THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / WWW.BSPC.CO.UK Page 35

Focus on theHawick AreaBeverley Brown takes a closer look atwhat this part of the Borders offers as a lifestyle location

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Hawick has merged the old and the new with greatsuccess. While many historical buildings are there toadmire, like the Public Library and Town Hall, some havefound a new lease of life – most notably the formerTower Mill, the centrepiece of a £10 million regenerationproject that incorporates a striking two-storey glassentrance and terrace overlooking Slitrig Water.

Now a modern civic arts centre, this landmark buildinghouses a cinema, theatre, cafe and exhibition area – quite a contrast to the original water wheel, which hasbeen retained as a tangible link with the past.

Also enjoying a renaissance, the former Corn Exchangeis now a major attraction renamed the Heritage Hub.

It houses a state-of-the-art family history centre andregional archive providing climate-controlled storage forthousands of local manuscripts and records dating backto the 1500s. The Heart of Hawick project also includedthe construction of a metal footbridge across the Teviotand the refurbishment of Drumlanrig’s Tower, now avisitor centre and museum with period roomsinterpreting the history of Hawick.

History runs deep in this part of the world and Hawick’slocation, close to the English border, made it a frequenttarget for cross border skirmishes between the twocountries during the 1300s, 1400s and 1500s.

Today the English come in peace, either to shop as day visitors, or to find a lifestyle destination that offersspectacular scenery, a wide variety of sports and leisurefacilities, and a property market that has something tosuit every taste, from period buildings, conversions andtraditional flats, to rural cottages and modern housingdevelopments.

The largest town in the Scottish Borders, Hawick isrenowned the world over for its knitwear and textileindustries, which began as long ago as the 13th

century and continue to flourish today, one examplebeing Lochcarron of Scotland, established in 1947and now the world’s leading manufacturer of tartan,among other things.

But while tourists come to Hawick to pursue the textiletrail, others are looking at the regenerated townthrough fresh eyes as a place to live.

There’s no doubt that Hawick fits the bill as a lifestyledestination. All the essentials are here – includinggood shops and restaurants, a diverse propertymarket, schools, wide range of sports and leisurefacilities – but so too are things you can’t put a priceon, like history and culture and spectacular scenery.

While the last few hundred years of Hawick’s economyhas been based on the textile industry, the 21st

century reality is very different for the largest town inthe Borders. The historic town boasts perhaps lesswell known features, including over 100 acres ofparkland, tree-lined walks, children’s play areas,mountain bike trails, craft workshops and anexhaustive list of leisure opportunities.

The biggest attraction is the great outdoors. South ofHawick, almost on the border, Newcastleton Forest isa mecca for walkers and nature lovers.

It also has mountain bike trails and pony trekking – andyou can cross the border into Kielder Forest. Foundedin 1793 by the Duke of Buccleuch as a hand-loomweaving centre, Newcastleton occupies land that wasonce known as Border Reiver country, home of theArmstrongs and Elliots. The Liddesdale HeritageCentre and Armstrong Clan Trust reflect the area’spast, as does the nearby fourteenth century HermitageCastle.

Other attractions include award-winning Wilton LodgePark, which boasts over 107 acres of riverside andtree-lined walks and Teviotdale Leisure Centre, whichincludes a swimming pool, flumes, squash, and indoorbowling.

For golfers, there’s a challenging 18-hole golf coursewith panoramic views of the surrounding countryside,plus a parkland course in the Teviot Valley.

Hawick also caters for alternative leisure pursuits, withthe Eastcote House Archery Centre and the ScottishAcademy of Falconry and Related Studies atBonchester Bridge.

And the past is celebrated annually in the CommonRiding, an event that commemorates a victory in 1514for the town’s younger boys or ‘callants’ who fought offa raiding party of English troops and captured their flagin the process.

The Heritage Hub, HawickOverlooking Hawick

Wilton Lodge Museum, Hawick Overlooking Selkirk

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She adds: “The rental market has really picked up in thelast year or so possibly due to the difficulties potentialfirst time buyers face in obtaining a mortgage. Youngerpeople are increasingly happy to rent, and as a result,any rental properties that come up are usually snappedup pretty quickly, which is obviously ideal for landlords.”

Twelve miles from Hawick - and less than 40 miles fromEdinburgh - the town of Selkirk isn’t just old, it’s officiallyancient – an Ancient and Royal Burgh. But what setsthis Border town apart from its neighbours is itsdramatic elevated setting high above the Ettrick andYarrow valleys. While Hawick made hosiery, Selkirk builta reputation for glassmaking and gave its name to thebuttery-tasting Selkirk Bannock.

The town is also known for its associations with SirWalter Scott (who served as sheriff for 33 years andwhose courtroom is now a museum) and with WilliamWallace, who was declared Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland in Selkirk. The Ettrick Valley was also thebirthplace of poet and writer James Hogg, otherwiseknown as the ‘Ettrick Shepherd’.

All of the above, in addition to a varied propertymarket, makes Hawick and the surrounding villages a very desirable place to live.

It also helps that Hawick’s proximity to the A7 makes it easily accessible to Selkirk, Galashiels and Melrose,while Newcastle Airport is around an hour’s drive – add an extra 15 minutes to Edinburgh Airport. Theopening of the Waverly rail link from Edinburgh toTweedbank is likely to further boost this area as abase for commuters.

According to Dee Elliot, property advisor at BSPCmember firm Bannerman Burke based in the HighStreet in Hawick, prospective buyers within the localarea are currently spoilt for choice.

“There is a vast selection of properties available inHawick at present across all price ranges, frombudget-priced one bedroom flats to large houses at the very top end of the market,” she says.

“Recently there has been an encouraging increase inactivity and movement within the town across a mix of property sizes and styles. We have also completeda number of part-exchange transactions of late,which involve matching up two separate sets ofvendors who are trying to sell in order to subsequentlypurchase properties of the type owned by the other.Where these matches can be found it’s an ideal wayof speeding up the sale and purchase process andavoiding some of the usual issues with chains.”

As a place to live Selkirk has much going for it apartfrom spectacular scenery – good schools, shops,hotels, restaurants, and sports and leisure facilities thatinclude rugby, swimming, angling, golf (with both nineand 18-hole courses), horse-riding, walking andcycling. Bowhill House and Country Park, the Bordershome of the Duke of Buccleuch, is another majorattraction in the area. There’s also a creative vibe inSelkirk that can be seen in Rob Elliot’s handcraftedfurniture and the award-winning Twists Glass Studio.

Residential property in and around the town caters forevery conceivable size and style including modernestates.

Halfway between Hawick and Jedburgh, Denholm is a conservation village laid out around a village green, a planned community that dates back to the 17th

century after the original hamlet was destroyed as a result of cross-border skirmishes.

Again this village offers buyers a range of house stylesfrom traditional to modern family housing.

Wilton Hill, Hawick

Wilton Park Gardens, Hawick

The Scott Monument and Selkirk High Street

Walled Gardens, HawickOverlooking HawickHawick High Street

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One development currently attracting interest is TheCroft Field in this picturesque village, where CrudenHomes currently has a niche development of fourbedroomed bungalows and five bedroomed detachedvillas, all with integral garage, large garden and a designand finish in keeping with the rural location.

There are now only two properties remaining in the firstphase of this development; plot 16 is a Duncan fourbedroomed bungalow style, now for sale at £238,500,while plot 19 is a Leyden, the last of the five bedroomeddetached villas, now for sale at £305,000.

Buyers who reserve either of these two properties canchoose one of two valuable incentives – either a brandnew top-of-the-range Volvo S40 family saloon car worth£18,000, or a 100% market value part exchange.

BSPC executive member Ron Hastings, of HastingsProperty Shops has an office in Selkirk and lives in thisarea of the Borders, so he fully appreciates all that it hasto offer. Commenting on the current property market, hesays: “The market in Hawick and Selkirk is holding upand the key word is ‘flexibility’.

Sellers who are prepared to be flexible on the date ofentry and who will accept the need to make modestadjustments to their marketing to reflect currentconditions, are rewarded with a sale – and plenty ofchoice for their onward move, whether buying or renting.

Once again, higher value properties are faring betteroverall, particularly those houses that offer somethingunique or special, such as fantastic views a locationthat fits buyers’ needs to be close to facilities – or forniche buyers, a setting that offers privacy, or a largegarden or paddock.

In terms of house style, generally traditional is ingreater demand than modern but much depends onlocation, presentation and marketing, as attractingbuyers from outwith the Borders can make anappreciable difference.”

With regards to the letting market, Hastings reportsstrong activity and potential, although there’s atendency for investors to focus on tourist hot spotsand ignore the sound investment value of buying inan area that has strong rental demand.

He concludes: “What is needed in these morechallenging times is a sensible asking price, asensible approach to any reasonable offers, andgood advice from the selling agent. Across thecountry we are still facing difficult times but theprospects for the Borders – and the Hawick andSelkirk areas in particular – are good, being soundlybased on community. People who are proud to live in their towns, seldom move very far, and who buylocally, recognising the importance of connectionsand the fact that both towns offer a lifestyle that ishard to beat.”

Bannerman Burke (BB)PO Box 17, 28 High Street, Hawick, TD9 9BYTel. 01450 372750 Fax. 01450 378525Email. hawick@bannermanburke.co.uk

28 High Street, Hawick, TD9 9BY (Property)Tel. 0800 1300 353 Fax. 01450 378525Email. property@bannermanburke.co.uk

32 High Street, Selkirk, TD7 4DDTel. 01750 700026 Fax. 01750 725672Email. selkirk@bannermanburke.co.ukWebsite. www.bannermanburke.co.uk

Collie & Co (COL)26 High Street, Selkirk, TD7 4DD Tel. 01750 723868 Fax. 01750 723866Email.selkirk@collieandco.comWebsite. www.collieandco.com

Douglas Gilmour & Son (DG)20 Market Place, Selkirk, TD7 4BLTel. 01750 720271 Fax. 01750 722686Email. mainoffice@douglasgilmour.co.uk

Geo. & Jas. Oliver W.S. (GJO)13 High Street, Hawick, TD9 9DHTel. 01450 372791 Fax. 01450 377654Email. solicitors@gandjoliver.co.ukWebsite. www.gandjoliver.co.uk

Andrew Haddon & Crowe W.S.(HC)3 Oliver Place, Hawick, TD9 9BG Tel. 01450 372738 Fax. 01450 372786 Email. info@ahcsolicitors.co.ukWebsite. www.ahcsolicitors.co.uk

ANDREW HADDON& CROWE W.S.

Haddon & Turnbull W.S. (HT)55 High Street, Hawick, TD9 9BPTel. 01450 372336 Fax. 01450 377463Email. solicitors@htws.co.ukWebsite. www.haddonandturnbull.co.uk

Hastings & Co. (HAS)Hastings Property Shop, Selkirk22 Market Place, Selkirk, TD7 4BLTel. 01750 724160 Fax. 01750 725673 Email. enq@hastingslegal.co.ukWebsite. www.hastingslegal.co.uk

LOCAL BSPCMEMBER FIRMS

WWW.BSPC.CO.UKImages courtesy of

Visit Scotland Borders,Hastings & Co and

Digital ImageOverlooking Selkirk

Views from Ruberslaw Golf Course Mungo Park Statue, Selkirk

Denholm Village GreenSelkirk Town Centre