Explore a unique and charming look at the history of Hawick, its surrounding areas and its local inhabitants, through a fascinating collection of beautiful photographs.

This local history tells the centuries-long story of a Scottish Borders town through its battles, traditions and transformations from prehistory to today. Hawick, Scotland, is famous for its annual Common Riding festival, an equestrian tradition that traces its roots to the 16th century Battle of Hornshole. But in this lively history, Alistair Moffat takes the narrative much further back into the mists of prehistory, to the time of the Romans, the coming of the Angles and the Normans. Moffat recounts how Hawick got its name, where the old village stood, and who the early barons of Hawick were. He then charts the amazing rise of the textile trade, bringing the story up to the present day. Hawick has changed radically over the many centuries since people began to live between the Slitrig and the Teviot. All that experience in one place has created a rich cultural heritage, one which the people of Hawick proudly carry into the future.

Dating from the thirteenth century, Hawick has a proud history as a market town and the centre of the Borders' textile industry. It is also home to the Common Riding, the traditions of which date back to the early sixteenth century. All of these aspects of the town's past are featured in this book, which contains over 180 period photographs, many never published before. Long-gone sights include Andrew Oliver's auction mart, the opening of the old swimming baths, the railway station, the Auld Mid Raw, Buffalo Bill's Circus, and there is a special section devoted to the Common Riding. There are pages of photographs of the town's various bands, organisations, sporting clubs, and many of the community events that have been held over the decades (including the unveiling of the Horse memorial and the roller skating carnival of 1917!). The communities surrounding Hawick are also featured, including: Adderstonshiels, Appletreehall, Ashkirk, Bedrule, Bonchester Bridge, Chesters, Denholm, Hobkirk, Minto, Mosspaul, Roberton, Stobs and Teviothead.