- Roxburgh
infobox UK place
country = Scotland
official_name= Roxburgh
latitude=55.56814
longitude=-2.47727
map_type=Scotland
gaelic_name= Rosbrog
scots_name= Roxburgh, Rosbroch
os_grid_reference= NT700306
population= 70
unitary_scotland=Scottish Borders
lieutenancy_scotland=Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale
post_town= KELSO|postcode_district = TD5
postcode_area= TD
dial_code= 01573
constituency_westminster= Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk
constituency_scottish_parliament= Roxburgh & Berwickshire The destroyedroyal burgh of Roxburgh (or Rosbroch) was an important tradingburgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In theMiddle Ages it had at least as much importance asEdinburgh ,Stirling , orBerwick-upon-Tweed , for a time acting as "de facto" capital (as royal residence of David I).History
Its significance lay in its position in the centre of some of
Lowland Scotland 's most agriculturally fertile areas, and its position upon theRiver Tweed , which allowed river transport of goods via the main seaport of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Its position also acted as a barrier to English invasion.The town stood on a defensible peninsula between the rivers Tweed and Teviot, with
Roxburgh Castle guarding the narrow neck of the peninsula. Nothing remains of the town except some ruined segments of castle ramparts. Its site lies to the south of modern Kelso andFloors Castle , which lie on the other side of the Tweed. TheDuke of Roxburghe owns the site.English and Scots forces repeatedly captured and recaptured the town during the
Scottish Wars of Independence . Its final recapture in1460 saw the town and castle destroyed. After this time the town never regained its importance because the final English capture of Berwick-upon-Tweed in1482 left Roxburgh with little reason to exist.Roxburgh was superseded as the
county town of the former county ofRoxburghshire byJedburgh . [ [http://www.channel4.com/history/timeteam/2004_rox_ancient.html channel4.com - Time Team 2004 - Roxburgh - Further reading ] ]Etymology
Roxburgh probably comes from Old English "*hrōcas burh", "rook's borough". [ [http://www.ancestry.com/facts/roxburgh-family-history.ashx roxburgh Family History Facts 1920 - Ancestry.com ] ] However, numerous other suggestions have been offered, including Middle English "rockes burh", "
burgh of rocks", "Rouges burh", after its ancient inhabitantsFact|date=May 2008, or "Rokes burh", "St. Rok's borough", being dedicated to St. Rok.Facts|date=May 2008Roxburgh District
Roxburgh District 1975–96 In more recent times (1975–1996), "Roxburgh" referred to a local government district in the Borders region of
Scotland . Its borders broadly resembled those of the traditional county ofRoxburghshire . In 1996 the district of Roxburgh became part of the Scottish Borders unitary area. (See also:Subdivisions of Scotland )Roxburgh (village)
Nowadays the name Roxburgh belongs to a small village about one and a half miles southwest of the site of the historic Roxburgh.
ee also
*
List of places in the Scottish Borders
Notes
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