Embedded Files
Welcome
This is a temporary website to host local information while the new Clovenfords Village Website is being set up.
For more information contact clovenfordscommunitycouncil@gmail.com.
About the area
Clovenfords is expanding village in the central Scottish Borders with a population nearing 1,000 and around 350 households. A further 50 households lie in the surrounding hamlets of Caddonfoot, Peel, Yair, and Torwoodlee.
Clovenfords was home to the long closed Tweed Vineries, which produced 15,000 pounds of grapes at its peak and the village hotel saw Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth as guests (source).
Government and politics
We are represented by:
The three councillors for Tweeddale East on Scottish Borders Council
Clovenfords and District Community Council
Local services
Clovenfords Hotel
In an 18th-century coaching inn, this publike hotel has 8 straightforward rooms featuring en suite bathrooms. Serving a wide range of food, booking is advised. Tel. 850203 or email theclovenfordshotel@outlook.com.
Clovenfords Primary School
Clovenfords Primary School moved to its current site in April 2012, replacing the 172-year-old Caddonfoot Primary School.
Clovenfords Primary School, Muscat Brae, Galashiels, TD1 3LQ
Phone number: 01896 662755
Email: clovenfordsps@scotborders.gov.uk
School Twitter: @Clovenfordsps_
School Facebook: Clovenfords Primary School
The school has an active parent council which holds an annual May fair.
Email: clovenfords.parent.council@gmail.com
Facebook: Clovenfords Parent Council
Mobile Library
The mobile library van visits the village every three weeks. Please see Live Borders’ website for changes to how this service operates.
Mobile Post Office
The mobile Post Office visits Clovenfords on Mondays to Thursdays from 9.00 am to 10.30 am and parks in the hotel car park.
Newspapers
As Clovenfords Village Shop is currently closed, Bill Birch (850249) is co-ordinating the ordering of newspapers, which you can collect at his house at Caddonlands, Millbank Road.
Transport
The X62 bus passes through the village, connecting to Galashiels, Peebles and Edinburgh.
Household services
Beauty salons
Simply Lashes: Classic lash extensions, lash lift and tint
Cleaning
Caddonfoot Parents and Toddlers
The Caddonfoot Parent & Toddler Group aims to provide a safe and stimulating environment where children feel confident and happy to socialise and learn through play.
The Playgroup is run by the parents for the children through a committee and is a member of the Scottish Pre-school Play Association.
The Toddler Group is held at Caddonfoot Hall, Clovenfords on Monday and Friday mornings from 9 to 11am. The age of the children ranges from newborn up to 5 years.
All pre-school children are welcome accompanied by their parent or carer.
The current Play Leader is Deb Smith who ensures that wide ranges of activities are encouraged each session. Deb actively encourages suggestions and parent participation.
Caddonfoot Parish Hall
Caddonfoot Hall is a great local asset available for hire for private functions by individuals, clubs and other interest groups. It is also home to regular activities including G.Ex, badminton, Fit Lates, Scottish country dancing, and Bridge.
The hall was gifted to the people of Caddonfoot Parish in 1929 by Lady Louisa Mary Anderson of Yair House, and is managed by a committee of user group representatives.
To book the hall for an event, or for more information on hall activities, contact the hall secretary by email: infocaddonfoot@btinternet.com.
Caddonfoot Hall letting charges from September 1st 2024
Regular lets £22 per session
Short let (up to 4 hours) £55
Long let £130
Back room £10
Extra £10 charge for electricity if a bouncy castle is used
Caddonfoot 100 Club
The 100 Club has been running for over ten years and has raised £4000+ for the Hall. Twenty-four prizes are distributed during the year and you can enjoy the feel-good factor of supporting a valuable community asset. Tickets are £12 each and you can buy as many as you wish.
Please click on the link here for further information.
Clovenfords and District Community Council
Clovenfords and District Community Council is the most local tier of elected representation, and acts on behalf of the community. It is a voice for the local area, ascertains and expresses the views of the community to local authorities and other public bodies, and carries out activities for local residents.
We hold monthly meetings, where community councillors, Scottish Borders councillors, invited guests and members of the public discuss a range of local issues. All are welcome
Meetings are usually held at 7pm on the second Monday of each month, excluding the summer period. Please check the agenda for the meeting’s location, as this varies throughout the year.
Members
The current members of the community council are:
Steve Walker (Chairman)
Stuart Bell (Vice Chairman)
Katie Finlay (Secretary)
Sandra Richardson (Treasurer)
Darren Cairney
Dave Forrester
Lena Hadwiger
Hilde Paxton
Ashley Sharp
Linda Veitch
Anne Wilson
Cathy Wilson
Robin Tatler (ex officio as councillor for Tweeddale East)
Marshall Douglas (ex officio as councillor for Tweeddale East)
Julie Pirone (ex officio as councillor for Tweeddale East)
Contact us
If you are interested in the work of the community council, please come along to one of our meetings, or contact us via
Email: clovenfordscommunitycouncil@gmail.com
2025 Meeting Papers (Agendas and Minutes)
13 January (MEETING CANCELLED – Agenda)
9 June (AGM Agenda I AGM Minutes)
1 December (Agenda)
Meeting papers from previous years
Accounts for the financial year ended 31 March:
Other documents:
Groups/Activities
Before travelling a distance for one of these groups, it may be a good idea to contact the number given. Unless otherwise stated, the area code for listed phone numbers is 01896.
Groups and activities
Badminton
A friendly club for experienced players and beginners alike. The group meets Wednesdays 7.30 pm in Caddonfoot Hall. Contact Alison Wilson (alywil@sky.com).
Scottish Country Dancing
An evening of jigs, reels and strathspeys with instruction from a qualified teacher. New members always welcome. We meet in Caddonfoot Hall on Thursday evenings at 7.30pm from September to April. A cup of tea and a chat rounds off the evening. Contact Joan Fotheringham.
New Age Kurling
The membership of the group has stayed constant and the camaraderie makes for a happy band. The tea and chat (cost £1) helps everyone engage with people they may only see once a week. Cost £4 per session. Meets every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m in Caddonfoot Hall. Contact Roddy Beatson (850603).
Bridge Club
We are a very friendly and welcoming club (sections of the U3A) that meet every Friday afternoon in Caddonfoot Hall to play Duplicate Bridge. Anyone who is familiar with the game is welcome to join us and we will always find you a partner. Play starts at 1.30 p.m. and usually finishes by 4.30 p.m. There is also a beginners’ class on Thursday afternoons introducing people to this fascinating game. Contact: Bill Birch (850249).
Caddonfoot Parish Church
Sunday services commence at 9.45 am, other services are held to celebrate significant dates in the church year. Linked with Stow: St Mary of Wedale & Heriot. Session Clerk: Anne Grieve (07968 433547).
Caddonfit
Fitness class giving High Energy Interval Workout, to music, to burn calories and increase stamina. Adjust intensity to meet fitness levels.
Meets on Monday each week at 7 p.m in Caddonfoot Hall. Contact: Donna Coyle (07791 001600)
Clovenfords and District Community Council
Representative forum for local people. Meets on the second Monday of the month, except for July and August. Email: clovenfordscommunitycouncil@gmail.com.
Clovenfords Coffee Mornings
The village coffee morning is held every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Due to the closure of the Clovenfords Hotel, the group is now meeting at Caddonfoot Hall on a temporary basis. For anyone unable to drive/walk to the, a lift can easily be arranged. New faces would be very welcome to join us and catch up with village news. For anyone who is unable to drive or walk to the hotel, a lift can easily be arranged. Contact Fay Brydon (850585) for more information. The charge is £2.50.
Clovenfords Bookworms
The group usually meets on the second Monday of every month at 2pm. Sometimes we choose a book from a particular author – at other times we all read the same book. There is no charge, but we always buy a cup of coffee or tea or even a glass of wine. For anyone unable to drive/walk, a lift can easily be arranged. Due to the closure of the hotel please contact Dorothy Taylor (850428) for information re meetings.
Caddon Crafters
Do you like any sort of craft, or would you like to learn a new skill (or even just meet up for a chat with like-minded people)? Bring along a project you are working on, or learn from other members of the group to try something different. We meet the 1st and 3rd Monday 1.00pm – 3.00pm. Due to the closure of the hotel please contact Dorothy Taylor (850428) Isobel Burrell (850558/07940 057310) for information.
Motivate 50+
Pilates based exercises. Tues 9.30-10.30am in Caddonfoot Hall. Booking Required. Contact Janis Smith (07557 870201).
Elderberries
Gentle exercise class to music for seniors. Meets on Monday each week at 4 p.m in Caddonfoot Hall. Contact: Donna Coyle (07791 001600)
Children’s groups and activities
Caddonfoot Parent and Toddler Group
Caddonfoot Parent and Toddler Group are based in Caddonfoot Village Hall, and hold toddlers sessions on Monday mornings from 9 to 11am. The age of children ranges from newborn up to 5 years. All pre-school children are welcome accompanied by their parent or carer. The group is run by the parents for the children through a committee, and is a member of Early Years Scotland. There is an annual registration fee of £12, and each session costs £2. There is no charge for babies under 6 months. This is inclusive of snack for the children and tea/coffee (and sometimes cake!) for adults.
Clovenfords Rainbows, Brownies and Guides
Register through girlguiding.org.uk for more information.
Volunteering opportunities
Clovenfords Resilient Community Group
The group is usually involved in community preparedness for flooding, arranging litter picks, cutting back vegetation in communal areas, etc. However, during the coronavirus pandemic has taken on a huge and totally unexpected challenge. In late March 2020 we stood up the Resilience Group, seeking volunteers for the specific purpose of providing support to our community during this national emergency and assist our more vulnerable residents. We had 35 volunteers sign up, and around 20 of these ‘Angels’ were regularly active. Over lockdown, and beyond, Angels have shopped regularly for many folk; picked up a lot of prescriptions; delivered countless newspapers; posted/collected many letters and parcels; mowed lawns; gathered and delivered food and monetary donations to Galashiels Food Bank; delivered over 100 plants to vulnerable residents around the village; collected and distributed eggs; made numerous courtesy calls to vulnerable residents, etc.
Contact ClovenfordsResilience@outlook.com if you can help, or if you need support. Alternatively, phone Jennifer Jepson (07703 289 620).
Keep Cloven Clean
A group of residents who keep our community tidy through regular litter picks. Contact Gordon Hume, 850765.
Galashiels and District Food Bank
Galashiels Food Bank is a voluntary organisation run by the local churches. We would like to thank all the people who are helping the Food Bank as volunteers and as donors. If anyone would like to be involved, please contact John Tucker (tucker.john@btinternet.com). It is better, but not essential, to work in pairs.
Leisure
Walking: Paths around Galashiels, Paths around Innerleithen and Walkerburn
Walking For Health (Walk-It), Walk-It on Facebook
Cycling and mountain biking: Yair Forest, Glentress Forest, Yair Bridge
History
Clovenfords, the village of the split fords nestling in the valley at the crossroads between the “Kings Ford” over the River Tweed and the “Old Ford” at Caddon Mill, originally called Whytbanklee.
The Clovenfords Inn, circa 1750, was a stagecoach route between Carlisle and Edinburgh. The village boasted a smithy, a post office and a handful of cottages when Galashiels was only a hamlet dependent on Clovenfords for its mail deliveries and news from the outside world.
On being appointed Sheriff of Selkirkshire, Sir Walter Scott stayed at the inn in 1779, before living at Ashiestiel House. At the inn Sir Walter met William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy during their tour of the Scottish Borders which produced a wealth of poetry and prose including those lines, ‘Yarrow Unvisited’:
“And when we came to Clovenfords so said my winsome marrow.
What’er betide we’ll turn aside and see the braes of Yarrow”.
Today Sir Walter Scott’s statue stands in the forecourt of the Clovenfords Hotel watching over the village with a tolerant, benign and compassionate smile at the corner of his mouth, irrespective of the many changes taking place around him, symbolizing the greatness and the spirit that makes similar villagers to Clovenfords, so important to the integral life of the Scottish Borders.
John Leyden, a bosom friend of Sir Walter Scott, a contemporary poet, minister in the Church of Scotland, historian, philosopher, and surgeon. In 1792, when only 17 years of age, Dr Leyden taught in the village school, in Millbank Road. A stone dye, part of a gable end, is all that remains of the school which was fondly known as ‘The Luggie’. The site of the school is marked by a granite slab which was erected in his memory in 1911.
Tweed Vineyards was created by William Thomson in 1869, choosing Clovenfords, Vine Street, because it had its own railway station, essential for delivering the many tons of coke required to heat the large complex of hothouses and because his brother-in-law was a builder and contractor living in Galashiels. The Tweed Vineyards of Scotland became the crème de la crème of the grapevine producing six tons of Muscat and Gros Colman grapes per year, then delivered by rail as far south as Covent Gardens and Harrods of London. For 90 years the Tweed Vineyards flourished under four generations of the Thomson family until the price of grapes fell dramatically. They sold the business in 1959, to Robert Affleck, a market gardener. Time took its toll and the once famous vineries fell into a state beyond repair. Only the name remains the same, Tweed Vineyards.
Caddonfoot Parish Church was begun in March 1860, and was opened for worship 3rd February 1861. It was built as a memorial to Alex Pringle of Whytbank by his friends and relatives. In 1875 the church was enlarged and the seating increased to accommodate 360 worshippers. In 1933 Hon. Alex Shaw of Fairnilee, later the 2nd Lord Craigmyle, had the church remodelled to form a chancel. He and his wife Lady Craigmyle also gifted two stained glass windows, one believed to be the only stained glass window in the country in the memory of Sir Walter Scott.
Tom Quayle, 2013
History of Clovenfords & Sir Walter Scott
The following chapters of the History of Clovenfords & Sir Walter Scott by local writer Tom Quayle are available to read online:
Other articles on local history
Clovenfords Historical Trail, a leaflet produced in January 2016
The history of the statue of Sir Walter Scott, an article by Joan Mundell which tells the story of the statue that now stands outside the Clovenfords Country Inn
The history of the Braw Lads’ Gathering
Clovenfords’ Royal Visit July 1923
Historical photos
Explore our archive of the history of Clovenfords and surrounding area.
Neighbourhood Watch
Clovenfords Neighbourhood Watch street co-ordinators can be found here.
If anyone has any issues or concerns please contact your street co-ordinator, but remember, in an emergency always phone 999.
I would like to say a big thank you to those who have volunteered their services and together we can hopefully keep our village crime free.
Many thanks
Gordon Hume
850765
Resilient Community
Clovenfords and District Community Council is taking part in the Resilient Communities initiative organised by Scottish Borders Council. This involves forming a group of volunteers who can help their neighbours in emergencies (e.g. heavy snow, flooding, missing people). Their work will be in addition to – not a replacement of – services provided by the council, police, utility companies, etc.
Contact
If you can help, or need support, contact ClovenfordsResilience@outlook.com. Alternatively, phone Jennifer Jepson (07703 289 620).
Resilience plan
The Clovenfords Resilient Community Plan has now been completed and can be downloaded here. This covers Clovenfords, Caddonfoot, Yair, Peel and Craigmyle, and is intended to raise awareness and understanding of the local risks including severe weather, flooding and power cuts, as well as providing useful information to help manage those risks, e.g. likely flooding maps, gritting maps, contacts.
Volunteer
Your help and skills in supporting and assisting our community with a severe weather event or incident are vital, so we’re building a list of volunteers – that’s where you come in! Please let us know what support you can offer.
Get support
We also recognise that in times of severe weather or utility failure, some people in our community may need a bit of extra support from the resilient community volunteers, so we’d like to build a list of people we can offer assistance to in severe weather or during a power cut (e.g., if you have a disability, or need to look after young children so can’t clear your drive).
Utility companies have a duty of care towards their customers, and maintain registers of those they term vulnerable who are at greater risk during interruptions (power/water/gas cuts). During extended interruptions, they may offer free services (e.g. alternative heating and cooking facilities). If you are of pensionable age, have a disability, chronic illness or child under eight, we suggest you inform your supplier of this so they can put you on their register.
Equipment
As part of the initiative, we have obtained equipment for the community to use in times of severe weather or other emergencies. This includes high visibility jackets, gloves, torches, snow shovels, grit spreaders, hard hats, crampons, and first aid kits, and is currently stored in a locked shed behind the Clovenfords Hotel. We also have a large bin with a tonne of salt. This doesn’t replace the salt bins around the village, but is an extra supply for use in severe weather, and will be locked to ensure that it’s available in times of need. We have also obtained a store of sandbags, which are located in a self help sandbag store above the upper level of the hotel car park and have been provided for emergency use only.
Training
We are also providing free first aid training through the British Red Cross. This is a basic course which teaches you ‘what not to do’ in an emergency, rather than intensive lifesaving skills. If you’re interested in coming along, then please let me know. It will be a 2 hour session held at Wheatland’s Mill, Galashiels. Further details will be scheduled when we know how many wish to participate.
The Hutton & Paxton Community Resilience Group ran a joint exercise with Police Scotland, SBC and Mountain Rescue to test their emergency response and contacts/volunteer tree, harnessing the community’s resources to find two ‘missing’ walkers. This exercise was filmed and is worth watching to understand a bit more about the main principles of Resilient Communities.
Google Sites
Report abuse