Page 14 THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY

And while the village has many listed buildings of varyingimportance – including the kirk with its ancient bell andstunning stained glass windows, former school house,market cross and well – it also has modern propertyoptions, one currently being Eildonlea, a traditionallybuilt detached villa in Brunton Park with an attachedsingle garage and beautiful enclosed child-safe gardengrounds.

Eildonlea’s current owners have upgraded thedistinctively styled property in the last ten years, re-fittingthe kitchen, bathroom, shower room and adding asizeable all-year-round conservatory to provide a sunnyadditional sitting room accessed off the living room.

Considerable time and effort have also gone intolandscaping the garden, which is one of thisproperty’s key features and includes lawns, areas for sitting, a vegetable garden, greenhouse, andplanting that provides year-round colour andinterest.

Attractively presented throughout, the split-levelaccommodation is over two main floors andincludes an entrance hall, two reception rooms,conservatory, fitted kitchen and fully tiled showerroom, with two double bedrooms and a bathroomon a mid-floor and two further double bedroomsand a small study on the upper floor.

A modern family home in a popular part ofThree miles south of the abbey town ofMelrose, Bowden is a village with a historythat stretches back to the 12th Century- although its claim to fame was in 1531when the village was granted the rightto hold the first non-burghal market inScotland, an event marked by the marketcross that still stands to this day and nowserves as the parish war memorial.

There is also evidence that this area was inhabited farearlier, according to the many artifacts found in andaround the village dating from the Iron Age.

Once inhabited by farm workers and weavers, Bowden’sresidents nowadays are more likely to be professionalsand local government staff employed by the ScottishBorders Council, which has its headquarters in nearbyNewtown St Boswells.

Aside from being steeped in history, Bowden benefitsfrom having a picturesque setting tucked in the shadowof the Eildon Hills.

THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY Page 15

the historic village of Bowden near Melrose

Eildonlea, 51 Brunton Park,

Bowden, TD6 0SZ

Guide Price £275,000

Details on page 22

The living room, as elsewhere, benefits from neutraldecoration, which is further enhanced by light from thepatio doors and conservatory beyond. The focal point,however, is the Fyfestone fire surround and slate hearthhousing a wood-burning stove.

Partially open-plan to the living room, the dining roomhas hardwood flooring and windows to the side and rear- and the kitchen, which has a back door to the garden,is fitted with attractive wood-finish wall and base units,laminate work surfaces and co-ordinated tiledsplashbacks and includes a Range Master cooker withfive-burner ceramic hob, integrated fridge freezer, andspace/plumbing for other appliances.

The two double bedrooms on the mid-level both havebuilt-in wardrobes, while the re-fitted family bathroomhas vanity storage, a corner bath and separate fully tiledshower enclosure with a power shower.

And on the upper level, the two remaining bedroomsalso have built-in wardrobes (storage throughoutthis house is well above average) – and a delightfuladditional feature is the small study off bedroom four,which has a sloping roof, Velux window, and fittedstorage.

Eildonlea is a particularly attractive family home in anidyllic village setting that is perfect for commuters, witheasy access to Edinburgh – and more importantly, thenew rail station at Tweedbank when the train service toEdinburgh Waverley commences next year.