OUR COMMUNITY
Reston
Reston is a small village of about 200 houses situated in the Eastern Borders area of Scotland; ten miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed and 47 miles south of Edinburgh it is only a few hundred yards from the main A1 Newcastle to Edinburgh trunk road. Duns the former county town of Berwickshire is some 11 miles west. The local Community Council is known as Reston and Auchencrow Community Council and was formed in 1997 when Local Government in Scotland was re-organised. Auchencrow is a small village of about forty houses three miles to the west.
The Eye Water runs alongside the village to the north and the main east coast railway line from King's Cross to Edinburgh borders it to the south. In the centre of agricultural farmland Reston was once a busy railway junction with a bustling auction mart nearby; Reston is now a quiet borderland village. There is a mixture of new and very old buildings; some dating from the 16/17th centuries. The local church was built in 1879 and is now linked with four other parishes. A country store and combined Post Office is sited on the Main Street. At the extreme west end is the Primary School consisting of some 50/60 pupils. One garage, a joinery and builder's business and an agricultural merchant complete the other commercial properties within the village.
Some History
Two separate communities existed here from the very early days; East and West Reston, or Reston Major and Reston Parva. The coming of the railway in 1846 meant that West Reston developed into the village that it is today. In 1850 four trains from Berwick to Edinburgh and the same number in the reverse direction stopped at Reston. In 1849 a double tracked branch line was opened from Reston to Duns but due to insufficient demand it became a single track in 1857.Morning and evening trains were run for the benefit of children attending Berwickshire High School. Later the branch was extended to St. Boswells on the Waverley Route and was used for transporting livestock to and from Reston Auction Mart. No station was provided at Auchencrow but there was a siding where wagons were available for the use of local farmers.
The Borders area suffered in the disastrous floods of 1948 when many of the rail services were suspended. Some sections of the branch line were abandoned leaving only the length between Duns and Reston, which closed in 1966.Reston Station was closed soon afterwards. Now Rail Action Group, East of Scotland (RAGES) with a membership of about 190 from around the Borders is campaigning to re-establish a new rail link at Reston. The Community Council and several other communities within the area are supporting this campaign.
Auchencrow
Auchencrow is a small village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, by the Lammermuir range of hills, and near to Reston. Auchencrow works together with Reston to create Reston & Auchencrow Community Council. Auchencrow, a village in Coldingham parish of Berwickshire, 2 miles WSW of Reston station, and 3 miles NNW of Chirnside. Auchencrow was notable, in old times, for reputed pranks of witchcraft.
