Divine intervention saves historic church in Hawick
An anonymous benefactor has stepped forward to save an iconic church with a £115,000 donation – just days before it was due to be put up for sale.
The divine intervention means the funds are now available to purchase St Mary’s Kirk in Hawick.
The landmark building, which stands close to the meeting point of the Slitrig and Teviot rivers, has been at the heart of Hawick for centuries. And there has been a place of worship on the site for more than 800 years.
But it was among a large number of buildings being sold by the Church of Scotland.
A Friends of St Mary’s group was formed last year, committed to re-imagining the Kirk for generations to come, preserving its legacy at the heart of Hawick while creating a welcoming community space that ensures a sustainable future.
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Hawick & Hermitage Councillor Watson McAteer (pictured top), who has been involved in efforts to save the church, said: “This anonymous donation has been wonderful.
“There has been coffee mornings, there has been local publicity and the net has been spread pretty wide about the iconic nature of St Mary’s and its 12th century origins and we had support from the Duke of Buccleuch, who has relatives in the crypt.
“We always expected somebody would recognise the iconic value and importance of St Mary’s to the town and it’s great that someone has stepped forward and avoided the difficulty of raising one hundred and fifteen thousand pounds.
“The deadline date was the third of June for an offer to be made to the Church of Scotland. It was only at the weekend, with a few days to go, that the news of the donation came. It’s fantastic.”
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