peebles for pleasure: St Andrews Tower

Welcome!

This blog is to introduce you to my town - Peebles, in the Scottish Borders - just one photo at a time, with perhaps a little description and maybe some history thrown in. I hope you will find it interesting. The title comes from a historical comment made by someone who preferred Peebles to the great and famous cities. I know how they felt. It's always a pleasure to return here however long you've been away.

If you want to make a comment, ask me a question, or merely just want to say "hello, I've dropped in", you can do that by using the comment section below each entry. (Just click on the word COMMENT and follow instructions. ) I'd love to know what you think of what you see of my town.

I don't have an expensive elaborate camera so the photo quality may not be brilliant, but I'd like to think my pics will please you. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks to Mary H for the lovely designs I used for my background, and thanks too to all of you who have chosen to support my blog by becoming "followers".

Tuesday 2 June 2009

St Andrews Tower

St Andrews tower and an ivy-covered section of wall are all that remain of the old parish church of Peebles. Now the cemetery has grown round it and been extended several times. I took a walk through the cemetery for really the first time, barring attending burials, and realised just how interesting it is.

Wikipedia has this to say: "The oldest building in Peebles is the tower of St Andrew's Church. The church was founded in 1195. It was destroyed (along with many other Borders abbeys and priories) by the soldiers of Henry VIII. The stones of the ruins were pilfered for many other local buildings leaving only the tower standing amongst the gravestone of the churchyard."

Apparently in the 16th century, suspected witches were imprisoned in the tower until their execution! Charming!