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Newstead is a village in the Scottish Borders, just east of Melrose. It has a population of approximately 260, according to the 2001 census. It is reputedly the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Scotland. As there were undoubtedly buildings, inhabited by the locals who provided for the needs of the soldiers when the Romans were there, and that the people who remained when the Romans went back south continued to live there, and that a population is recorded there from 650AD onwards, until the present day, then this statement is probably true. The stonemasons and architects and other tradesmen who built Melrose Abbey were lodged there. In 1905 it was the site of a discovery of a very rare Roman helmet.〔(Newstead at scran.ac.uk )〕 It is situated in the valley of the River Tweed, at a crossing point for the Roman Dere Street. Newstead was of great strategic importance throughout history. This was principally due to the proximity of the prominent Eildon Hill. Former inhabitants include: the ancient Selgovae; the Roman army at Trimontium (Newstead); monks and masons, builders of nearby Melrose Abbey and, more recently, navvies working on the impressive railway viaduct at Leaderfoot. Newstead lies within the Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk constituency and the MP is Michael Moore. It lies in the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Scottish Parliament constituency and the MSP is Jeremy Purvis. ==Places of interest== On the main street of Newstead lies the village hall which was the School until 1941 when it was closed. This is used as the main place for residents to hold meetings or other community functions in the village as it is the only non residential building in the village available for public use. St John's Wynd, a lane leading to the site of the first Masonic Lodge in Scotland. Set up by the masons, mainly to control the level of training and craftsmanship of the apprentices, before becoming journeymen, the Lodge was certainly there prior to 1600. The building fell into disrepair after the Lodge moved its premises into Melrose in 1742. Only a marker stone and plaque now remain. The old railway bridge at Leaderfoot is only a ten-minute walk from Newstead village. In 1865 the magnificent Leaderfoot Viaduct of nineteen arches was constructed for the St Boswells Junction to Reston section of the Berwickshire Railway, a line which closed in 1948. It is no longer considered safe to walk over the bridge, so only viewing the bridge is possible. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Newstead, Scottish Borders」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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