Kelso Abbey

Remains of a 12th century Abbey and old graveyard, located close to the town centre.

Tironensian monks moved here from Selkirk around 1128 and founded the oldest and largest of the Border Abbeys. Kelso was very wealthy and this, coupled with its proximity to the Border with England, meant that the abbey was a natural target for marauding English armies. The buildings were attacked on several occasions, including a devastating attack in 1545 when Spanish soldiers stormed the church and systematically dismantled it. The impressive west end of the Romanesque church with its unusual transepts and central tower still survives.

Dent, J & McDonald, R, 1998. Christian Heritage in the Borders.