In the village of Paxton, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders lies Paxton House, a Georgian stately home that is open to the public. Visitors can tour the house and grounds, stay in their holiday accommodation or caravan park, or rent the venue for a party or wedding.
The house was built from 1758 onwards for Patrick Home of Billie in a failed effort to tempt his Prussian sweetheart to marry him. He then sold the property to his cousin, Ninian Home, a sugar-plantation owner in the West Indies.
Northumberland Traveller visited Paxton House recently, although he had his dog with him and was, therefore, unable to see the grand interior of the house. His visit was confined to the gardens and grounds, which have enough to literally write home about!
There is a small formal garden, an adventure playground, an historic water wheel, bird-viewing hides, and a rambling riverside walk. Boat trips can also be arranged.
Netting salmon on the River Tweed dates back centuries. Paxton House is one of the last remaining netting stations on the river, and still uses the traditional method of fishing featuring a coble – a type of small rowing boat – to drop a net in a semi-circle, which is then pulled in by hand.
Catches are not what they used to be, however, and these days any salmon caught are tagged and released back into the river.
The Union Chain Bridge, located 8km from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, is the oldest vehicular suspension bridge in the world. It spans the River Tweed and connects Scotland with England.
Its revolutionary eyebar wrought-iron-chain technique inspired later suspension bridges across the world, including the Menai Suspension Bridge – spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales – which opened five years later.
The Union Chain Bridge was improved and strengthened in 1902-1903 but, by its bicentenary in 2020, it was in urgent need of repair.
With the help of a large dollop of Lottery funding, a project was undertaken to completely restore the bridge. Work was completed recently and it reopened in April this year.
The white plinth above the archway is decorated with the thistle of Scotland and the red rose of England, and is inscribed “Vis Unita Fortior 1820”, which can be translated as “Union is Strength” (even if the Scottish National Party might disagree)!
Quirky fact: due to a curve in the River Tweed at this point, the English end of the bridge is farther north than the Scottish end, the opposite of what you would expect.
If you are interested in visiting Paxton House or hiring their venue, get details on opening hours and ticket prices via their website.
This article first appeared on Northumberland Traveller.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram