| Swinton | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Swinton Kirk | |
  Swinton Location within theScottish Borders | |
| Population | circa 224 |
| OS grid reference | NT835474 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Duns |
| Postcode district | TD11 |
| Dialling code | 01890 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°43′11″N2°15′51″W / 55.719737°N 2.264220°W /55.719737; -2.264220 | |
Swinton is a small village in theScottish Borders. It is in the former county ofBerwickshire, around 5 miles (8 kilometres) southeast ofDuns, and 3 miles (5 kilometres) northwest of theAnglo-Scottish border.
Swinton dates to the 11th century or earlier, and is associated with theSwinton family, who took their name from the settlement. In 1769, the village was re-designed and a market was created, now marked by themarket cross. A parish church was built and still stands today. In the churchyard, the Swintons have their own burial enclosure. In 1843, theFree Church of Swinton was built, but in the 1900s the spire was removed and it became the local village hall.
The main parish church was remodelled in 1910 byRobert Lorimer.[1] The vestry was remodelled again in 2020-2021, the building work and utilities were monitored by Border Reivers Archaeology Unit.
The name of the village is a contraction of Swine Town, a name borne from the large number of wild boar the land was once inhabited by.[2]
Swinton House, 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the village, dates in its current form to 1800, and was the residence of many of theSwinton family.[3] It was built to replace an earlier house, which was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. Both the house and the nearby 18th centurydovecote are protected ascategory A listed buildings.[3][4]
