Plans to landscape the “overgrown and untidy” area around the Hornshole Monument and maintain regular upkeep have been revealed.
A group of volunteers from various organisations and clubs in the town has offered to take responsibility for undertaking immediate maintenance work and ongoing upkeep. It follows an inconclusive police investigation into alleged vandalism on the six-year-old monument itself in June.
Hawick Volunteers Group, set up to assist with various projects in the area, has offered to carry out the labour required and a draft plan has been prepared by local landscape architect Paul Hogarth.
His proposal has still to be further developed and planting costs have still to be determined. But the group’s offer to maintain the area on behalf of Hawick Common Good if it can cover associated ongoing costs will be considered at a meeting on Wednesday.
A report from the volunteer group states: “Although the area is owned by Hawick Common Good, there are no firm arrangements in place for any improvement works or ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the area.
“This site has suffered from a lack of upkeep over the last year, with some sporadic work carried out by a small group of volunteers ahead of the Common-Riding, but no concentrated efforts.
“[This is] due in part to the pandemic and the inability to carry out required upkeep by anyone, meaning that the area is now badly overgrown, untidy and in need of improvement.”
The group is proposing to carry out the labour for free but is asking the Common Good Fund to cover costs associated with removal and tipping, planting and any necessary ground machinery requirements.
If the Common Good Fund sub-committee agree to the proposal, the volunteers group would maintain the area going forward.
The groups states: “In principle, approval is also requested that Hawick Common Good fund the costs of initial improvement works required, and approve an annual or regular budget for ongoing costs associated with the upkeep of this area, all subject to the finalised costs to be provided. This is to allow progress of finalisation of the proposal and costings.
The Hawick Volunteers Group includes Bright-Eyed Daughters; Reivers Festival; Archaeological Society; Callants’ Club; 1514 Club; Mosstroopers’ Club; Ex-Cornets’ and Ex- Acting Fathers’ Association; Ex-Cornets’ Lasses and Acting Mothers’ Association; Anvil Crew; Gallant Few and Hawick Common-Riding Committee.
Common-Riding chairman and ex-Cornet John Hogg backed a recent suggestion by local ward councillor, Stuart Marshall, to undertake a professional assessment of the six-year-old monument itself.
The monument was used for airgun target practice in June 2018 and more damage was reported by volunteers tidying up around the monument in June.
The monument commemorates the young men of Hawick who defeated an English raiding party and captured their standard in 1514 – a year after the disastrous Battle of Flodden where many Teri men perished.
The original monument was erected in 1901 and local tradesman Stan Stenhouse carried out the work to replicate it for the quincentenary celebrations of 2014.
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