- Conservation Area
- Hawick
- Conservation Area Statement
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The Conservation Area in Hawick includes all the High Street and the historic core to the south.
Hawick has a long and colourful history that can be traced back to the 12th century when the Norman family; the Lovels were granted land in and around Hawick by King David I.
Situated close to the border with England, Hawick suffered greatly particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries when the town was repeatedly burned. Despite all of that, the town survived and flourished with the arrival of the industrial revolution, and in particular the expansion of the knitwear and textile industries and the introduction of the railway.
The Hawick Conservation Area has retained many of its distinctive characteristics. The High Street in particular has a real urban feel and this has given rise to the title of “Glasgow in miniature”.
The oldest part of the town is the area between St Mary’s Kirk and the Motte, and in particular the Drumlanrig Square area.
Both the Kirk and the Motte date from the 12th century. The current buildings within this area date mainly from the Victorian era – the principal façade on the square is on the north side and comprises of a three-storey terrace with shops at the street level and constructed using ashlar sandstone.
Within Drumlanrig Square is the site of the original west port. This was the western gate to the town in the medieval times and was located on the main road from Carlisle, before Buccleuch Street was built.
Leading down to Sandbed and High Street is the Howgate, although the buildings here are of a later date the street itself follows the medieval line. The rig pattern is still evident particularly along the southern part of the High Street. Properties along the High Street date mainly from the Victorian era and comprise a range of rich architectural styles from impressive Italianate bank buildings to more modest harled two and three storey buildings, the whole being dominated by the Scots baronial Town Hall.
An extensive mill lade system still remains within Hawick and also within the Conservation Area a range of industrial textile buildings still survive – ranging from a hand powered stocking shop at the back of the High Street to the category ‘A’ spinning mill at Tower Mill.
It is evident that within the Hawick Conservation Area there is a great selection of building types, styles and periods, and these reflect the history, diversity and development of the town. Properties range from two stories upwards in height. Building materials range from sandstone and whin stone, harling, stucco and slate. Architectural details range significantly, fanlights, transom lights, sandstone rybats, margins and quoins, along with a wide range of elaborate other details within the Conservation Area. As all of these elements contribute to the Conservation Area, together they all form its character, any new development or alterations must respect the individual building and the wider Conservation Area. It is therefore important that all of these individual features are taken into account.
There are currently 93 listed properties within the amended Conservation Area, of which 3 are category ‘A’. - Designation, adoption and boundary information
- Alterations to the Hawick Conservation Area boundary from that shown in the Roxburgh Local Plan 1995 consist of the exclusion of properties on Slitrig Crescent, Nos 2, 4, 6 Mill Path, St Cuthberts Rectory, properties 1 – 6 (inc) Liddesdale Road, and 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 Loan. The inclusion consists of Henderson Garden, the Bowling Greens and Pavilions, Oakwood House, Hawick High School, parts of the River Teviot including Lawsons Bridge, Albert Bridge and Victoria Bridge, other alterations consist of general tidying of the boundary so that it follows elements on the ground.
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- Hawick Conservation Area
- Contact
- Heritage and Design Officer
- Online Form
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