Mordington facts for kids
Mordington is a small farming area in the very southeast of Berwickshire, which is part of the Scottish Borders region. It's about five miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Mordington shares its borders with Northumberland to the east and south, and with other Scottish areas like Foulden to the west and Lamberton to the north. A main road, the A6105, runs right through the middle of the area.
Mordington is known for being one of the warmest places in Scotland. It gets almost as much sunshine each year as Dunbar, which is famous for having the most sunny hours in Scotland!
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Early History of Mordington
People say that a very old Saxon village, from the 11th century, once stood in the northern part of Mordington. However, this village disappeared a long time ago.
At first, a place called Coldingham Priory claimed most of the land here. But later, a family known as the de Mordington family took ownership of a large part of the area. It seems their family line eventually ended. Around 1276, Sir Peter de Mordington, whose father Sir William de Mordington had passed away, gave some land in nearby Lamberton to Simon Baddeby.
Churches Through Time
It is believed that Mordington had a chapel even before the 11th century. The first church that we have good records for was built on a high piece of land called Kirk Park. This was near Mordington House, above an old path used for cattle. This path is still used today as a single-lane road.
In 1275, the church leader in Mordington refused to pay a special tax for crusaders. Later, in 1296, his replacement, Bernard de Linton, promised loyalty to King Edward I. Sadly, this first church mysteriously burned down in 1757.
A new church was then built on the Duns road, on land that became known as the Minister's Glebe (land owned by the church). Both of these churches had burial grounds next to them. The burial ground of the second church is still there today. Not much is left of the first church's burial ground. However, in 1662, William Douglas, 2nd Lord Mordington, added a new doorway to a very old burial vault, which you can still see.
In 1870, a third church was built about a quarter of a mile uphill from the second church. This church was built in the Gothic style and had a cross shape. It also had a churchyard, which is still used. Sadly, this church was taken down around 1989. This happened because the local church group refused to pay for important roof repairs.
In 1843, the Free Church of Scotland built its own church on Kirk Hill, next to Edrington Mains farm. Services were held there until about 1910. Although the building is still standing, it is now used for farm work. The two old church houses (manses) in Mordington are now private homes.
After more than 900 years, Mordington no longer has its own parish church. People who live there now travel to Foulden for church services.
Who Owned the Land?
Over many centuries, different families owned most of the land in Mordington, except for the Edrington area. The title of feudal baron of Mordington was held for a long time by the Douglas of Dalkeith family. But in the early 1600s, this ownership was divided.
At that time, Sir James Douglas (who died in 1656) became the owner of Over Mordington. He was a son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus. In 1641, Sir James Douglas was given the special title of Lord Mordington.
The Ramsay family owned Nether Mordington directly from the King. They had a tower house there, which is now Edrington House. Eventually, the Lords Mordington also bought this land.
However, Charles Douglas, 5th Lord Mordington, took part in the Jacobite rising of 1745. He was captured and died in prison in 1745, and all his lands were taken by the Crown.
The Over Mordington estate was then bought by Thomas Hay of Mordington (who died in 1752). After him, it went to his relative, Alexander Hay of Mordington (who died in 1788). Later, the Renton family (who later became Campbell-Renton) from Lamberton owned the land until the 1970s. At that point, the family line ended with a female owner who chose to live in Edinburgh. The House and Estate were then bought by the Trotter family in the late 1980s, who still own it today.
Mordington House
A Pele tower or tower house stood at Mordington from a very early time. It was likely there when Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, owned the land during the time of Robert the Bruce. His daughter, Black Agnes, definitely lived there and is buried there.
On July 22, 1650, Oliver Cromwell's army marched from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Mordington Tower house and stayed there for two days.
It seems the Hay family might have built the grand Mordington House. This was a large Georgian mansion that was built around the original Peel tower. Parts of the old tower were included in its walls. The main part of the house had two floors, a basement, and vaults. It had a seven-bay front and wings on each side. These wings were originally two-story buildings connected to the main house.
In 1932, the artist Frank W Wood painted the house and its grounds. Sadly, and with much debate, the house was torn down in 1973. A few years later, a new, smaller house was built on the same spot. The lodge (a smaller building at the entrance) of the original house still stands.
The Clappers Hamlet
The only small village, or hamlet, in Mordington is called The Clappers. It's a group of five houses that once belonged to the Mordington Estate. These houses were for tradespeople. They included the blacksmith's house and workshop, where the Jeffrey family worked as blacksmiths from 1703 to 2019. A joiner's (woodworker's) shop and home used to be nearby. However, because the main row of four houses was in poor condition, they were taken down in 1976 and replaced by three new cottages.
Close by is the Old School House, built around 1840. The old schoolroom was built next to it a few decades later, both by the local landowner. It was made bigger in 1909. Both buildings have been given special "Listed Building" status by Historic Scotland. At one time, as many as 50 students went to the school. But by 1960, the school closed because there weren't enough students. After that, it was used as a village hall. The schoolroom was sold in 2002. Even though it was a listed building, it was completely changed inside three years later to become a small private home. The local council did not take action.
The Holdings Farms
After The Great War, a large part of the Mordington estate was bought by the government. This was done to create smallholdings, which are small farms, for soldiers returning from the war. Because these farms were small, they could only provide enough food for the families living there. Since 1950, several of these small farms have been combined to create larger farms.
Local Community Council
After a law change in 1973, Mordington became part of the larger Borders Regional Council. This is now called Scottish Borders Council (SBC). In 1976, the combined Foulden Mordington and Lamberton Community Council was set up. This council is similar to a local parish council in England. It has eleven elected councillors. This council looks at all plans and other local issues and gives advice to the Scottish Borders Council based on local decisions.
Famous People from Mordington
- John Campbell (1814-1856), who was a Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.
- William Angus Knight, a Professor of Philosophy at St Andrews University. He was born at the manse (church house) on February 22, 1836. Knight was well-known for editing and writing about the poet William Wordsworth. He also played a big part in saving Wordsworth's home at Dove Cottage, Grasmere, and Coleridge's cottage at Nether Stowey, Somerset.
- Robert Charles Campbell-Renton (1867-1948), who was the Laird (landowner) of Mordington & Lamberton.
- Conor Devaney, a former midfielder for Aberdeen F.C. under-19s team.
