Edrom Kirk History

Edrom Kirk - The History

The ancient name for the village of Edrom was Etherham. 'Ether', being the name for the river and 'Ham' meaning a village or settlement.

The village lies beside the river 'Whiteadder' (pronounced - Wit-adder), about three miles from the ancient market town of Duns.

Edrom has just a few houses and cottages, a Manor House, the Church and The Old Manse, originally the home of the minister to the village.

The River Whiteadder

An attractive Farm Steading nearby reminds us of the importance of agriculture in the traditional lives of the local people.

In Springtime, wild flowers grow in profusion along the river banks and border the lanes leading to the village.

A 19th century carving on Edrom Church

The settlement dates back to the the 7th Century in the time of King Edwin of Northumbria and possibly even before then.

We know that Thor Longus obtained a grant in 1096, during the reign of Edgar and Wiliam Rufus of England, for the lands of Ednaham, as the hamlet had become known.

Thor built the original Norman Church around 1105, which was probably destroyed during the reformation although an archway remains today.

Standing behind the present church it leads to the burial vault of Robert Blackadder a descendant of one of the Covenanters, Archbishop John Blackadder.

The ancient Norman Arch

The village and lands were granted to Coldingham Priory early in the 12th Century as were many others in this part of the Scottish Borders. The Priory at Coldingham became one of the wealthiest in the land.

A new Church was built in 1732 and restored and enlarged in 1886.