166 TIte Pre- Reformation Churches of Berwickshire. 



WESTEUTHER. 



*' It was only of a comparatively modern date that Westruther 

 became a separate and independent parish. It belonged ancient- 

 ly to the widely extended parish of Home. On a new parochial 

 division of this district at the Reformation it became a part of 

 the parish of Gordon, and, down to the year 1647, the inhab- 

 itants of this place h^id no nearer place of worship than the 

 church of Grordon. That church, however, being about eight 

 miles distant from the most northerly part of Westruther, and 

 there being no communication but through almost impassable 

 moors, a disjunction was effected, and the people supplied with 

 religious ordinances at Bassendean, which was selected from the 

 double reason of there being an old Catholic chapel there, which, 

 though it had been discontinued since the Reformation, was 

 still in good condition — and of its being the site of a populous 

 and thriving village. This, however, was only a temporary 

 arrangement. For in two years after, the inhabitants of 

 Wedderlie, Thornydyke, and Spottisvvoode, at each of which 

 places there were hamlets of considerable extent, being still 

 dissatisfied with the distance, the heritors agreed to make choice 

 of a more central situation for a church, and, accordingly, the 

 minister was removed from Bassendean to Westruther in 

 1649."* 



The first parish church of Westruther, being thus a building 

 of post-Reformation date, does not fall within the scope of this 

 paper, and, besides, possesses no features meriting description. 

 Since the New Statistical Account of the parish was written, it 

 has been superseded by a more commodious edifice, built a little 

 to the south, and is now rapidly falling into decay. 



The Church of Bassendean (Bastynden, Bakestaneden, or 

 Bassinden as it is called in old charters) anciently belonged to 

 the priory of Coldstream, and was dedicated to the Virgin.f Its 

 remains, with those of the churchyard, occup}- a grassy knoll a 

 short distance to the south of Bassendean House, and about a 

 mile from the village of Houndslow. It has been a plain 

 rectangular structure, 54^ feet long, by about 20 feet wide exter- 

 nally. The walls, which are 3 feet thick, remain to the height 

 of about 11 feet, but both gables are wanting. (Fig. 37.) 



* New Statistical Account of Berwickshire, p. 63. 

 t Chartulary of Coldstream, p. 32. 



