Greenlaw
| Greenlaw | |
|---|---|
 Greenlaw Town Hall |
|
 Greenlaw
|
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| Greenlaw shown within the Scottish Borders | |
| Population | 661 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | NT7146 |
| Civil parish |
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| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GREENLAW |
| Postcode district | TD10 |
| Dialling code | 01361 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Greenlaw is a town and civil parish situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 661.
It was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the English took Berwick in 1482. At that time, Greenlaw was situated about a mile south of the present village, atop a hill - the 'Green Law'. This area is now known as Old Greenlaw.
In 1661 County Town status was lost to Duns by an Act of Parliament. But when Patrick, Earl of Marchmont attained the barony of Greenlaw in the 1670s, he made it his business to restore what he saw as the rights and privileges that came with the barony. In 1696 he succeeded: an Act of Parliament was passed, laying down in statute that the town of Greenlaw should be the Head Burgh of Berwickshire. It was around this time that the Greenlaw of the present day was founded.
However, attempts were made in 1739, 1790 and 1810 to take the rights and privileges from Greenlaw and make Duns County Town once more. Though unsuccessful in their primary aim, the grounds were laid for an 1853 Act authorising Sheriff and Commissary Courts to be held at Duns. This was the beginning of the end for Greenlaw as a County Town. Though little came of a renewed attempt in 1889, office buildings and police cells were built in Duns to prepare for the desired take-over. Finally, in 1903, a bill first introduced by the Secretary for Scotland in 1900 was passed, causing Greenlaw to lose its status the following year as County Town of Berwickshire once and for all.
Greenlaw's impressive town hall, completed in 1831, is a listed building from its county town era and was one of the buildings shortlisted in the 2006 BBC television series Restoration Village. Though it did not win in its particular category, the interest created led to the gift of private money and the building was restored in 2010.
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Wikipedia