The modern period saw major changes to rural settlement in South East Scotland. During the 19th century, processes of so-called ‘improvement’ were still playing out in the region. Many farms at this time underwent significant re-organisation. It is notable that the region has significant numbers of substantial 19th century farm buildings still standing. Recent shifts in the rural economy means that a number of farms are now being converted to other purposes. These alterations often provide opportunities for more detailed study – as was the case at Wester Housebyres near Melrose, where a complex of primarily 19th century farm buildings, including a threshing barn, were recorded in the 2010s (Sproat 2014).
At the beginning of the 1800s the dwellings of rural labourers were generally quite basic and often poorly maintained. There was a significant push to improve the standard of rural dwellings, resulting in the construction of numerous labourer’s cottages during the 19th century. Some of these are now themselves derelict, as is the case with the fine Victorian cottages at Blackadder Bank in the Borders, which once formed part of the estate of the (now demolished) Blackadder House. Many of these small rural dwellings have the potential to provide considerable insights into the lives of working people, individuals who are often under-represented in the written records of the period. The research project for Jack’s House, near Kirkliston, provides a valuable reminder of the wealth of insights that can be gained when study of written records is combined with excavation of a 19th century working-class home (Mitchell et al 2009).
Further research into the provision of utilities in the countryside and how this evolved over the modern period would be desirable. A proportion of 19th century wells and pumps are recorded in historic environment records, but it is likely that these are only a small proportion of those that formerly existed. There is arguably a need for more overviews and comparative studies of how rural communities were provided with water before the arrival of piped water supplies. The processes by which rural dwellings came to be connected to piped water also deserve more research.
The 19th and early 20th centuries saw serious efforts to improve the facilities in villages and rural areas. Post offices and post boxes were established in quite small communities. There was also a push for more formal schooling in rural areas – something that of course became enshrined in law in the 1870s. A number of small former village schools survive across the region, sometimes with associated houses for teachers – as is the case at Sinclairs Bank in the Borders. The 20th century saw a shift to slightly larger rural schools. Some innovative designs were adopted for mid-20th century schools, such as the remarkable Art Deco Chirnside School, which was built in the 1930s. More research into the evolution of the design of rural schools over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries would be desirable. Another feature of modern rural life was the preponderance of village halls. Nationally, recent years have seen more interest in the history of village halls. The South East of Scotland has some rural communities which have enthusiastically studied the history of their local hall. However, more systematic regional research could be beneficial. It should perhaps be noted that recent cuts to provision for rural communities means that buildings associated with many rural communities are currently undergoing changes of use – providing challenges and opportunities for their recording and preservation.
Rural Settlement Research Questions
- To what extent did rural settlements grow during the 19th and 20th centuries? Why did some communities expand whilst others contracted?
- How did periods of economic depression affect rural communities?
- How did agricultural practices change over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries?
- What can we discover about the processes by which agriculture was mechanised?
- What can we discover about animal husbandry during the 19th and 20th centuries?
- How did industrialisation affect rural communities?
- How did ideas of improvement affect rural communities during the modern period?
- How did the design of rural dwellings alter in the centuries after 1800?
- What can we learn about the homes of labourers and the rural poor?
- To what extent did planned villages differ from other rural communities of the same period?
- To what extent were rural communities able to acquire consumer goods? How did patterns of consumption change during the modern period?
- What can we discover about facilities in rural communities (e.g. post offices, schools, village halls)?
- How did the provision of utilities (e.g. drinking water, drainage, electricity) change in rural areas during the modern period?
- What was the nature of the connections between rural communities and the wider world?
- What can we learn about the experiences of travelling communities in South East Scotland (e.g. Romani Gypsies, Scottish Travellers, and Showmen)?