The Bridge Road Show path on map
Start location: St Mary's Loch ( NT 271 239 )
End location: Crosslee ( NT 307 184 )
Geographical area: Lothian and Borders
Path type: Drove Road
Path distance: 7km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
Cross Yarrow Water by the bridge just by the weir where it leaves the loch. There is a good track following the river eastward. For the best part of 1km it keeps fairly close to the river, diverging only gradually until the burn coming down from the gap between Altrieve Rig and White Law is met. The right of way goes through this gap and very soon the buildings of Altrieve are seen ahead. A good track leaves the farm to go up fairly steeply towards the B709, crossing it to pick up a track linking with the path which passes south through the col southwest of Meg’s Hill . Continue south up the Long Grain Burn and onwards to reach the march fence. Shortly after this go southeast down over Crookedside Hill (444m) by a faint unmarked path and then a track to reach the Cadgers’ Hole (NT303200). Descend from here by the steep track to Crosslee, just northeast of Tushielaw, in the Ettrick Valley.
OS Landranger 73 (Peebles, Galashiels & surrounding area) and 79 (Hawick & Eskdale area)
Heritage Information
Local tradition has it that this is an old drove road, presumably used by cattle heading south. However, the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland decided the Bridge Road was unrelated to a similar drove road and was not used for droving. They wrote that the route used for droving headed south on the same route as far as Altrieve, but then followed Altrieve Burn to Hartlea, forking left before Windy House to head due south through the forestry. The drovers would then have joined the current road to Tushielaw, just southwest of Crosslee, in the Ettrick Valley.
There is a line of cairns running up the north ridge of Altrieve Rig, which may have helped the drovers navigate. In the mid 19th century, the Ordnance Survey name them as Shepherds' Cairns, which suggests that sheep had pretty much replaced cattle by this time.
The origin of the name Bridge Road is not known, but may have been a reference to a crossing of the Yarrow at Dryhope. The purpose of the southern section of road is not certain, but the place names of Cadger's Craigs (NT295208) and Cadgers' Hole perhaps give a clue. Cadgers were itinerant travellers that sold their wares or skills to households who wouldn't otherwise have ready access to these. They often took cross-country routes, probably because their services were most in need by those living remotely, but also to avoid tolls.
