Rule Water  The Rule Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Teviot. The Rule Water rises in Wauchope Forest and passes Hobkirk, Bonchester Bridge, Hallrule, Abbotrule, and Bedrule until it joins the River Teviot at Spittal-on-Rule. Other placenames include the name of the Rule Water, e.g. Ruletownhead. In the 19th century a toll road was constructed from Carter Bar to the market town on Hawick necessitating the building of the Bonchester Bridge over Rule Water. A history of the Rule Water entitled "Rulewater and its People; An account of the Valley of the Rule and its Inhabitants" by George Tancred was published in 1907.