Coldingham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coldingham is an historic village in Berwickshire, on southeast Scotland's coastline.

As early as 660AD, Coldingham was the site of a religious establishment of high order, when it is recorded that Etheldrida, the Queen of Egfrid, became a nun at the Abbey of Coldingham, then under the management of Aebbe the Elder, aunt of her husband. In 679AD, Bede described it as "the Monastery of Virgins", and states that in that year the monastery burnt down. It was rebuilt, but was again destroyed by fire at the hands of a raiding party of Danes in 870. This time the ruins were not rebuilt, it would appear, until 1098, when the Priory of Coldingham was founded by King Edgar in honour of St.Cuthbert. It became the caput for the Barony of Coldingham, the Prior being the feudal lord, and continued in its religious purposes until 1560 when it was partially destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. However a portion of it continued its religious activities until 1650 when it was fortified against Oliver Cromwell. After a siege of two days, the main tower in which the besieged defended themselves was so shattered by artillery, that they were forced to capitulate. This great tower of the original Priory finally collapsed about 1777. The ruins of about 40% of the original Priory church were reconsructed in 1855 and it is today used as the parish church, the most notable building in the parish.

John Stewart, second son of Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell, succeeded his father and was the last Commendator of Coldingham Priory. He personally received from the Crown a charter dated 19 October 1621 of the lands and baronies belonging to the Priory, united into one barony. Feu charters in the hands of many of the small proprietors in the neighbourhood were originally granted by him. In 1857 there were about 70 'heritors' or feuholders in the barony. Today, of course, there are may more. The Barony of Coldingham was afterwards granted to the Earl of Home, in whose family it still remains.

Nearby Coldingham Bay has a sandy secluded beach popular with surfers, with rows of established beach huts, normally more often seen on southern English beaches.