Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with pointed window arches surmounted by the round-headed arches of the
triforium, which, in turn, support the lancet windows of the clerestory. Be sure you
climb up the narrow staircase in the west front to the balcony overlooking the nave,
where you can contemplate how the place must have looked all decked out for the
marriage of Alexander III to Yolande de Dreux in 1285.
Jedburgh Castle Jail
Castlegate; a 5min walk signposted from the main square • Easter-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun 1-4pm • Free
An impressive castellated nineteenth-century pile,
Jedburgh Castle Jail
, as its name
suggests, was built on the site of the old royal castle. As well as detailed information
about Jedburgh's history, there's a fascinating insight into conditions in jail,
deportations, crime and punishment. he cells themselves are, for the period,
remarkably comfortable, reflecting the influence of reformer John Howard.
2
Mary Queen of Scots House
Queen St • March-Nov Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun 11am-4pm • Free •
T
01835 863331
Despite the name, it's unlikely that Mary actually stayed in the sixteenth-century house
known as
Mary Queen of Scots House
, though she did visit the town in 1566 for the
Assizes. he attempt to unravel her complex life is cursory, the redeeming features
being a copy of her death mask and one of the few surviving portraits of the Earl of
Bothwell, her third husband.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
JEDBURGH
By bus
Buses pick up and drop off by the car park on
Canongate near the town centre. Services are provided by First
Bus and Munro's of Jedburgh,
W
munrosojedburgh.co.uk.
Destinations
Edinburgh (Mon-Sat 7 daily, 5 on Sat, 4 on
Sun; 1hr 50min); Galashiels (Mon-Sat hourly, 6 on Sun;
45min); Hawick (Mon-Sat 10-11 daily; 25min); Kelso
(Mon-Sat 10-11 daily; 25min); Melrose (Mon-Sat hourly,
6 on Sun; 30min).
INFORMATION
Tourist office
On Murray's Green across the road from
the Abbey (April-Oct daily, 9am-6pm; Nov-March
Mon-Sat 9am-5pm;
T
01835 863170,
W
jedburgh.org.
uk) and stocks the Jedburgh Town Trail leaflet.
ACCOMMODATION
Jedwater Caravan Park
4 miles south of Jedburgh,
signposted off the A68.
T
01835 840219.
The cheaper
and more secluded choice of two campsites nearby, with
a pleasant riverside setting. It's a family-orientated site,
sizeable enough to have a shop, an excit
ing
play park
and a few cute farm animals.
March-Oct.
£22
/pitch
Meadhon House
48 Castlegate
T
01835 862504,
W
meadhon.co.uk.
Pronounced “mawn”, this is the finest
of several B&Bs among Castlegate's pleasa
nt a
nd antique
row of houses, with tasteful en-suite rooms.
£60
Willow Court
The Friars; from Market Place follow
Exchange St and take the first right into Friarsgate.
T
01835 863702,
W
willowcourtjedburgh.co.uk.
This
five-star rated B&B, a 2min walk from the centre, has three
frill-packed e
n su
ites offering the highest level of comfort
in Jedburgh.
£80
JEDBURGH FESTIVALS
Jedburgh is at its busiest during the town's two main festivals. The
Common Riding
, or
Callants' Festival, takes place from late June to early July, when the young people of the town -
especially the lads - mount up and ride out to check the burgh boundaries, a reminder of
more troubled days when Jedburgh was subject to English raids. In similar spirit, early February
sees the day-long
Jedburgh Hand Ba'
game, an all-male affair between the “uppies” (those
born above Market Place) and the “doonies” (those born below). The aim of the game is to get
a hay-stuffed leather ball - originally representing the head of an Englishman - from one end
of town to the other.
