St Helens, settlement, Selkirk

Grid reference

NT 487 302 (accurate position)

Six-figure easting & northing

348700 630200

Latitude

55.5627722103392

Longitude

-2.813469427695871

Altitude (metres)

170

County

Selkirkshire

Nearby places

Selkirk (Abbatis), parish (1.58 miles)

Ladylands, settlement, Selkirk (1.61 miles)

St Mungo's Well, Selkirk (1.67 miles)

Selkirk Regis, former parish, Selkirk (1.72 miles)

St Helen's Loch, Selkirk (2.16 miles)

Object Classification

Settlement

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

There is a well marked at the settlement on OS 6" 1st edn; the "ruins of " Lindean Church / burial ground, lie just to the NW of the settlement (though now in Galashiels; see ScotlandsPlaces entry for this for view that Kindean was original site of Selkirk Abbey). Either could relate to the commemoration. No map before 1863 (date of this sheet of OS 6" 1st edn) has St Helens as name of this farm; instead called Batts (right up to 1850s), cf. the Batts Burn which marks eastern boundary. However, a 'Lacus Sancte Elene' appears in a charter of 1508, being granted along with Philiphaugh (Phillophauch) Selkirk and common pasture in Selkirk Common (in cumuni de Selkirk), suggesting that there was indeed hagiotoponymic reference to St Helen in the parish, though it is not certain that the Lacus Sancte Elene lay close to OS St Helens. No lake is in the immediate vicinity of St Helens today, though their common reference to St Helen may reflect the fact that they were either close to each other or shared some tenurial contact, and an un-named loch shown on Ainslie's map of Selkirkshire (1773), east of the burgh of Selkirk, and south of 'Shaws'. Its waters flow north on Ainslie's map, suggesting that the hollow shown on OS maps at NO5029 is the location of the loch. The burn flowing from this hollow today flows north-west, and flows close to St Helens. If Sanct-Helenis-schaw is the 'shaw' ['coppice, thicket'] which is referred to by Shawmount, which is on a hill overlooking St Helens, then it is likely that St Helens and Sanct-Helenis-schaw are indeed the same place.

Relationships with other parishes

Within Selkirk (Abbatis), parish

Relationships with other places

Adjacent St Helen's Loch, Selkirk