Channelkirk
| Channelkirk | |
|---|---|
 Channelkirk
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| Channelkirk shown within the Scottish Borders | |
| OS grid reference | NT4814954509 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Lauder |
| Postcode district | TD2 |
| Dialling code | 01578 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Channelkirk is a parish and community council area in the north-west corner of the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, forming the upper part of the ancient district of Lauderdale, while the parish of Lauder forms the lower part. The Community Council has the name Oxton and Channelkirk, Oxton being the main village of the parish. It was formerly in the Ettrick and Lauderdale district of Borders Region. A small strip of land along the northern boundary of the parish was added to Ettrick and Lauderdale district and thus also to the community council area, in the Brothershiels area, in 1988.
The parish is bounded on the west by the parish of Stow, on the north by the parishes of Fala and Soutra (in Midlothian) and Humbie (in East Lothian) and on the east and south-east by Lauder (also in Berwickshire). The church is about 6 miles NNW of Lauder, while the village of Oxton (population 272 in 2001) is about 4½ miles NNW of that town.
The parish is drained by several headwaters of the Leader Water, the river of Lauderdale, one of which is Kelphope Burn, which forms the eastern boundary. There are several prominent hills, from Collie Law (1286 ft) in the south to Dun Law (1292 ft) and Ninecairn Edge (1478 ft) on the northern boundary, the western most reach of the Lammermuir hills. The parish is about 6½ miles; north to south and its width is about 5 miles.
Channelkirk Church lies in open countryside, commanding a view down the valley. It is the mother kirk of Lauderdale and its site dates back to St Cuthbert. Near the source of the burn Holy Water Cleugh, nearby, St Cuthbert, while a child, was placed under the protection of a religious man during his mother’s pilgrimage to Rome, in 636 AD. Afterwards a church was established by Dryburgh Abbey with the name 'Childeschirche' (the old name of Channelkirk), in his honour. More recently its name was Gingle-kirk and was so written in the parochial records and also pronounced as such. The present building was erected in 1817 by James Gillespie Graham, in Perpendicular Gothic style. The bell of 1702 is still rung on Sundays, although services take place at a hall in Oxton in the winter months.
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Wikipedia