The Border - Other Related Articles

• Ordnance Survey

• News and Star

Ordnance Survey Explore Magazine - 8th June 2007

Tales from the Anglo-Scottish border

Those considering hiking coast to coast along the Anglo-Scottish border may want to check out a new book.

The Border – A History in 10½ Chapters by Anton Hodge tells the tale of the geography, as well as the history, of the old frontier. Narrating his own journey made along the border one late summer, Hodge retells encounters with the area's people and pubs, as well as its key events from prehistoric to modern times.

The Romans, the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Border Reivers, fairytale weddings, man-made forests and Gretna Football Club all get a look in along the way. In fact he goes back as far as four hundred million years ago, when a small drifting section of the giant landmass Gondwanaland crashed into a corner of the Laurentian Shield.

‘Mud from the collision…later became the Border Hills,’ Mr Hodge writes.

The Border – A History in 10½ Chapters is published by Hayloft and is priced at £10.

Ordnance Survey

News and Star - 14th May 2007

Anton is straddling The Border

Published on 14/05/2007

"WHEN God was making the world he made Scotland a beautiful place, with lovely scenery and wonderful people. Then he gave them some neighbours...”

Provocative words, if they weren’t said with tongue wedged so firmly in cheek.

The observation comes from Cumbria-based author Anton Hodge in his new book, The Border: A History in Ten and a Half Chapters.

This tome does exactly what it says on the tin. Last summer Anton and his friend Tony spent eight days traipsing the border between England and Scotland, from Berwick to Gretna. The book describes their encounters with people and pubs, alongside a history of the frontier from prehistoric to modern times. It covers topics as diverse as the Romans, the wars of independence, the Reivers, fairytale weddings and Gretna Football Club.

As a Scot who moved to Cumbria in 1996, Anton has a foot in both camps. He lives near Carlisle with his wife and two sons and works for the county council.

“Living here and being so close to the border, I thought it would make an interesting subject,” he told Reiver. “A lot of people I spoke to didn’t seem to notice that they lived by the border, but I think that’s more the case in the east. When you get towards Cumbria it’s more of an issue, particularly on the Scottish side.

“I don’t know if it means more to them but they certainly make more of it. When you leave England you’ve got all this tourist stuff at Gretna but when you come into England there’s nothing.”

The Border is published by Hayloft on May 25, price £10.

News and Star