Newstead Sundials Festival
In September 2025, Newstead Village Community Trust delivered the inaugural Newstead Sundials Festival. With a grant from Destination Tweed’s Community Grants Scheme, NVCT was able to plan a varied programme of storytelling, activities, music, guided walks, workshops and traditional crafts which led festival-goers on a journey through the story of Newstead, its connection to the Tweed and its contribution to the area’s wider history.
NVCT’s aim was to work with local partner organisations and local artists to celebrate Newstead’s unique heritage through creative, fun, informative and hands-on opportunities for locals and visitors.
The festival centred around community spaces: the Village Green, the Yiddy (an area of common ground) on the banks of the Tweed, Trimontium and the Village Hall, all within easy walking distance of each other.
NVCT provided refreshments for visitors on the day, including a BBQ, bar and pop-up café. With the Main Street being closed to traffic for the day, the team also saw an opportunity to create a makers’ market for with local producers and crafters.
Live music from Matt Seattle & Friends added to the festival vibes, along with storytelling and a range of workshops and guided walks. Trimontium Trust’s demonstrations of Roman dance, and a replica Roman ballista, added to the varied range of sights on offer!
Central to the festival was the creation of a new, community-curated sundial. Under the guidance of local stone carver Natasha Smith, participants designed and carved a new sundial which now stands proud on the Green, a nod to Newstead’s heritage, a reminder of the inaugural Sundials Festival, and a beacon to the future.
The inspiration for the Sundials Festival was the sundials which can be found all around the village, the legacy of the medieval stonemasons who came to build Melrose Abbey. The festival was a fitting celebration of the village’s past, present and future.
As part of this project, a Stonemason’s Trail was developed: a self-led tour around the village which draws your eye to the numerous intriguing and unexpected examples of the stonemasons’ skill, that you can see if you know where to look.
You can download the Stonemason’s Trail leaflet and map from NVCT’s website via the button below:
Total project costs: £2622.00
Grant awarded: £2622.00 (100% of total costs)
Design and installation of a new sundial for the village
3 full-day stone carving workshops
1 half-day creative workshop to produce signage for the festival
2 family storytelling sessions
3 art workshops
Development of the Stonemason’s Trail, with associated leaflet and download
Two guided history walks
Roman dance display and ballista demonstrations from Trimontium Trust
300+ attendees and participants at the festival
“The stone carving was a great event and I really enjoyed it. The sound echoing through the village, tap, tap, made you think of past generations of stonemasons who lived in the village…and also thoughts of future generations seeing the work on the legacy sundial.”
“The festival brought the village to life, with smiling and happy faces all around.”
“A wonderful historic tour of the sundials followed by excellent home baked cakes and coffee. I then joined the Red Squirrel Society. The event was well organised and attended. I hope that it will be repeated in 2026.”
“It was fascinating to learn a more intimate history of streets and paths I’ve walked through for decades, about craftworker links to mainland Europe centuries ago and the clues in the built environment at Newstead that hold those stories.”
“The Sundials Festival brought a renewed sense of pride, heritage, and togetherness to Newstead. It encouraged residents to learn about our past, contribute creatively, and welcome visitors into the heart of the village.”
Feedback from volunteers, participants and attendees
The Community Grants Scheme was made possible by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland.
Find out more about Destination Tweed’s Community Grants Scheme