Hawick: The 500th Anniversary of Hornshole

The year 1514 was an important milestone in the history of Hawick. Following the disastrous battle of Flodden the previous year, the English crown sent raiding parties across the border to raid and plunder. With the men of the town having been slain at Flodden it fell to the youths to defend their homes and their townsfolk. Upon hearing news of a raiding party approaching the town, and making camp at the nearby spot of Hornshole, a group of Hawick callants (young men) engaged and routed the invaders, taking their banner as a trophy and rode back to town, victoriously.

Although the Common Riding as an important practice of marking the ancient boundaries pre-dates this event, the victory of 1514 has since become inseparably linked with the annual Common Riding celebrations when a chosen “Cornet” (flag bearer) rides the marches and carries out ancient traditions.

The most famous iconic landmark in the Town of Hawick is the 1514 memorial, otherwise known as “The Horse”. The magnificent statue was unveiled in 1914 to mark the 400th anniversary of Hornshole and the capture of the Bonnie Banner Blue, in defence of the town. It was sculpted by Hawick born William Beattie and is widely considered one of the finest in Scotland and beyond.

Tragically, William Beattie answered the call of World War One shortly after the unveiling of the monument, and paid the ultimate sacrifice, never to return to his beloved home town.

2014 marks the 500th anniversary of 1514 and many activities and commemorations are planned for this momentous year.
The Ancient Order of Mosstroopers have undertaken to fund the restoration of the 1514 memorial, on or around its 100th birthday, bringing the bronze back to its original condition as it was seen at its unveiling in 1914.

Other Events

Other Events

Melrose 7’s – 12th April 2014 
2014 will be the 124th playing of the Melrose Sevens and it is proposed to continue an extended tournament with guest teams coming from far and near. Previous years have included sevens guests Randwick and Manly from Australia, Bay of Plenty from New Zealand, University of Free State and Stellenbosch from South Africa. Europe has been represented by guests from England, France, Portugal and Ireland to name a few. The town of Melrose takes on a carnival atmosphere with the day being considered a main social date in the sporting calendar. To complement the main Melrose 7s tournament other attractions are being planned for the international event.

For full details visit the website at http://www.melrose7s.com/

Tweedlove Bike Festival 
- Tweedlove Enduro World Series Event: May 31 – June 1, 2014
- KING & QUEEN OF THE HILL 2014: THE SCOTTISH OPEN ENDURO – Practice 23 August / Race 24 August
- Glentress Seven – Saturday 24 May 2014

TweedLove Bike Festival is a celebration of all things bike, and is 100% organised by bike riders. With the UK’s best concentration of mountain and road biking options right on our doorstep, Tweedlove are keen to invite you to share our back yard. There are a whole host of races and opportunities to enjoy biking in the most beautiful part of Scotland. For full details, visit the website at http://tweedlove.com/

Borders Book Festival 
Harmony Gardens, Melrose, 12th – 15th June 2014
The festival takes place in the beautiful gardens of Harmony House in the historic town of Melrose.  Owned by the National Trust for Scotland, the 18th Century house is home to the authors during the festival. The gardens are open to the public and are a wonderful place to while away the day whilst taking in the many events. The full programme will be announced in April 2014, but checkout the website to keep up with the latest news http://www.bordersbookfestival.org/