Area

History

Broughton and the surrounding area have a very interesting history, going back to the 17th-century and earlier. In this Historical Section of the UTCC website, you will find a variety of information, which we hope can be extended in the future.

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Starting with the oldest signs of habitation, there are numerous pre-historic sites in the neighborhood, many of which you can find as you walk the nearby hills. The best of these sites is the Dreva Hill Fort, only 2 miles from the village along the Dreva Road. It is easy to find and even has its own little car park. With magnificent views, it is indeed a splendid place to visit. As well as the remains of the fort itself, with its two massive stone walls, there are the remains of a later settlement and a nearby field system. The history of the site has not come down to us, but we can imagine that, although from time to time it may have been a scene of violent conflict, it was also a place that some people called home.

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Information about other prehistoric sites in the area and some medieval and later historic
buildings can be found here.

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If you are curious about the meanings of the old place names in the area, details can be found here.

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Many women and some men were accused of witchcraft in 17th-century Scotland and this happened in Broughton also. In 1622 a parishioner who made such an accusation was ordered to sit for three Sundays in sackcloth in the place of repentance. On another occasion, four people were tried for witchcraft at Glenholm.

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In 1691 there was a big upheaval at Broughton Kirk, when the minister, William Simson, was ejected by the Presbytery because they objected to his doctrine, he was negligent, was seen overtaken with drink, and seldom prayed with his family on week-days and only sometimes on Sundays; moreover, he had declined to read a proclamation from King William and Queen Mary and had contemptuously thrown it down at the kirk door. Simson noisily protested against his ejection but to no avail.

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There were taut nerves in the village when John Murray of Broughton House fled here after the battle of Culloden in 1746. You can find out what happened, and how he covered himself in shame afterward here.

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Around 1750 the village of Broughton seems to have consisted mainly of the old kirk, Broughton House, an inn, one or two ale houses, and some cottages and farms In 1764 Broughton House was bought by James Dickson, a wealthy merchant and a member of parliament, and it was as a result of his initiative that the village street as we know it today was built. Certainly, a number of the houses in the street have origins dating from the second half of the 18th-century. However, Broughton House itself was burned to the ground in 1775 through the carelessness of a servant.

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A few glimpses of village life a couple of centuries ago have survived. James Dickson employed workmen to dig up one of the prehistoric sites in search of treasure but all that was found were some coins and pieces of old armour. Because a number of the older cottages were pulled down, the population of the whole parish decreased from 367 in 1755 to 264 in 1793, at which time there were 20 dwelling houses in the village, containing 36 adults and 61 children, and a school with 20 to 30 pupils. A farm worker earned a shilling a day. A fair was held in the village on 4 th of October each year for the hiring of servants and the sale of cheese. You can read Thomas Carlyle’s criticisms of the Broughton inn in 1816 here.

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In 1834 the first comprehensive account of the village was published. The report contains many fascinating details which show that the village was even then recognisable as the village we know today.

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The Caledonian Railway from Symington to Peebles opened in 1864, with a station at Broughton, and this opened up the area to summer visitors. A description of Broughton in 1882 gives details of natural features in the area and reveals that at Rachan Mill there was a great bacon and ham curing establishment.

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In 1938 the building of the splendid new house known as Broughton Place was finished, built in an earlier style on the site of old Broughton House after the site had remained vacant for 150 years.

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Anna Buchan, sister of the famous novelist John Buchan, lived in Peebles and wrote some novels herself under the pseudonym O. Douglas. She frequently visited Broughton and in 1948 some of her interesting light-hearted reminiscences of the village appeared.

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The railway closed to passengers in 1950, though goods traffic continued until 1966. Several sections of the line on both sides of the village have now become footpaths for delightful rural walks.

The village store had a community buy out in 2019 after it was threatened with closure, and it is now continuing to provide a much-needed service for the whole area.

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The recent history of the village includes an open-air community party that the Community Council organised in the playing field to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022. Many people turned out for a very enjoyable and relaxing occasion with live music, refreshments, and a village photo. A tree was planted by Sir Hew Strachan, Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale, to mark the occasion.

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Many photos of the village have been reproduced on postcards over the last century and a selection can be found here, together with a few old maps.