Fogo, Scottish Borders

Fogo is a village in the county of Berwickshire, in the Borders of Scotland, 3 miles south of Duns, on the Blackadder Water.
It is first mentioned as "Ecclesiam de foghou" in a 1139 deed whereby Earl Cospatrick of Dunbar makes a grant to the Tironensian monks of Kelso Abbey.^[1]
Fogo is also depicted on Joan Blaeu's map of the Merse printed in 1654.^[2]

The Fogo church "Ecclesiam de foghou" and some surrounding lands were donated to the monks of Kelso Abbey by Earl Cospatrick of Dunbar. This deed comprised various churches including the church of Greenlaw, the chapel of Lambden, and the church of Fogo along with one carucate (ploughgate) of land, and land and pasture called Bothwellshiels as fully held by Hugh the Deaf (Latin: cum vna carucata terre . et quandam terram que vocatur . bothkill’scheles sicut Hugo surdus eam plenarius tenuit in terra et pastura).^[1].^[3]
A row of modern houses, nicknamed "Rashie" was added to the western end of Fogo mid-20th century.

The name Fogo means "foggage pit, den or hollow" as well as a portmanteau of fog and hollow.
The website The Berwickshire Place-Name Resource^[3] has recorded numerous variations of names attributed to the hamlet of Fogo, ranging from CE 1136 to CE 1753, amongst these

• foghou
• fogghou
• ffoghoh
• fogho
• Fogow
• Fogoe
• Foggo
• and even Fongu.

The village contains two Category A listed buildings;

• Fogo Bridge^[4], a single span, round-arched bridge spanning Blackadder Water, erected in 1641, rebuilt 1843. A record from 1798 describes the bridge as 'the only one in the parish'. A sandstone plaque on the north parapet displays the year 1641 and the initials of James Cockburn of Chouslie and his wife Marion Douglas. These are the parents of Sir James Cockburn of Ryslaw, who paid for the bridge's erection, also the bearer of one of the two sculpted coats of arms and his wife, Marie Edmonstone. The Latin inscription below states Cokbvrnvs Fecit Nomen Et Ipse Dedit Ryslav.

• Fogo Church / Fogo Kirk^[5], Church of Scotland, including inner and outer graveyards, boundary walls and a Lych Gate (a covered gateway at the entrance to a traditional churchyard). The first church at this site was founded c.1100, repaired and extended in 1683, then extensively rebuilt in 1755. More exterior and interior repairs and alterations followed in 1817 and in 1854 a loft was added. The current shape of the edifice is that of a T-plan galleried church.

The village encompasses three more listed buildings, all designated Category C.

• Fogo Manse, now Fogo House^[6] including stable block, garden walls, boundary walls and gatepiers. The current house was built in 1842 to replace an earlier manse, originally situated nearer to the roadside, which was built in 1787, and repaired in 1814 and 1822. As many original details remain intact, this later manse is seen to be one of the most significant buildings in the parish. The manse used to be the residence of the parson of the Fogo Kirk, and is now a private residence.

• Fogo, Studio Cottage^[7] including cobbled forecourt. A late 18th, early 19th century structure with later alterations, the first schoolhouse in Fogo, a very small building, thatched, ... containing a schoolroom capable of accommodating about 40 scholars. If intended as a school from beginning on this would make this place one of only a few Scottish pre-1832 Education Act schools. In 1900 the building is referred to as an infants' school, the pupils having moved to the newly erected Fogo Former School.

• Fogo Former School^[8] including railings. Since 1864 this had been the parish Primary School for all pupils within the parish of Fogo. The school had accommodation for 123 pupils in two classroooms; in 1881 the average attendance was 57; in 1961, its final year as a school, only 19 pupils attended. It closed in March 1961 and the building is now a nursery. On some evenings the school is used by the Fogo section of the Scottish Women's Institutes (SWI).

The surrounding parish of Fogo also hosts a considerable number of listed buildings. Refer to this list of listed buildings in the parish of Fogo.

• A footpath to the left of the churchyard leads down to an old, now disused ford over the river Blackadder. A footbridge that had previously been destroyed in a massive flood has now been restored.
• Just upriver from Fogo Bridge the remnants of a mill race (Scottish mill lade) indicate the previous existance of a water mill, as displayed on older topographical maps of the area.

Other places nearby include the Crosshall Cross, Duns, Eccles, Edrom, Gavinton, the Greenknowe Tower, Greenlaw, Hume Castle, Leitholm, Longformacus, Polwarth, Swinton, and Westruther.

• Fogo Priory, Prior of Fogo
• list of listed buildings in the parish of Fogo
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of places in Scotland

• Gazetteer for Scotland: Parish of Fogo
• The Berwickshire Place-Name Resource, University of Glasgow - select tab "Historical Forms" and activate "Show sources"
• Historic Environment Scotland. "Fogo Bridge (Site no. NT74NE 1)".
• Scottish Borders Council: Fogo Nursery at Fogo Old School
• BBC: Coat of arms of Gavinton, Fogo and Polwarth explained
• GENUKI: Fogo
• Ancestor research at Fogo Parish Churchyard, Berwickshire
• History of Fogo Kirk Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• Old Roads of Scotland: Fogo