hownam lies south of morebattle on the kale water. the parish borders england and has, within its boundaries, the roman road of dere street and the pennymuir roman camps. hownam first appears in the written charters in the 12th century. the origin of the name is uncertain, but may indicate a tribal name, "the hunas". the village itself is a small group of houses in a row on one side of the road. the village church is at the north end of the village. the church was reshaped in the 1750s and further modernised in the 1840s, and again following a fire in 1907.