B6356

This article is about the current B6356 in Berwickshire.
For the original B6356 from Kelso to Berwick upon Tweed, now the B6461, see B6356 (Kelso - Berwick).

The B6356 is a rural route in south Berwickshire. It was originally unclassified but gained its number in the late 1920s, making it an early example of a recycled number.

Clintmains

The route starts in the main square in Earlston by turning south off the A6105 only a short distance east of that route's junction with the A68. It heads south along Station Road which is largely residential on the right, but the old station site on the left is now home to a number of businesses. After crossing the small Turfford Burn, the route passes a few larger houses hidden behind hedges before leaving town. Ahead lies the steep wooded slopes of White Hill and the road bears right to go round the western side. After a short sharp climb, the route levels out and contours round the hill above the Leader Water. As the route emerges from the trees, the equally steep slopes of Black Hill rise up ahead. The route initially dips down across fields, heading for the hill, before sweeping right to cross its lower slopes. The route is still passing through patches of woodland, but there are some fine views across the Leader Valley to the right.

After crossing a slight ridge, the route drops down to a left hand bend in the hamlet of Redpath, most of which lies off to the west on a minor road. The route then climbs up to a T-junction where it meets an unclassified road. This has priority at both junctions as the B6356 doglegs to the right, leading to two TOTSO junctions in quick succession. These junctions lie on a tree lined ridge - the highest point of the route at 177m - from where the route drops slightly as it heads south once more. The road quality quickly deteriorates as it narrows to single track. After winding through a wood, it widens a little as it re-enters open country, but the centre line does not reappear. The next section contours round Bemersyde Hill and passes the car park for Scott's View. This is a stunning viewpoint offering a spectacular view across the Tweed valley to the three peaks of the Eildon Hills above Melrose, and far beyond. There are more laybys around the corner, but the road soon narrows once more.

A winding descent leads to a short straight that climbs up into the hamlet of Bemersyde, where there's a sharp right-hand bend onto the main street. At the further end , the route curves back to the south to skirt the grounds of Bemersyde House. Another car park is passed – this time for visitors to the nearby statue of William Wallace – after which the route descends steeply through trees to a give way line at a T-junction. All three directions here are numbered B6356. To the right an S2 spur heads a short distance to end at the gates of the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, from where an unclassified dead end road continues to the abbey proper. The mainline of the B6356, also S2, turns left and heads east. Priority is therefore given to the straight route through the junction which is a dead end. The route then winds across the steep hillside above the Tweed for about a mile to the hamlet of Clintmains, where it turns right and descends to a T-junction. This is the end of the route, where it meets the B6404 a short distance east of Mertoun Bridge over the Tweed.

History

The B6356 number was first applied to this route in the late 1920s, or perhaps 1930, as it first appears on mapping on the 1931 revision of the MOT map. This sheet clearly shows that the spur was included, which is unusual at the time.