He Hid In This Crypt For A Month | Polwarth Kirk

It is believed that the first Christian church was established in the sixth century and, though no direct evidence has been found, it is thought that this may have been on a site used for pagan worship. The records of the previous buildings are sketchy but it is thought that St. Mungo built a church after the previous kirk had been destroyed by raiding Anglo-Saxons. It is known that the church was re-dedicated to St Mungo in 1242. That building was replaced in 1378 by order of Lord John Sinclair and, unusually, included a crypt where Sir Patrick Hume, first Earl of Marchmont, hid in the 1680s before escaping to Europe and returning, in 1688, with William of Orange.

The present building was first constructed in 1703, by Sir Patrick, though the tower was a later addition. The kirk and its associated graveyard, are set on a hill looking over much of the parish. Both the headstones and a number of memorial plaques in and on the church building offer insights into life in Polwarth, and the wider Scottish Borders, in past times.

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