Newtown St. Boswells is a village in the historic county of Roxburghshire which serves as the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders council area. Lying on the Bowden Burn, Newtown St Boswells is situated between the larger settlements of St Boswells to the south-east and Melrose to the north-west.
Newtown St. Boswells is an old settlement, well-established by the 16th century. The town has been known at various times as Newtoune, Newtown of Eildon, Neuton and Newtown of Dryburgh. It lies split between the civil parishes of Melrose and St Boswells.
Historically, Newtown St Boswells was a centre for milling grain, with watermills on its burns). It became a regional centre of communication and an exporter of livestock after the opening of its railway station. This importance has declined since the closure of the station in 1969.
From 1975 to 1996, the town served as the administrative centre for the Ettrick and Lauderdale District of the Borders region. Since the reform of local government in Scotland, it has been the centre of the Scottish Borders council area and the Headquarters of the local authority is within the village.
