and an integral garage,priced at £299,500.

M&J Ballantyne also has a new development of just 20properties in total at North Broomlands. Bordered to thenorth by woodland, all the houses on this former estatesite will have the advantage of a rural environment, yetit’s only a few minutes walk to Broomlands PrimarySchool and only a short walk to the town centre.Two, three and four bedroom properties are planned for this site in a choice of three styles. Currently availableis a Mowbray two bedroomed bungalow at £162,500 – designed with attic trusses to give the option ofextending now or at a later stage to make a fourbedroomed home at £186,250; a three bedroomedsemi-detached Bailey that offers great value for money at £142,750; and a three bedroomed semi-detachedPeel style with en suite facilities at £149,950.

Last but not least, back in the centre of Kelso, only a one-minute walk from the Square, Bowmont Street is acontemporary development of two and three bedroomedapartments. Finished to a high specification, features hereinclude secure residents’ parking and a landscaped innercourtyard. Only seven apartments are available and pricesstart at £119,200 – a Shared Equity Scheme is available,which makes these flats especially attractive for first time buyers.

JS Crawford is another long established (third generation)Borders-based housebuilder. Its most populardevelopment to date is Wallaceneuk, an elevated site onthe south side of Kelso that offers stunning views across to the abbey, Floors Castle, Kelso Bridge and the famousJunction Pool, where the rivers Tweed and Teviot merge.

Now nearing the end of its final phase, only six propertiesremain – three built, including one, three bedroomeddetached house ready for immediate entry and priced at£174,900; and three still to be built and available off-planwith completion envisaged in six-eight months time. Pricesfor these remaining properties range from £159,000 for a three bedroomed semi-detached style up to £259,000 for a large four bedroomed detached property.

When the Wallaceneuk site is finally completed, JS Crawford will be starting work on a proposed newdevelopment in Kelso, just down from the racecourse.

Floors Castle, Kelso The village of Ancrum Smailholm Tower, Near Kelso

Jedburgh AbbeyOverlooking the Town of Jedburgh

Built on either side of the Jed Water, the Royal Burgh ofJedburgh is another popular Borders town with a historythat spans many centuries. The famous abbey, foundedby King David I in 1138, has the distinction of being themost complete surviving abbey in the Borders – despitehaving been set on fire nine times.

Jedburgh is similar in layout to Edinburgh’s Old Town inthat it has a long high street terminating with JedburghCastle Jail and Museum at its highest point. The towncentre is a conservation area boasting more than 130listed properties, a number of which are category A(buildings of national or international importance, eitherarchitectural or historic, or little-altered examples of aparticular period, style or building type). The history ofthis attractive town is highlighted at a visitor centrebased in a fortified house that played host to MaryQueen of Scots in 1566.

The A68 cuts a swathe through Jedburgh providingdirect access north to Galashiels, Melrose and Edinburghand south, through Northumberland National Park,where it joins the A69 linking Carlisle and Newcastle. The town itself offers a diverse choice of property, itsbuildings ranging from historic and quirky to traditionaland modern, while the surrounding countryside offersopportunities for one-off houses and rural conversions.

Ancrum is another popular village within easy reach of Jedburgh. Here, Duke’s Field is a popular ruraldevelopment of traditionally built three and fourbedroomed semi and detached house styles and largerfive and six bedroomed houses.

Of the 43 houses built here, only four detached housesremain in a choice of four, five and six bedroomed stylespriced at £185,000, £199,000 and £235,000 respectively.Some plots may also be available on this development.

Jedburgh offers a wide choice of sports and outdooractivities, from golf, horseriding, angling and cycling, tounique attractions like Harestanes Countryside Centreand Jedforest Deer and Farm Park. Other facilitiesinclude pre-school, primary and Jedburgh GrammarSchool, local shops and restaurants, healthcare – all thenecessities of life with the added benefit of scenic ruralsurroundings.

Although Jedburgh and Kelso are both less than 50 milesfrom Edinburgh, which can be easily reached via the A68and the city bypass, the planned reinstatement of theWaverley rail line extending from Edinburgh to Tweedbankwill make this part of the Borders more widely accessibleand increase its desirability with city commuters.

Charles & R.B. Anderson W.S.Royal Bank Buildings, 38 High Street,Jedburgh, TD8 6AG

Tel. 01835 863202 Fax. 01835 864016 Email. enquiries@crba.co.ukWebsite. www.charlesrbanderson.co.uk

Hastings & Co. 15 The Square, Kelso, TD5 7HHTel. 01573 226999 Fax. 01573 229219 Email. enq@hastingslegal.co.ukWebsite. www.hastingslegal.co.uk

Hastings Property Shop, Kelso28 The Square, Kelso, TD5 7HHTel. 01573 225999 Fax. 01573 229888 Email. enq@hastingslegal.co.ukWebsite. www.hastingslegal.co.uk

Borders Country Lets30 Woodmarket, Kelso, TD5 7AXTel. 01573 229887 Fax. 01573 229888 Email. enq@hastingslegal.co.ukWebsite. www.hastingslegal.co.uk

Lindsays26 High Street, Jedburgh, TD8 6AETel. 01835 862391 Fax. 01835 862017Email. bordersproperty@lindsays.co.ukWebsite. www.lindsays.co.uk

Stormonth Darling W.S.Bank of Scotland Building, The Square, Kelso, TD5 7HQTel. 01573 224143 Fax. 01573 225706Email. info@stormonthdarling.co.ukWebsite. www.stormonthdarling.co.uk

TAITS10 The Square, Kelso, TD5 7HJ Tel: 01573 224311 Fax: 01573 225858 Email: info@taitskelso.co.uk Website. www.taitskelso.co.uk

Images courtesy of Visit Scotland Borders, Scottish Viewpoint - www.scottishviewpoint.com,

Hastings & Co, Kelso and Digital Image

www.bspc.co.uk

Jedburgh Town Centre Horse Racing at Kelso Races Mary Queen of Scots House, Jedburgh

LOCAL BSPCMEMBER FIRMS

Kirk Yetholm

The Championship Roxburghe Golf Course

Superior homesin the Kelso Areaby M&J Ballantyne

Sutherland Gardens, KelsoSee page 15

East Broomlands, KelsoSee page 25

North Broomlands, KelsoSee page 49

Bowmont Street, KelsoSee page 59

Telephone:01573 224255

www.mjballantyne.co.uk