St Cuthbert’s Way - Leg I: Newtown St Boswells to Harestanes

Leaving one car at the Harestanes Visitors Centre we then motored to Newtown St Boswells, using the car park adjacent to the Co-op as our departure point. Respecting our maturity and various dodgy body parts the official start point of Melrose Abbey and the stiff climb up and over the Eildon Hills had been deemed unwise, and so omitted.

Having got the boots on and flexed the joints we exited the car park, turned left and then left again following a helpful sign pointing down through the trees towards the river. At the river, just to the left, an impressive footbridge provided an early stopping point to chat with a local, but the route turned to the right staying on the near bank. Warm, still and sunny it was a perfect October day for a walk, and the turning leaves on the trees gave some lovely views along and across the Tweed.

After couple of miles the route diverted up the bank and into St Boswells, along the main street for a few hundred yards (shops available for the already peckish) before turning left at Braeheads Road (unsigned) down to the golf course. At the course the path leads right, along the edge of a couple of fairways before regaining the river bank (where herons flew) and following a long right hand curve to within sight of the Mertoun Bridge.

Here we stopped for lunch; with the river level low we were able to sit on the concrete weir, well into the flow, and enjoy our packed lunches and idyllic view while our legs stiffened up.

After lunch we rose with a chorus of old man groans and continued along the river bank for a while until we reached steep steps leading up to the imposing Maxton Church. Here a bench cried out for a group selfie, so we obliged. Beyond the church and the few houses that make up Maxton the well signed route led left onto a minor road heading towards the busy A68.

Just before reaching the main road the way is signed left into woods on a track that gradually diverges from the road, following the line of the Roman Dere Street. The gradient is slight but unremittingly upwards, and when eventually we reached a sign for Lilliard’s Stone our curiosity and fatigue combined to persuade us to stop a while. A climb over a stile was well worthwhile to see the stone monument, read the inscription (and put it to music), take in the impressive views to all sides, and top up with remaining refreshments.

Returning over the stile to Dere Street, the way was now generally downwards, weaving among trees, before rising again to cross a minor road and enter some woodland opposite. The well-signed route continues to weave through the trees, but just after crossing the B6400 we abandoned the St Cuthbert’s way route in favour of the signs to the Harestanes Visitors Centre.

It is a good half mile before that goal is reached, and a spurt was needed to get there before the centre (and more importantly the café) was due to close at 5 pm. We made it with just ten minutes to spare and the excellent staff, disregarding the proximity of closure, made us welcome and served up tea and cakes to consume while they locked up around us until we were ready to go at about quarter past five.

We piled into the car left earlier, drove back to Newtown St Boswells to pick up the one left there, then drove in convoy to our digs at The Templehall Inn in Morebattle, where after dusting off and performing necessary ablutions we enjoyed a fine meal and well deserved drinks.