Otterburn, Northumberland Otterburn, Northumberland Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border. The parish of Otterburn is at the heart of Redesdale, a Northumbrian upland valley. The name simply means otter stream, a stream frequented by otters (Old English "otor" + "brunna"). Otterburn was the site of a major battle in 1388 between English and Scottish armies. The engagement, in which the Scots took Sir
Bowden, Scottish Borders The Romans built a fort at nearby Newstead and named it Trimontium, meaning three hills. Originally the people of Bowden were farm labourers and weavers, but in modern times the village is inhabited by many professional people, including doctors, nurses and schoolteachers. After local government restructuring in the early 1970s, Bowden became part of the newly formed Scottish Borders Council. The war memorial in Bowden dates from 1915, reflecting the early local sacrifice made by this community during World War One. The memorial was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer. Bowden has a recently refurbished village hall in the centre of