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Coordinates: 55°25′19″N 2°47′13″W / 55.422°N 2.787°W / 55.422; -2.787
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{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name = Hawick
| official_name = Hawick
| type = [[Town]] and former [[burgh]]
| gaelic_name = Hamhaig<ref name="Gaelic">[http://www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?faclair=sbg&seorsa=Beurla&facal=hawick&eis_saor=on&tairg=Lorg&faic_tus=on An Stòr-dàta Briathrachais], www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2010.</ref>
| gaelic_name = Hamhaig<ref name="Gaelic">[http://www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?faclair=sbg&seorsa=Beurla&facal=hawick&eis_saor=on&tairg=Lorg&faic_tus=on An Stòr-dàta Briathrachais], www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2010.</ref>
| scots_name = Haaick<ref>[http://www.scotslanguage.com/books/view/1/823/Names%20in%20Scots%20-%20Places%20in%20Scotland Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots]</ref>
| scots_name = Haaick<ref>[http://www.scotslanguage.com/books/view/1/823/Names%20in%20Scots%20-%20Places%20in%20Scotland Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots]</ref>
| local_name =
| local_name =
| country = Scotland
| country = Scotland
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language1 = [[Southern Scots]]
| language1 = [[Southern Scots]]
| population = {{Scottish settlement populations|name|POP=Hawick}}
| population = 13,512
| population_ref = ({{United Kingdom statistics year|ScotSettlement}})<ref>{{Scotland settlement population citation}}</ref>
| population_ref = (2022)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/council-2/teviot-liddesdale-area-partnership/3 | title=About Teviot and Liddesdale }}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.9
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.9
| os_grid_reference = NT505155
| os_grid_reference = NT505155
| edinburgh_distance = {{convert|39.7|mi|abbr=on}} [[Boxing the compass|NNW]]
| london_distance = {{convert|292|mi|abbr=on}} [[Boxing the compass|SSE]]
| edinburgh_distance = {{convert|39.7|mi|abbr=on}} [[Boxing the compass|NNW]]
| london_distance = {{convert|292|mi|abbr=on}} [[Boxing the compass|SSE]]
| map_alt = Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
| map_alt = Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
| coordinates = {{coord|55.422|-2.787|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|55.422|-2.787|display=inline,title}}
| post_town = HAWICK
| post_town = HAWICK
| postcode_area = TD
| postcode_area = TD
| postcode_district = TD9
| postcode_district = TD9
| dial_code = 01450
| dial_code = 01450
| constituency_westminster = [[Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency)|Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency)|Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk]]
| civil_parish =
| civil_parish =
| unitary_scotland = [[Scottish Borders]]
| community_scotland = Hawick
| lieutenancy_scotland = [[Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale]]
| community_scotland2 = Burnfoot
| unitary_scotland = [[Scottish Borders]]
| lieutenancy_scotland = [[Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire]]
| website = [http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/ scotborders.gov.uk]
| website = [http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/ scotborders.gov.uk]
| static_image_name = Hawick from the top of the Motte - geograph.org.uk - 767662.jpg
| static_image_name = River Teviot, Hawick, Roxburghshire.jpg
| static_image_caption = Hawick, from the top of the Mote
| static_image_caption = The [[River Teviot]] running through Hawick, with the town hall visible
| static_image_alt = A town landscape
| static_image_alt = A town landscape
}}
}}


'''Hawick''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-uk-Hawick.ogg|'|h|ɔɪ|k}} {{respell|HOYK|'}};{{nbsp}} {{lang-sco|Haaick}}, {{lang-gd|Hamhaig}}) is a town in the [[Scottish Borders]] [[council areas of Scotland|council area]] and [[counties of Scotland|historic county]] of [[Roxburghshire]] in the east [[Southern Uplands]] of Scotland. It is {{convert|10|mi|km|1}} south-west of [[Jedburgh]] and {{convert|8.9|mi|km|1}} south-south-east of [[Selkirk, Scottish Borders|Selkirk]]. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of [[Teviotdale]], and is the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. The town is at the confluence of the [[Slitrig Water]] with the [[River Teviot]].
'''Hawick''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-uk-Hawick.ogg|h|ɔɪ|k}} {{respell|HOYK}};{{nbsp}} {{langx|sco|Haaick}}; {{langx|gd|Hamhaig}}) is a town in the [[Scottish Borders]] [[council areas of Scotland|council area]] and [[counties of Scotland|historic county]] of [[Roxburghshire]] in the east [[Southern Uplands]] of Scotland. It is {{convert|10|mi|km|1}} south-west of [[Jedburgh]] and {{convert|8.9|mi|km|1}} south-south-east of [[Selkirk, Scottish Borders|Selkirk]]. It is one of the furthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of [[Teviotdale]], and is the biggest town in Roxburghshire. The town is at the confluence of the [[Slitrig Water]] with the [[River Teviot]].


The town was formerly established in the 16th century, but was previously the site of historic settlement going back hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, the town began to grow significantly, especially during the [[Industrial Revolution]] and [[Victorian era]] as a centre for the production of textiles, with a focus on knitting and weaving, involving materials such as tweed and cashmere. By the late 20th century, textile production had declined but the town remains an important regional centre for shopping, tourism and services. Hawick's architecture is distinctive in that it has many [[sandstone]] buildings with [[slate]] roofs. The town has several museums, parks and heritage sites. The town hosts the annual [[Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival|Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival]].
The town was formally established in the 16th century, but was previously the site of historic settlement going back hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, the town began to grow significantly, especially during the [[Industrial Revolution]] and [[Victorian era]] as a centre for the production of textiles, with a focus on knitting and weaving, involving materials such as tweed and cashmere. By the late 20th century, textile production had declined but the town remains an important regional centre for shopping, tourism and services. Hawick's architecture is distinctive in that it has many [[sandstone]] buildings with [[slate]] roofs. The town has several museums, parks and heritage sites. The town hosts the annual [[Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival|Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival]].


==History==
==History==
The name Hawick, is [[Old English]] in origin, first recorded in 1167 and translates as 'enclosed farm' or 'enclosed hamlet'.<ref name="Dictionary">{{cite book |last=Mills |first=A.D. |date=2011 |title=A Dictionary of British Place Names |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199609086}}</ref> The origin of the name of Hawick was first researched in the 1860s by [[James Murray (lexicographer)|James Murray]], a local teacher and later the primary editor of the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]].''<ref name="TES"/> The town has a long history of habitation being settled at the confluence of Slitrig Water and the River Teviot.<ref name="Moffat">{{cite book |last=Moffat |first=Alastair |date=2014 |title=Hawick: A History from Earliest Times |publisher=Birlinn |isbn=9781780272290}}</ref> The west end of the town contains "the Motte", the remains of a likely 12th century [[Scoto-Norman]] [[motte-and-bailey castle]].<ref name="HawickMotte">{{Canmore |num=54150 |desc=Hawick Motte |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
The name Hawick is [[Old English]] in origin, first recorded in 1167 and translates as "enclosed farm" or "enclosed hamlet".<ref name="Dictionary">{{cite book |last=Mills |first=A.D. |date=2011 |title=A Dictionary of British Place Names |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199609086}}</ref> The origin of the name of Hawick was first researched in the 1860s by [[James Murray (lexicographer)|James Murray]], a local teacher and later the primary editor of the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]].''<ref name="TES"/> The town has a long history of habitation being settled at the confluence of Slitrig Water and the River Teviot.<ref name="Moffat">{{cite book |last=Moffat |first=Alastair |date=2014 |title=Hawick: A History from Earliest Times |publisher=Birlinn |isbn=9781780272290}}</ref> The west end of the town contains "the Motte", the remains of a likely 12th century [[Scoto-Norman]] [[motte-and-bailey castle]].<ref name="HawickMotte">{{Canmore |num=54150 |desc=Hawick Motte |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


On 20 June 1342, as [[Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie]] according to the duty of his office as Sheriff of Teviotsdale was holding court in the church of Hawick, [[William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale]] came with an armed retinue and entered the church. He was courteously welcomed. Douglas and his men attacked Ramsay and dragged him bleeding and in chains to [[Hermitage Castle]]; It is generally assumed because Douglas believed he should be Sheriff of Teviotdale. There Ramsay was imprisoned in a dungeon where he died of starvation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Michael |title=The Black Douglases |date=1999 |publisher=Tuckwell Press Ltd |location=East Linton, Scotland |isbn=1862320365 |page=42}}</ref>
On 20 June 1342, as [[Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie]] according to the duty of his office as Sheriff of Teviotsdale was holding court in the church of Hawick, [[William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale]] came with an armed retinue and entered the church. He was courteously welcomed. Douglas and his men attacked Ramsay and dragged him bleeding and in chains to [[Hermitage Castle]]; It is generally assumed because Douglas believed he should be Sheriff of Teviotdale. There Ramsay was imprisoned in a dungeon where he died of starvation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Michael |title=The Black Douglases |date=1999 |publisher=Tuckwell Press Ltd |location=East Linton, Scotland |isbn=1862320365 |page=42}}</ref>


The origin of Hawick being formally declared a town are said to originate with the [[Battle of Hornshole]] which was fought in 1514 between an English raiding party and young locals from Hawick.<ref name="Moffat"/><ref name="BBCNews2">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-27407882| title=Battle of Hornshole re-enacted in Hawick |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> In 2014, on the 500th anniversary of the battle, some 1,800 children dressed in period costumes re-enacted the battle.<ref name="BBCNews2"/> The oldest official document of the town is a deed dated 11 October 1537 in which the town was re-declared a free [[burgh]] since time immemorial.<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Robert |date=1841 |title=The History of Hawick Including Some Account of the Inhabitants: with Occasional Observations: to which is Appended a Short Memoir of the Author |publisher=R.Armstrong}}</ref>
The origin of Hawick being formally declared a town are said to originate with the [[Battle of Hornshole]] which was fought in 1514 between an English raiding party and young locals from Hawick.<ref name="Moffat"/><ref name="BBCNews2">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-27407882| title=Battle of Hornshole re-enacted in Hawick | date=15 May 2014 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> In 2014, on the 500th anniversary of the battle, some 1,800 children dressed in period costumes re-enacted the battle.<ref name="BBCNews2"/> The oldest official document of the town is a deed dated 11 October 1537 in which the town was re-declared a free [[burgh]] since time immemorial.<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Robert |date=1841 |title=The History of Hawick Including Some Account of the Inhabitants: with Occasional Observations: to which is Appended a Short Memoir of the Author |publisher=R.Armstrong}}</ref>

St Mary's and Old Parish Church is the oldest church in the town, being constructed in 1764 on the site of an earlier 13th century church.<ref name="HESStMarys">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB34612|desc=ST MARY'S PLACE, ST MARY'S AND OLD PARISH CHURCH (CHURCH OF SCOTLAND), WITH CHURCHYARD, BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES.|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The church was extensively damaged by fire in the late 19th century but was reconstructed in a similar style.<ref name="HESStMarys"/> The cemetery contains 17th and 18th century gravestones, as well as an elaborate ironwork memorial gate given by the town council.<ref name="HESStMarys"/>

Hawick developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries as an important town in the manufacture of [[textiles]] and [[knitwear]].<ref name="Brewers">{{cite book |last=Ayto |first=J |date=2005 |title=Brewer's Britain and Ireland |publisher=Chambers |page=292 |isbn=978-0304353859}}</ref><ref name="TweedValley">{{cite journal |last1=Macdonald |first1=Gordon |date=2015 |title=The Tweed Valley |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00665983.2015.1052620?journalCode=raij20 |journal=Archaeological journal (London) |volume=172 |issue=Sup1 |pages=1–47 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="TextileWorld">{{cite journal |last1=West |first1=Andre |date=2016 |title=Technology Meets Tradition In Scotland |url=https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2016/09/technology-meets-tradition-in-scotland/ |journal=Textile world |volume=166 |issue=5 |pages=36 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref> The first [[knitting machine]]s were brought to Hawick in 1771 by John Hardie, building on an existing carpet manufacturing trade and with a view to expanding into the production of stockings.<ref name="TweedValley"/> As a result of a decline in the stocking trade by 1815, some [[weaving]] manufacturers had set up in the town using resources from the stocking trade.<ref name="TweedValley"/> These industries continued to grow in size, when in the early 1830s, the term "[[Tweed]]" originated from the town as a result of a miscommunication of [[twill]] for the [[River Tweed]].<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="Natgeo">{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/tweed-weaves-tales-of-scottish-history-and-landscapes| title=How tweed became a symbol of Scottish culture |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref> The town subsequently focused on the manufacturer of different textiles, hosiery and knitwear, including cashmere, adapting to different patterns and materials as fashions changed.<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="TextileWorld"/> In the 1930s, over 1200 persons were employed in producing knitwear in the town.<ref name="TweedValley"/> However, by the late 20th century, changing production methods, costs and tastes resulted in the decline of the textile industries to all but a few small businesses.<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="NYT">Cowell, Alan. "Cashmere Moves On, And Scotland Feels a Chill." New York Times, 27 Mar. 2004, p. C1</ref>

In October 2021, the town was severely affected by heavy rainfall and flooding.<ref name="BBCNews">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-59071373| title=Two bridges 'washed away' by heavy downpours |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> The town has ongoing public works to protect itself from frequent flooding, including since July 2020, construction of a £92m flood defence scheme.<ref name="BBCNews3">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-59148131| title=The battle to protect Hawick and Dumfries from flooding|publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


{{Historical populations
{{Historical populations
Line 60: Line 57:
|2016|13,730
|2016|13,730
|2020|13,610
|2020|13,610
|2021|13,586
|source =<br /><ref>http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/census/setloc-ks01.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotland (United Kingdom): Council Areas & Localities – Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-scotland.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plea for Hawick, a town in deep trouble |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/plea-for-hawick-a-town-in-deep-trouble-1-517198}}</ref>
|2022|13,512
}}
|source =<br /><ref>http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/census/setloc-ks01.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotland (United Kingdom): Council Areas & Localities – Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-scotland.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plea for Hawick, a town in deep trouble |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/plea-for-hawick-a-town-in-deep-trouble-1-517198}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/council-2/research-data/2 |title=Research and data |website=scotborders.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Teviot and Liddesdale |url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/council-2/teviot-liddesdale-area-partnership/3}}</ref>}}


St Mary's and Old Parish Church is the oldest church in the town, being constructed in 1764 on the site of an earlier 13th century church.<ref name="HESStMarys">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB34612|desc=ST MARY'S PLACE, ST MARY'S AND OLD PARISH CHURCH (CHURCH OF SCOTLAND), WITH CHURCHYARD, BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES.|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The church was extensively damaged by fire in the late 19th century but was reconstructed in a similar style.<ref name="HESStMarys"/> The cemetery contains 17th and 18th century gravestones, as well as an elaborate ironwork memorial gate given by the town council.<ref name="HESStMarys"/>
== Monuments ==
In the centre of the High Street is [[Hawick Town Hall]], designed in the [[Scottish baronial architecture|Scottish baronial style]] and completed in 1886, and the east end has an [[equestrian statue]], known as "the Horse", erected in 1914. Drumlanrig's Tower, now a museum, dates largely from the mid-16th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/drumlanrig_tower.htm|title=Drumlanrig's Tower|publisher=The Douglas Archives|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>


Hawick developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries as an important town in the manufacture of [[textiles]] and [[knitwear]].<ref name="Brewers">{{cite book |last=Ayto |first=J |date=2005 |title=Brewer's Britain and Ireland |publisher=Chambers |page=292 |isbn=978-0304353859}}</ref><ref name="TweedValley">{{cite journal |last1=Macdonald |first1=Gordon |date=2015 |title=The Tweed Valley |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00665983.2015.1052620?journalCode=raij20 |journal=Archaeological Journal (London) |volume=172 |issue=Sup1 |pages=1–47 |doi=10.1080/00665983.2015.1052620 |s2cid=220274648 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="TextileWorld">{{cite journal |last1=West |first1=Andre |date=2016 |title=Technology Meets Tradition In Scotland |url=https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2016/09/technology-meets-tradition-in-scotland/ |journal=Textile World |volume=166 |issue=5 |pages=36 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref> The first [[knitting machine]]s were brought to Hawick in 1771 by John Hardie, building on an existing carpet manufacturing trade and with a view to expanding into the production of stockings.<ref name="TweedValley"/> As a result of a decline in the stocking trade by 1815, some [[weaving]] manufacturers had set up in the town using resources from the stocking trade.<ref name="TweedValley"/> These industries continued to grow in size, when in the early 1830s, the term "[[Tweed]]" originated from the town as a result of a miscommunication of [[twill]] for the [[River Tweed]].<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="Natgeo">{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/tweed-weaves-tales-of-scottish-history-and-landscapes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411223149/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/tweed-weaves-tales-of-scottish-history-and-landscapes|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2021| title=How tweed became a symbol of Scottish culture | date=14 January 2021 |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref> The town subsequently focused on the manufacturer of different textiles, hosiery and knitwear, including cashmere, adapting to different patterns and materials as fashions changed.<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="TextileWorld"/> In the 1930s, over 1200 persons were employed in producing knitwear in the town.<ref name="TweedValley"/> However, by the late 20th century, changing production methods, costs and tastes resulted in the decline of the textile industries to all but a few small businesses.<ref name="TweedValley"/><ref name="NYT">Cowell, Alan. "Cashmere Moves On, And Scotland Feels a Chill." New York Times, 27 Mar. 2004, p. C1</ref>
In 2009 another monument the ''Turning of the Bull'' (artist, Angela Hunter, [[Innerleithen]]) was unveiled in Hawick. This monument depicts William Rule turning the wild bull as it was charging King [[Robert the Bruce]], thus saving the king's life and beginning the Scottish [[Clan Turnbull|Clan of Turnbull]]. A poem written by [[John Leyden]] commemorates this historical event. "His arms robust the hardy hunter flung around his bending horns, and upward wrung, with writhing force his neck retorted round, and rolled the panting monster to the ground, crushed, with enormous strength, his bony skull; and courtiers hailed the man who turned the bull."

July 2020 saw the start of work on a £92m flood-defence scheme.<ref name="BBCNews3">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-59148131| title=The battle to protect Hawick and Dumfries from flooding| date=5 November 2021|publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> But in October 2021, with engineering work still in progress, the town was severely affected by heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding.<ref name="BBCNews">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-59071373| title=Two bridges "washed away" by heavy downpours | date=27 October 2021 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref>

==Governance==
[[File:Town Hall High Street Hawick (geograph 6288490).jpg|thumb|right|190px|[[Hawick Town Hall]], High Street]]
Local government services for Hawick are provided by [[Scottish Borders Council]]. There is also a [[community council]] covering the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Community councils - Hawick |url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/directory_record/7711/hawick |website=Scottish Borders Council |access-date=23 December 2022}}</ref>

Hawick was designated a [[burgh of regality]] in 1669 and became a [[police burgh]] in 1868.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hawick Burgh |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10359910#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=23 December 2022}}</ref> [[Hawick Town Hall]] on the High Street was built in 1886, designed by [[James Campbell Walker]] in the [[Scottish baronial architecture|Scottish baronial style]].<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB34634|desc= 34-44 High Street (Even numbers), Hawick Town Hall |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>

When elected county councils were created in 1890 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], the burgh of Hawick was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so was excluded from the jurisdiction of Roxburghshire County Council.<ref>[[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], sections 8 and 105</ref> Further local government reform in 1930 brought the burgh of Hawick within the area controlled by the county council, with the town being reclassified as a [[small burgh]], ceding most of its functions to the county council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929|year=1929|chapter=25|accessdate=23 December 2022}}</ref>

In 1975 local government across Scotland was reformed under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]]. The burghs and counties were abolished as administrative areas, replaced with a two-tier system of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Hawick therefore became part of the [[Roxburgh (district)|Roxburgh]] district within the [[Scottish Borders|Borders]] region.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=23 December 2022}}</ref> Roxburgh District Council used Hawick Town Hall as its headquarters.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23569|page=999|date=29 April 1994|city=e}}</ref> Further local government reform in 1996 abolished the regions and districts, since when Hawick has been administered by Scottish Borders Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=16 December 2022}}</ref>


== Economy ==
== Economy ==
The companies William Lockie, Hawick Cashmere, Hawick Knitwear, [[Johnstons of Elgin]], [[Lyle & Scott]], Peter Scott, [[Pringle of Scotland]], and Scott and Charters, have had and in many cases still have manufacturing plants in Hawick, producing luxury [[cashmere wool|cashmere]] and [[merino]] wool [[knitwear]]. Engineering firm Turnbull and Scott had their headquarters in an [[Elizabethan style|Elizabethan-style]] [[listed building]] on Commercial Road before moving to [[Burnfoot, Scottish Borders|Burnfoot]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=16–20 Commercial Road |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-50816-16-20-even-numbers-commercial-road-turnbu |publisher=British Listed Buildings}}</ref>
The companies William Lockie, [[Hawico]], Hawick Knitwear, [[Johnstons of Elgin]], [[Lyle & Scott]], Peter Scott, [[Pringle of Scotland]], and Scott and Charters, have had and in many cases still have manufacturing plants in Hawick, producing luxury [[cashmere wool|cashmere]] and [[merino]] wool [[knitwear]]. Engineering firm Turnbull and Scott had their headquarters in an [[Elizabethan style|Elizabethan-style]] [[listed building]] on Commercial Road before moving to [[Burnfoot, Hawick|Burnfoot]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=16–20 Commercial Road |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-50816-16-20-even-numbers-commercial-road-turnbu |publisher=British Listed Buildings}}</ref>


In recent times, unemployment has been an issue in Hawick, and the unemployment claimant rate remained ahead of the overall Scottish Borders between 2014 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Hawick and Denholm – Overview of Population, Deprivation, Unemployment and Schools |publisher=Scottish Borders Council – Corporate Business Management Service |year=2017 |pages=3}}</ref> The closure of once significant employers, including mills like Peter Scott<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2016 |title=Scottish knitwear producer Peter Scott to close |url=https://www.knittingindustry.com/scottish-knitwear-producer-peter-scott-to-close/}}</ref> and Pringle<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2008 |title=Jobs blow as Pringle decides to shut Scottish knitwear plant |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/jobs-blow-as-pringle-decides-to-shut-scottish-knitwear-plant-1-1078273}}</ref> have impacted job availability in the town over the last few decades, and the population has declined partly because of this, at 13,730 in 2016, the lowest level since the 1800s. Despite efforts to improve the economic situation, employment and poverty remain relatively important in the context of the Scottish Borders, with the number of children living in poverty in the town 10% higher than the average for the region in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-31 |title=Nearly one in three Hawick kids live in poverty |url=https://planetradio.co.uk/borders/local/news/nearly-one-three-hawick-kids-live-poverty/ |archive-date=31 August 2017}}</ref> Developments such as a new central business hub,<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 October 2018 |title=Hawick business centre plans submitted |url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/news/article/3419/hawick_business_centre_plans_submitted}}</ref> [[Aldi]] supermarket,<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 April 2018 |title=Wait for Hawick's new superstore is over |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/wait-for-hawick-s-new-superstore-is-over-1-4727118}}</ref> and distillery,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 May 2018 |title=Borders Distillery opens to the public in Hawick |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-43948975}}</ref> all set for opening in 2018/19, are expected to benefit Hawick. Despite this, continued business closures, for example [[Homebase]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 August 2018 |title=Jobs to go as Hawick's Homebase store set to close |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/jobs-to-go-as-hawick-s-homebase-store-set-to-close-1-4784070}}</ref> and the Original Factory Store in 2018, suggest continued economic decline for the town.
In recent times, unemployment has been an issue in Hawick. The rate of unemployment exceeded the average for the Scottish Borders between 2014 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Hawick and Denholm – Overview of Population, Deprivation, Unemployment and Schools |publisher=Scottish Borders Council – Corporate Business Management Service |year=2017 |pages=3}}</ref> The closure of once-significant employers, including mills like Peter Scott's<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2016 |title=Scottish knitwear producer Peter Scott to close |url=https://www.knittingindustry.com/scottish-knitwear-producer-peter-scott-to-close/}}</ref> and Pringle's<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2008 |title=Jobs blow as Pringle decides to shut Scottish knitwear plant |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/jobs-blow-as-pringle-decides-to-shut-scottish-knitwear-plant-1-1078273}}</ref> have reduced the number of jobs in the town. The population has declined partly because of this; at 13,730 in 2016, it was at its lowest since the 1800s. Despite efforts to improve the economic situation, unemployment and poverty remain relatively high, with the number of children living in poverty in the town one-tenth higher than the average for the Borders region in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-31 |title=Nearly one in three Hawick kids live in poverty |url=https://planetradio.co.uk/borders/local/news/nearly-one-three-hawick-kids-live-poverty/ }}</ref> Developments such as a new business centre, which opened in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 2024 |title=Hawick Business Centre prepares to open with drop-in day |url=https://www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/news/hawickbusinesscentre }}</ref> an [[Aldi]] supermarket,<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 April 2018 |title=Wait for Hawick's new superstore is over |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/wait-for-hawick-s-new-superstore-is-over-1-4727118}}</ref> and distillery,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 May 2018 |title=Borders Distillery opens to the public in Hawick |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-43948975}}</ref> which opened in 2018–19, have benefitted Hawick. Despite this, continued business closures, for example that of [[Homebase]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 August 2018 |title=Jobs to go as Hawick's Homebase store set to close |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/jobs-to-go-as-hawick-s-homebase-store-set-to-close-1-4784070}}</ref> and the Original Factory Store in 2018, suggest continued economic decline for the town.


== Transport ==
== Transport ==
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== Culture and traditions ==
== Culture and traditions ==
===Culture===
[[File:Hornshole Statue, Hawick.jpg|thumb|upright|The "Return from Hornshole" statue, erected in 2014 and funded by the Common Riding Committee of the town.]]
[[File:Hornshole Statue, Hawick.jpg|thumb|upright|The "Return from Hornshole" statue, erected in 2014 and funded by the Common Riding Committee of the town.]]

The town hosts the annual [[Common Riding]], which combines the annual riding of the boundaries of the town's common land with the commemoration of a victory of local youths over an [[England|English]] raiding party in 1514. In March 2007, this was described by the ''[[Rough Guide]]'' publication ''World Party'' as one of the best parties in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 March 2007 |title=Guide book praises common riding |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6441611.stm |url-status=dead |access-date=16 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314194606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6441611.stm |archive-date=14 March 2007}}</ref>
The town hosts the annual [[Common Riding]], which combines the annual riding of the boundaries of the town's common land with the commemoration of a victory of local youths over an [[England|English]] raiding party in 1514. In March 2007, this was described by the ''[[Rough Guide]]'' publication ''World Party'' as one of the best parties in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 March 2007 |title=Guide book praises common riding |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6441611.stm |url-status=dead |access-date=16 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314194606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6441611.stm |archive-date=14 March 2007}}</ref>


People from Hawick call themselves "Teries", after a traditional song which includes the line "[[Teribus ye teri odin]]".
People from Hawick call themselves "Teries", after a traditional song which includes the line "[[Teribus ye teri odin]]".


Hawick and surrounding border residents are known to possess a dialect and accent slightly different from broader Scots, being classed as [[Southern Scots]] or Borders Scots.<ref name="BorderScots">{{cite web|url=https://www.scotslanguage.com/Scots_regional_dialects/Borders_Scots| title=Borders Scots |publisher=Scots Language Centre |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Voices">{{cite web|url=https://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/BBC-Voices/021M-C1190X0043XX-1501V0| title=Conversation in Hawick about accent, dialect and attitudes to language. |publisher=BBC Voices (British Library) |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="TES">{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Alan |date=2019 |title=H is for Hawick. |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632221452/AONE?u=tou&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=5e0a4abd |journal=TLS. Times Literary Supplement |volume=July |issue=6069 |pages=17 |access-date=}}</ref> For example, the term a "Hawick Gill" is a large measure of spirits, equivalent to 0.28&nbsplitre (half a pint).<ref name="Brewers"/>
Hawick and surrounding border residents are known to possess a dialect and accent slightly different from broader Scots, being classed as [[Southern Scots]] or Borders Scots.<ref name="BorderScots">{{cite web|url=https://www.scotslanguage.com/Scots_regional_dialects/Borders_Scots| title=Borders Scots |publisher=Scots Language Centre |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Voices">{{cite web|url=https://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/BBC-Voices/021M-C1190X0043XX-1501V0| title=Conversation in Hawick about accent, dialect and attitudes to language. |publisher=BBC Voices (British Library) |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="TES">{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Alan |date=2019 |title=H is for Hawick. |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632221452/AONE?u=tou&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=5e0a4abd |journal=TLS. Times Literary Supplement |volume=July |issue=6069 |pages=17 |access-date=}}</ref> For example, the term a "Hawick Gill" is a large measure of spirits, equivalent to 0.28&nbsp;litre (half a pint).<ref name="Brewers"/>

=== Monuments ===
Hawick High Street has an [[equestrian statue]] at the east end, known as "the Horse", erected in 1914. Drumlanrig's Tower, now a museum, dates largely from the mid-16th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/drumlanrig_tower.htm|title=Drumlanrig's Tower|publisher=The Douglas Archives|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>

In 2009 another monument the ''Turning of the Bull'' (artist, Angela Hunter, [[Innerleithen]]) was unveiled in Hawick. This monument depicts William Rule turning the wild bull as it was charging King [[Robert the Bruce]], thus saving the king's life and beginning the Scottish [[Clan Turnbull|Clan of Turnbull]]. A poem written by [[John Leyden]] commemorates this historical event. "His arms robust the hardy hunter flung around his bending horns, and upward wrung, with writhing force his neck retorted round, and rolled the panting monster to the ground, crushed, with enormous strength, his bony skull; and courtiers hailed the man who turned the bull."

===Media and film===


Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Scotland]] and [[ITV Border]]. Television signals are received from the [[Selkirk transmitting station|Selkirk]] TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Hawick|title=Freeview Light on the Hawick (The Scottish Borders, Scotland) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=11 December 2023}}</ref> Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Scotland]] on 93.5&nbsp;FM, [[Radio Borders|Greatest Hits Radio Scottish Borders and North Northumberland]] on 96.8&nbsp;FM and TD9 Radio, an online community based station which broadcast from the town.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://td9radio.online/spotlight/about |title=About Us|website=TD9 Radio|date=22 January 2022 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref> The town is served by its own local newspaper, ''The Hawick Paper''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thehawickpaper.co.uk/#:~:text=Owned%20and%20Edited%20Locally%20%7C%20The%20Hawick%20Paper |title=The Hawick Paper|access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref> Other newspapers that cover the town are ''The Border Telegraph'' and ''[[Southern Reporter (newspaper)|Southern Reporter]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/border-telegraph/|title=Border Telegraph|date=23 November 2013|website=British Papers|accessdate=11 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/southern-reporter/|title=Southern Reporter|date=21 January 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=11 December 2023}}</ref>
=== Film ===
Hawick is home to Alchemy Film & Arts, and its internationally renowned flagship annual event [[Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival|Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival]]. Investing in film "as a means of generating discussion, strengthening community, and stimulating creative thought",<ref>{{Cite web|last=Disbury|first=Rachael|title=About Alchemy Film & Arts|url=https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/about-alchemy-film-arts/|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Alchemy Film & Arts|language=en-GB}}</ref> Alchemy works with artists and communities within Hawick and the Scottish Borders on a year-round basis.


In summer 2019, Alchemy launched its award-winning ''Film Town'' project, which "aims to work to the benefit of Hawick and its unique communities by widening accessibility and inclusion for audiences, participants and partners, and by challenging social, physical and communication barriers... while contributing to Hawick’s economic regeneration through an investment in its cultural identity".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pattison|first=Michael|title=FILM TOWN|url=https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/film-town/|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Alchemy Film & Arts|language=en-GB}}</ref>
Hawick is home to Alchemy Film & Arts, and its internationally renowned flagship annual event [[Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival|Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival]]. Investing in film "as a means of generating discussion, strengthening community, and stimulating creative thought",<ref>{{Cite web|last=Disbury|first=Rachael|title=About Alchemy Film & Arts|url=https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/about-alchemy-film-arts/|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Alchemy Film & Arts|language=en-GB|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412114923/https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/about-alchemy-film-arts/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Alchemy works with artists and communities within Hawick and the Scottish Borders on a year-round basis. In summer 2019, Alchemy launched its award-winning ''Film Town'' project, which "aims to work to the benefit of Hawick and its unique communities by widening accessibility and inclusion for audiences, participants and partners, and by challenging social, physical and communication barriers... while contributing to Hawick's economic regeneration through an investment in its cultural identity".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pattison|first=Michael|title=FILM TOWN|url=https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/film-town/|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Alchemy Film & Arts|language=en-GB}}</ref>


In response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Alchemy delivered the tenth and eleventh editions of its annual film festival as [[Livestreaming|livestream events]] delivered from Hawick, and assisted in helping the town's communities to digitise their own services, including the production of virtual lectures for the town's 164-year-old Hawick Archaeological Society.
In response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Alchemy delivered the tenth and eleventh editions of its annual film festival as [[Livestreaming|livestream events]] delivered from Hawick, and assisted in helping the town's communities to digitise their own services, including the production of virtual lectures for the town's 164-year-old Hawick Archaeological Society.
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The town is the home of [[Hawick RFC|Hawick Rugby Football Club]] which was founded in 1873.<ref name="Brewers"/> The town has a senior football team, [[Hawick Royal Albert F.C.|Hawick Royal Albert]], who currently play in the [[East of Scotland Football League]].
The town is the home of [[Hawick RFC|Hawick Rugby Football Club]] which was founded in 1873.<ref name="Brewers"/> The town has a senior football team, [[Hawick Royal Albert F.C.|Hawick Royal Albert]], who currently play in the [[East of Scotland Football League]].


The Hawick [[Ba game|baw game]] was once played here by the 'uppies' and the 'doonies' on the first Monday after the new moon in the month of February.<ref>{{Cite news |title=February 2010 |url=http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/201002.html |access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> The river of the town formed an important part of the pitch. Although no longer played at Hawick, it is still played at nearby [[Jedburgh]].
The Hawick [[Ba game|baw game]] was once played here by the "uppies" and the "doonies" on the first Monday after the new moon in the month of February.<ref>{{Cite news |title=February 2010 |url=http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/201002.html |access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> The river of the town formed an important part of the pitch. Although no longer played at Hawick, it is still played at nearby [[Jedburgh]].


===Confectionery===
===Confectionery===
''Hawick balls'' or ''baws'', also known as Hills Balls<ref>{{Cite book |last=Herdman |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DoEKAQAAMAAJ&q=%22hawick+balls%22 |title=The County of Roxburgh |date=22 November 1992 |publisher=Scottish Academic Press |isbn=9780707307206 |via=Google Books}}</ref> or taffy rock bools,<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&q=%22hawick+balls%22&pg=PA797 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=22 January 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199677337 |via=Google Books}}</ref> are a peppermint-flavoured boiled sweet that originated in the town.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=17 September 2010 |title=Hawick Balls |url=https://food.list.co.uk/article/29506-hawick-balls/ |website=The List}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: sndns1968 |url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sndns1968}}</ref> They are particularly associated with rugby commentator [[Bill McLaren]] who was known to offer them from a bag that he always carried.<ref name="auto" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Reason |first=Mark |date=23 September 2011 |title=Rugby World Cup 2011: Scotland captain Rory Lawson trying to live up to values of his grandfather Bill McLaren |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/8785073/Rugby-World-Cup-2011-Scotland-captain-Rory-Lawson-trying-to-live-up-to-values-of-his-grandfather-Bill-McLaren.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2010 |title=Final farewell for Bill McLaren |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/8474324.stm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2010 |title=Bill McLaren funeral: hundreds celebrate 'voice of rugby' |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/7071715/Bill-McLaren-funeral-hundreds-celebrate-voice-of-rugby.html}}</ref> They are now produced in [[Greenock]].<ref name="auto1" />
''Hawick balls'' or ''baws'', also known as Hills Balls<ref>{{Cite book |last=Herdman |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DoEKAQAAMAAJ&q=%22hawick+balls%22 |title=The County of Roxburgh |date=22 November 1992 |publisher=Scottish Academic Press |isbn=9780707307206 |via=Google Books}}</ref> or taffy rock bools,<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&q=%22hawick+balls%22&pg=PA797 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=22 January 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199677337 |via=Google Books}}</ref> are a peppermint-flavoured boiled sweet that originated in the town.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=17 September 2010 |title=Hawick Balls |url=https://food.list.co.uk/article/29506-hawick-balls/ |website=The List}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: sndns1968 |url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sndns1968}}</ref> They are particularly associated with rugby commentator [[Bill McLaren]] who was known to offer them from a bag that he always carried.<ref name="auto" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Reason |first=Mark |date=23 September 2011 |title=Rugby World Cup 2011: Scotland captain Rory Lawson trying to live up to values of his grandfather Bill McLaren |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/8785073/Rugby-World-Cup-2011-Scotland-captain-Rory-Lawson-trying-to-live-up-to-values-of-his-grandfather-Bill-McLaren.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2010 |title=Final farewell for Bill McLaren |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/8474324.stm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2010 |title=Bill McLaren funeral: hundreds celebrate "voice of rugby" |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/7071715/Bill-McLaren-funeral-hundreds-celebrate-voice-of-rugby.html}}</ref> They are now produced in [[Greenock]].<ref name="auto1" />


==Education and services==
==Community facilities==
[[File:Hawick Library 2021.jpg|thumb|right|Hawick Library, a Carnegie library, built 1904.]]
[[File:Hawick Library 2021.jpg|thumb|left|Hawick Library, a Carnegie library, built 1904.]]
[[Hawick Library]] is a [[Carnegie library|Carnegie funded library]] that opened in 1904.<ref name="TES"/><ref name="Canmorelibrary">{{Canmore |num=95668 |desc=Hawick, North Bridge Street, Carnegie Public Library |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="HESLibrary">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB51218|desc=LB51218|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
[[Hawick Library]] is a [[Carnegie library|Carnegie funded library]] that opened in 1904.<ref name="TES"/><ref name="Canmorelibrary">{{Canmore |num=95668 |desc=Hawick, North Bridge Street, Carnegie Public Library |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="HESLibrary">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB51218|desc=LB51218|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


Teviotdale Leisure Centre is the local public fitness centre, with a gym and swimming pool.<ref name="Teviotdale">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/health/swimming/swimming-pools/teviotdale-leisure-centre/| title=Teviotdale Leisure Centre |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The previous public baths, now disused were built in 1913 on Commercial Road and closed in the 1980s.<ref name="Campbell">{{cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=Douglas M. |date=1993 |title=Scottish baths 1868-1914 : and their conservation |url=https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8116?show=full |journal=Edinburgh Research Archive |pages=248 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref>
Teviotdale Leisure Centre is the local public fitness centre, with a gym, children's soft-play area and swimming pool.<ref name="Teviotdale">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/health/swimming/swimming-pools/teviotdale-leisure-centre/| title=Teviotdale Leisure Centre |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The previous public baths, now disused were built in 1913 on Commercial Road and closed in the 1980s.<ref name="Campbell">{{cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=Douglas M. |date=1993 |title=Scottish baths 1868-1914 : and their conservation |url=https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8116?show=full |journal=Edinburgh Research Archive |pages=248 |access-date=22 November 2021}}</ref>


The Borders Textile Towerhouse is a local museum focusing on the history of textiles in Hawick and the Borders area.<ref name="TowerHouse">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/borders-textile-towerhouse/| title=Borders Textile Towerhouse |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> Examples of temporary exhibitions held include an exhibit on fashion designer [[Bernat Klein]] and a history of shops in the town.<ref name="BBCExhibit">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-50465342| title=Hawick's 'forgotten shops' celebrated in new exhibition |publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Klein">{{cite web|url=https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18204935.klein-trustees-begin-weaving-legacy-project/| title=Klein trustees begin weaving legacy project |publisher=Border Telegraph |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The museum occupies a restored heritage building, formerly a hotel and inn which incorporates Drumlanrig Tower, a 16th century fortified tower.<ref name="DrumlanrigCanmore">{{Canmore |num=55397 |desc=Hawick, Kirkstile, Drumlanrig Tower, Heart Of Hawick |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="DrumlanrigHES">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB34624|desc=TOWER KNOWE, DRUMLANRIG'S TOWER, INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS TO S|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
The Borders Textile Towerhouse is a local museum focusing on the history of textiles in Hawick and the Borders area.<ref name="TowerHouse">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/borders-textile-towerhouse/| title=Borders Textile Towerhouse |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> Examples of temporary exhibitions held include an exhibit on fashion designer [[Bernat Klein]] and a history of shops in the town.<ref name="BBCExhibit">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-50465342| title=Hawick's "forgotten shops" celebrated in new exhibition | date=24 November 2019 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Klein">{{cite web|url=https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18204935.klein-trustees-begin-weaving-legacy-project/| title=Klein trustees begin weaving legacy project | date=2 February 2020 |publisher=Border Telegraph |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The museum occupies a restored heritage building, formerly a hotel and inn which incorporates Drumlanrig Tower, a 16th-century fortified tower.<ref name="DrumlanrigCanmore">{{Canmore |num=55397 |desc=Hawick, Kirkstile, Drumlanrig Tower, Heart Of Hawick |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="DrumlanrigHES">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB34624|desc=TOWER KNOWE, DRUMLANRIG'S TOWER, INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS TO S|cat=B|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


[[File:Hawick High School - geograph.org.uk - 5956966.jpg|thumb|right|Hawick High School]]
Wilton Lodge Park is a large public park in the south-west of the town.<ref name="WiltonPark">{{cite web|url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20032/parks_and_outdoors/825/wilton_lodge_park| title=Wilton Lodge Park |publisher=Scottish Borders Council |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The park is home to Hawick Museum, a public museum focusing on art and local history.<ref name="HawickMuseum">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/hawick-museum/ | title=Hawick Museum |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The museum includes local artwork, some of which was produced by members of Hawick Art Club.<ref name="HawickArt">{{cite web|url=https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18286957.scottish-art-showcased-hawick-museum/| title=Scottish art showcased in Hawick Museum |publisher=Border Telegraph |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


Wilton Lodge Park is a large public park in the south-west of the town.<ref name="WiltonPark">{{cite web|url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20032/parks_and_outdoors/825/wilton_lodge_park| title=Wilton Lodge Park |publisher=Scottish Borders Council |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The park is home to Hawick Museum, a public museum focusing on art and local history.<ref name="HawickMuseum">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/hawick-museum/ | title=Hawick Museum |publisher=Live Borders |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> The museum includes local artwork, some of which was produced by members of Hawick Art Club.<ref name="HawickArt">{{cite web|url=https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18286957.scottish-art-showcased-hawick-museum/| title=Scottish art showcased in Hawick Museum | date=7 March 2020 |publisher=Border Telegraph |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
The [[Borders Abbeys Way]] passes through Hawick. A statue of the popular rugby commentator [[Bill McLaren]] (1923–2010) is in Wilton Lodge Park, to the west of the town centre.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-07 |title=New bridge honours 'voice of rugby' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-42980532}}</ref>


In October 2021, the local council began construction of a new £2m footbridge to link local communities, as part of a broader improvements in the town to create an improved travel network in Hawick, alongside a new flood protection scheme.<ref name="Footbridges">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/business/two-communities-in-hawick-are-to-be-inter-connected-by-a-new-ps2m-footbridge-3407935 | title=Two communities in Hawick are to be inter-connected by a new £2m footbridge |publisher=Southern Reporter |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
The [[Borders Abbeys Way]] passes through Hawick. A statue of the popular rugby commentator [[Bill McLaren]] (1923–2010) is in Wilton Lodge Park, to the west of the town centre.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-07 |title=New bridge honours "voice of rugby" |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-42980532}}</ref> In October 2021, the local council began construction of a new £2m footbridge to link local communities, as part of a broader improvements in the town to create an improved travel network in Hawick, alongside a new flood protection scheme.<ref name="Footbridges">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/business/two-communities-in-hawick-are-to-be-inter-connected-by-a-new-ps2m-footbridge-3407935 | title=Two communities in Hawick are to be inter-connected by a new £2m footbridge | date=5 October 2021 |publisher=Southern Reporter |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>


[[Hawick Community Hospital]] is the local hospital for the area, itself replacing [[Hawick Cottage Hospital]] in 2005.<ref name=hh>{{cite web|url=https://historic-hospitals.com/gazetteer/scottish-borders/|title=Hawick Cottage Hospital|date=26 April 2015 |publisher=Historic Hospitals|accessdate=5 February 2020}}</ref>
===Hospital===
[[Hawick Community Hospital]] is the local hospital for the area, itself replacing [[Hawick Cottage Hospital]] in 2005.<ref name=hh>{{cite web|url=https://historic-hospitals.com/gazetteer/scottish-borders/|title=Hawick Cottage Hospital|publisher=Historic Hospitals|accessdate=5 February 2020}}</ref>


[[Hawick High School]] is a non-denominational [[secondary school]] in the town.<ref name="HighSchool">{{cite web|url=http://hawickhighschool.co.uk/| title=Homepage |publisher=Hawick High School |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> In September 2021, it was announced that a new circa £49 million will be built to replace the current school on its existing site by 2027.<ref name="SchoolNews">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/education/a-new-ps484m-hawick-high-school-will-be-completed-by-2027-3390264| title=A new £48.4m Hawick High School will be completed by 2027| date=21 September 2021|publisher=The Southern Reporter |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref>
==Education==
[[Hawick High School]] is a non-denominational [[secondary school]] in the town.<ref name="HighSchool">{{cite web|url=http://hawickhighschool.co.uk/| title=Homepage |publisher=Hawick High School |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> In September 2021, it was announced that a new circa £49 million will be built to replace the current school on its existing site by 2027.<ref name="SchoolNews">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/education/a-new-ps484m-hawick-high-school-will-be-completed-by-2027-3390264| title=A new £48.4m Hawick High School will be completed by 2027|publisher=The Southern Reporter |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref>


== Town twinning ==
== Town twinning ==
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Bailleul, Nord|Bailleul]], [[Nord (French department)|Nord]], France<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tornado hits Hawick twin town Bailleul |url=http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/news/local-headlines/tornado-hits-hawick-twin-town-bailleul-1-3155785 |access-date=28 April 2014 |website=[[Hawick News]]}}</ref>
Hawick is [[sister city|twinned]] with [[Bailleul, Nord|Bailleul]], [[Nord (French department)|Nord]], France.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tornado hits Hawick twin town Bailleul |url=http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/news/local-headlines/tornado-hits-hawick-twin-town-bailleul-1-3155785 |access-date=28 April 2014 |website=[[Hawick News]]}}</ref>


==Notable people==
==Notable people==
[[File:(Horn's Hole, Hawick, Scotland) (LOC) (3450338616).jpg|thumb|"Horn's Hole, Hawick, Scotland", ca. 1890 – 1900]]
[[File:Hawick 06.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Hawick Town Hall]], on High Street by [[James Campbell Walker]]]]
[[File:A track to the west of Shankend Farm - geograph.org.uk - 508017.jpg|thumb|A track to the west of Shankend Farm. The twin summits in the distance are the [[Maiden Paps, Hawick|Maiden Paps]].]]


===Arts===
===Arts===
Line 169: Line 181:
*[[Dave Valentine]] (1926–1976), rugby player
*[[Dave Valentine]] (1926–1976), rugby player
*[[Rory Sutherland (rugby union)|Rory Sutherland]] (born 1992), rugby player
*[[Rory Sutherland (rugby union)|Rory Sutherland]] (born 1992), rugby player
*[[Lisa Thomson]] (born 1997), rugby player


===Politics and public life===
===Politics and public life===
* [[John Daykins]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]] [[Military Medal|MM]] (1883–1933), decorated [[British Army]] sergeant of the [[First World War]]
* [[John Daykins]] (1883–1933), [[Victoria Cross]] and [[Military Medal]] decorated [[British Army]] sergeant of the [[First World War]]
* [[Helen Wilson Fell]] was born here in 1849 and became a leading suffragist and philanthropist in Sydney<ref>{{Citation |last=Godden |first=Judith |title=Fell, Helen Wilson (1849–1935) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fell-helen-wilson-12916 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |access-date=2023-09-09 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Nigel Griffiths]] (born 1955), politician
* [[Nigel Griffiths]] (born 1955), politician
* [[Tom Jenkins (teacher)|Tom Jenkins]] (1797–1859) the United Kingdom's first black schoolteacher
* [[Tom Jenkins (teacher)|Tom Jenkins]] (1797–1859) the United Kingdom's first black schoolteacher
Line 180: Line 194:
===Business===
===Business===
* [[John Inglis and Company|John Inglis]] (1823–1898), Hawick-born and raised Canadian manufacturer of engines and consumer products
* [[John Inglis and Company|John Inglis]] (1823–1898), Hawick-born and raised Canadian manufacturer of engines and consumer products
*[[James Alison (architect)|James Alison]] (1862–1932), Dalkeith (Eskbank) born architect practising in Hawick


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 186: Line 201:
*[[Stirches]]
*[[Stirches]]
*[[Wilton Dean]]
*[[Wilton Dean]]

== Gallery ==
<gallery caption="" class="center">
File:SCO-Hawick-Welcome to 2018.jpg|Welcome to Hawick sign (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Welcome to artwork 2018.jpg|Artwork of to welcome people to Hawick (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-town Buccleugh Road 2018.jpg|Looking down Buccleuch Road westward from the town centre, with blue and yellow Hawick bunting (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Academy 2018.jpg|Part of school buildings of the Hawick Academy, Buccleuch Road (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-stream 2018.jpg|Slitrig Water looking upstream following the B6399 road (Slitrig Crescent) (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-stream Slitrig 2018.jpg|Slitrig Water going downstream following the B6399 road (Slitrig Crescent), through the tunnel under the Heritage Hub building (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-The ride 2018.jpg|Horse riders of the Hawick Common Ride going down the B6399 road (Tower Knowe) through the town centre (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-1514 memorial 2018.jpg|The stone monument commemorating the 1514 repelling of English border raiders (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Terry 2018.jpg|Artwork in foyer of Heritage Hub building of a boy on a horse, rendered mostly in material (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-hill 2018.jpg|Looking over Hawick and surrounding green hills from Moat Park mound, Loan (street) (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-town 2018.jpg|Looking over Hawick and surrounding green hills, from the Stirches suburb (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-tartan 2018.jpg|Hawick Scottish tartan of green and blue with yellow and red lines, worn on a doll and teddy bear in shopfront window (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-town High Street 2018.jpg|Looking down High Street south-west to the town centre, near O'Connell Street, with blue and yellow Hawick town bunting (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Heritage Hub 2018.jpg|The Heritage Hub building, Slitrig Crescet (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Winton 2018.jpg|River Teviot, near Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Teviot 2018.jpg|The River Teviot moving left, at the junction of the Slitrig Water on the right (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Teviot upstream 2018.jpg|The River Teviot looking upstream towards the Bath Street pedestrian bridge (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-Teviot downstream 2018.jpg|River Teviot downstream 2018
File:SCO-Hawick-road north 2018.jpg|Wellogate Brae minor road going east from the town (2018)
File:SCO-Hawick-northbound 2018.jpg|A7 road going north from Hawick township (2018)
</gallery>


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 05:12, 14 December 2024

Not to be confused with Howick (disambiguation).

Hawick
Town and former burgh
A town landscape
The River Teviot running through Hawick, with the town hall visible
Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
Hawick
Location within the Scottish Borders
Area1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2)
Population13,512 (2022)[3]
• Density7,112/sq mi (2,746/km2)
LanguageEnglish
Southern Scots
OS grid referenceNT505155
• Edinburgh39.7 mi (63.9 km) NNW
• London292 mi (470 km) SSE
Community council
  • Hawick
  • Burnfoot
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHAWICK
Postcode districtTD9
Dialling code01450
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
Websitescotborders.gov.uk
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°25′19″N 2°47′13″W / 55.422°N 2.787°W / 55.422; -2.787

Hawick (/hɔɪk/ ⓘ HOYK;  Scots: Haaick; Scottish Gaelic: Hamhaig) is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Jedburgh and 8.9 miles (14.3 km) south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of the furthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and is the biggest town in Roxburghshire. The town is at the confluence of the Slitrig Water with the River Teviot.

The town was formally established in the 16th century, but was previously the site of historic settlement going back hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, the town began to grow significantly, especially during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian era as a centre for the production of textiles, with a focus on knitting and weaving, involving materials such as tweed and cashmere. By the late 20th century, textile production had declined but the town remains an important regional centre for shopping, tourism and services. Hawick's architecture is distinctive in that it has many sandstone buildings with slate roofs. The town has several museums, parks and heritage sites. The town hosts the annual Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival.

History

[edit]

The name Hawick is Old English in origin, first recorded in 1167 and translates as "enclosed farm" or "enclosed hamlet".[4] The origin of the name of Hawick was first researched in the 1860s by James Murray, a local teacher and later the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.[5] The town has a long history of habitation being settled at the confluence of Slitrig Water and the River Teviot.[6] The west end of the town contains "the Motte", the remains of a likely 12th century Scoto-Norman motte-and-bailey castle.[7]

On 20 June 1342, as Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie according to the duty of his office as Sheriff of Teviotsdale was holding court in the church of Hawick, William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale came with an armed retinue and entered the church. He was courteously welcomed. Douglas and his men attacked Ramsay and dragged him bleeding and in chains to Hermitage Castle; It is generally assumed because Douglas believed he should be Sheriff of Teviotdale. There Ramsay was imprisoned in a dungeon where he died of starvation.[8]

The origin of Hawick being formally declared a town are said to originate with the Battle of Hornshole which was fought in 1514 between an English raiding party and young locals from Hawick.[6][9] In 2014, on the 500th anniversary of the battle, some 1,800 children dressed in period costumes re-enacted the battle.[9] The oldest official document of the town is a deed dated 11 October 1537 in which the town was re-declared a free burgh since time immemorial.[10]

Population
YearPop.±%
197117,251—    
199115,704−9.0%
200114,573−7.2%
201114,294−1.9%
201613,730−3.9%
202013,610−0.9%
202113,586−0.2%
202213,512−0.5%
Source:
[11][12][13][14][15]

St Mary's and Old Parish Church is the oldest church in the town, being constructed in 1764 on the site of an earlier 13th century church.[16] The church was extensively damaged by fire in the late 19th century but was reconstructed in a similar style.[16] The cemetery contains 17th and 18th century gravestones, as well as an elaborate ironwork memorial gate given by the town council.[16]

Hawick developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries as an important town in the manufacture of textiles and knitwear.[17][18][19] The first knitting machines were brought to Hawick in 1771 by John Hardie, building on an existing carpet manufacturing trade and with a view to expanding into the production of stockings.[18] As a result of a decline in the stocking trade by 1815, some weaving manufacturers had set up in the town using resources from the stocking trade.[18] These industries continued to grow in size, when in the early 1830s, the term "Tweed" originated from the town as a result of a miscommunication of twill for the River Tweed.[18][20] The town subsequently focused on the manufacturer of different textiles, hosiery and knitwear, including cashmere, adapting to different patterns and materials as fashions changed.[18][19] In the 1930s, over 1200 persons were employed in producing knitwear in the town.[18] However, by the late 20th century, changing production methods, costs and tastes resulted in the decline of the textile industries to all but a few small businesses.[18][21]

July 2020 saw the start of work on a £92m flood-defence scheme.[22] But in October 2021, with engineering work still in progress, the town was severely affected by heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding.[23]

Governance

[edit]
Hawick Town Hall, High Street

Local government services for Hawick are provided by Scottish Borders Council. There is also a community council covering the town.[24]

Hawick was designated a burgh of regality in 1669 and became a police burgh in 1868.[25] Hawick Town Hall on the High Street was built in 1886, designed by James Campbell Walker in the Scottish baronial style.[26]

When elected county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, the burgh of Hawick was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so was excluded from the jurisdiction of Roxburghshire County Council.[27] Further local government reform in 1930 brought the burgh of Hawick within the area controlled by the county council, with the town being reclassified as a small burgh, ceding most of its functions to the county council.[28]

In 1975 local government across Scotland was reformed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The burghs and counties were abolished as administrative areas, replaced with a two-tier system of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Hawick therefore became part of the Roxburgh district within the Borders region.[29] Roxburgh District Council used Hawick Town Hall as its headquarters.[30] Further local government reform in 1996 abolished the regions and districts, since when Hawick has been administered by Scottish Borders Council.[31]

Economy

[edit]

The companies William Lockie, Hawico, Hawick Knitwear, Johnstons of Elgin, Lyle & Scott, Peter Scott, Pringle of Scotland, and Scott and Charters, have had and in many cases still have manufacturing plants in Hawick, producing luxury cashmere and merino wool knitwear. Engineering firm Turnbull and Scott had their headquarters in an Elizabethan-style listed building on Commercial Road before moving to Burnfoot.[32]

In recent times, unemployment has been an issue in Hawick. The rate of unemployment exceeded the average for the Scottish Borders between 2014 and 2017.[33] The closure of once-significant employers, including mills like Peter Scott's[34] and Pringle's[35] have reduced the number of jobs in the town. The population has declined partly because of this; at 13,730 in 2016, it was at its lowest since the 1800s. Despite efforts to improve the economic situation, unemployment and poverty remain relatively high, with the number of children living in poverty in the town one-tenth higher than the average for the Borders region in 2017.[36] Developments such as a new business centre, which opened in 2024,[37] an Aldi supermarket,[38] and distillery,[39] which opened in 2018–19, have benefitted Hawick. Despite this, continued business closures, for example that of Homebase[40] and the Original Factory Store in 2018, suggest continued economic decline for the town.

Transport

[edit]

Hawick lies in the centre of the valley of the Teviot. The A7 Edinburgh–Carlisle road passes through the town, with main roads also leading to Berwick-upon-Tweed (the A698) and Newcastle upon Tyne (the A6088, which joins the A68 at the Carter Bar, 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Hawick).

The town lost its rail service in 1969, when, as part of the Beeching Axe, the Waverley Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh via Hawick railway station was closed. It was then said to be the farthest large town from a railway station in the United Kingdom,[41] but this changed as a result of the opening of the Borders Railway, which, in 2015, reopened part of the former Waverley Route to Tweedbank, near Galashiels. Regular buses serve the railway station at Carlisle, 42 miles (68 km) away. Reconnecting Hawick to the Borders Railway would require reinstatement of a further approximately 17 miles (27 km) of the former Waverley Route from Hawick to Tweedbank station via Hassendean, St Boswells and Melrose, with refurbishment of the four-arch Ale Water viaduct[42] near New Belses. Hawick station was on the north bank of the river Teviot, below Wilton Hill Terrace, with a now demolished viaduct (near the Mart Street bridge) carrying the route south towards Carlisle. Waverley Walk[43] in Hawick is a footpath along the former railway route, north-eastward from the former station site near Teviotdale Leisure Centre. A feasibility study is now underway to evaluate the possible reopening of the southern section of the former Waverley railway to link the Borders Railway terminus at Tweedbank through Hawick to Carlisle.

The nearest major airports are at Edinburgh, 57 miles (92 km) away, and Newcastle, 56 miles (90 km) away.

Culture and traditions

[edit]

Culture

[edit]
The "Return from Hornshole" statue, erected in 2014 and funded by the Common Riding Committee of the town.

The town hosts the annual Common Riding, which combines the annual riding of the boundaries of the town's common land with the commemoration of a victory of local youths over an English raiding party in 1514. In March 2007, this was described by the Rough Guide publication World Party as one of the best parties in the world.[44]

People from Hawick call themselves "Teries", after a traditional song which includes the line "Teribus ye teri odin".

Hawick and surrounding border residents are known to possess a dialect and accent slightly different from broader Scots, being classed as Southern Scots or Borders Scots.[45][46][5] For example, the term a "Hawick Gill" is a large measure of spirits, equivalent to 0.28 litre (half a pint).[17]

Monuments

[edit]

Hawick High Street has an equestrian statue at the east end, known as "the Horse", erected in 1914. Drumlanrig's Tower, now a museum, dates largely from the mid-16th century.[47]

In 2009 another monument the Turning of the Bull (artist, Angela Hunter, Innerleithen) was unveiled in Hawick. This monument depicts William Rule turning the wild bull as it was charging King Robert the Bruce, thus saving the king's life and beginning the Scottish Clan of Turnbull. A poem written by John Leyden commemorates this historical event. "His arms robust the hardy hunter flung around his bending horns, and upward wrung, with writhing force his neck retorted round, and rolled the panting monster to the ground, crushed, with enormous strength, his bony skull; and courtiers hailed the man who turned the bull."

Media and film

[edit]

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Scotland and ITV Border. Television signals are received from the Selkirk TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter.[48] Local radio stations are BBC Radio Scotland on 93.5 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Scottish Borders and North Northumberland on 96.8 FM and TD9 Radio, an online community based station which broadcast from the town.[49] The town is served by its own local newspaper, The Hawick Paper.[50] Other newspapers that cover the town are The Border Telegraph and Southern Reporter.[51][52]

Hawick is home to Alchemy Film & Arts, and its internationally renowned flagship annual event Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival. Investing in film "as a means of generating discussion, strengthening community, and stimulating creative thought",[53] Alchemy works with artists and communities within Hawick and the Scottish Borders on a year-round basis. In summer 2019, Alchemy launched its award-winning Film Town project, which "aims to work to the benefit of Hawick and its unique communities by widening accessibility and inclusion for audiences, participants and partners, and by challenging social, physical and communication barriers... while contributing to Hawick's economic regeneration through an investment in its cultural identity".[54]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alchemy delivered the tenth and eleventh editions of its annual film festival as livestream events delivered from Hawick, and assisted in helping the town's communities to digitise their own services, including the production of virtual lectures for the town's 164-year-old Hawick Archaeological Society.

Sports

[edit]

The town is the home of Hawick Rugby Football Club which was founded in 1873.[17] The town has a senior football team, Hawick Royal Albert, who currently play in the East of Scotland Football League.

The Hawick baw game was once played here by the "uppies" and the "doonies" on the first Monday after the new moon in the month of February.[55] The river of the town formed an important part of the pitch. Although no longer played at Hawick, it is still played at nearby Jedburgh.

Confectionery

[edit]

Hawick balls or baws, also known as Hills Balls[56] or taffy rock bools,[57] are a peppermint-flavoured boiled sweet that originated in the town.[58][59] They are particularly associated with rugby commentator Bill McLaren who was known to offer them from a bag that he always carried.[57][60][61][62] They are now produced in Greenock.[58]

Education and services

[edit]
Hawick Library, a Carnegie library, built 1904.

Hawick Library is a Carnegie funded library that opened in 1904.[5][63][64]

Teviotdale Leisure Centre is the local public fitness centre, with a gym, children's soft-play area and swimming pool.[65] The previous public baths, now disused were built in 1913 on Commercial Road and closed in the 1980s.[66]

The Borders Textile Towerhouse is a local museum focusing on the history of textiles in Hawick and the Borders area.[67] Examples of temporary exhibitions held include an exhibit on fashion designer Bernat Klein and a history of shops in the town.[68][69] The museum occupies a restored heritage building, formerly a hotel and inn which incorporates Drumlanrig Tower, a 16th-century fortified tower.[70][71]

Hawick High School

Wilton Lodge Park is a large public park in the south-west of the town.[72] The park is home to Hawick Museum, a public museum focusing on art and local history.[73] The museum includes local artwork, some of which was produced by members of Hawick Art Club.[74]

The Borders Abbeys Way passes through Hawick. A statue of the popular rugby commentator Bill McLaren (1923–2010) is in Wilton Lodge Park, to the west of the town centre.[75] In October 2021, the local council began construction of a new £2m footbridge to link local communities, as part of a broader improvements in the town to create an improved travel network in Hawick, alongside a new flood protection scheme.[76]

Hawick Community Hospital is the local hospital for the area, itself replacing Hawick Cottage Hospital in 2005.[77]

Hawick High School is a non-denominational secondary school in the town.[78] In September 2021, it was announced that a new circa £49 million will be built to replace the current school on its existing site by 2027.[79]

Town twinning

[edit]

Hawick is twinned with Bailleul, Nord, France.[80]

Notable people

[edit]

Arts

[edit]

Journalism

[edit]

Science

[edit]

Sports

[edit]

Politics and public life

[edit]

Business

[edit]
  • John Inglis (1823–1898), Hawick-born and raised Canadian manufacturer of engines and consumer products
  • James Alison (1862–1932), Dalkeith (Eskbank) born architect practising in Hawick

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ An Stòr-dàta Briathrachais, www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  2. ^ Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots
  3. ^ "About Teviot and Liddesdale".
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Further reading

[edit]
  • Murray, James (1870–72, 1873) The Dialect of the Southern Counties of Scotland, London: Philological Society.
  • Scott, Douglas, A Hawick Word Book (2002–2022), PDF file
[edit]
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