Channelkirk, a Landerdale parish in the extreme NW of Berwickshire, containing the hamlets of Old and New Channelkirk. The former, adjacent to the parish church, 8½ miles ESE of Tynehead station, and 6 N N W of Lander, is merely the remnant of an ancient village; the latter lies 5 furlongs N of the church. The parish contains also the village of Oxton, 4½ miles NNW of Lander, under which it has a post office. It is bounded E and SE by Lander, SW and W by Stow in Edinburghshire, NW by Fala-Soutra and Humbie in Haddingtonshire. Its greatest length, from N to S, is 6½ miles; its greatest breadth, from E to W, is 5 miles; and its area is 14,202½ acres, of which 12 are water. Armet Water, on its way to the Gala, flows all along the north-western and western boundary; the eastern is traced by Kelphope Burn, one of several head-streams of Leader Water, by which this parish is principally drained. The surface in the SE sinks to 630 feet above sea-level, thence rising west-south-westward to Collie Law (1255 feet), north-westward to Clints Hill (1535), Turf Law (1248), and Dun Law (1292), north-north-westward to Headshaw Law (1349), Carfrae Common (1373), and Ninecairn Edge (1479) at the NE corner of the parish,-these heights belonging to the western portion of the Lammermuirs. The rocks are chiefly Silurian, and are quarried both for building and for roadmetal. The soils are variously sandy, gravelly, peaty, and moorish; about 3000 acres are in tillage- Four proprietors hold an annual value of more and 4 of less than £500- On the hills are two prehistoric camps, one in the S, the other a little W of the church, and near the second is a fine spring, the Well of the Holy Water Cleugh. Here, about a- d. 636, according to the Irish Life of St Cuthbert, he was placed as a boy under the the care of a religions man, whilst his mother went on pilgrimage to Rome; and here was afterwards built in his honour the church of 'Childeschirche' (the ancient name of Channelkirk), which church was held by Dryburgh Abbey. Now the parish is in the presbytery of Lander and synod of Merse and Teviotdale; the living is worth £307. The church, rebuilt in 1817, contains 300 sittings; and a public school, with accommodation for 154 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 89, and a grant of £71,5s. 6d. Valuation (1880) £8523, 16s. 11d. Pop. (1801) 640, (1831) 841, (1861) 671, (1871) 705, (1881) 607.—Ord. Sur., shs. 25,33,1865-63.
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