Berwick upon Tweed

Historic Berwick upon Tweed is the most northerly town on the Northumberland Coast and has been a thriving trading centre and international port from as early as the 12th and 13th centuries.Berwick was a Royal Burgh of Scotland in 1120 and during the many centuries of border warfare changed hands no fewer than 14 times, the last being in 1482.

Even Edward IV's final capture of the town in 1482 didn't entirely simplify matters. Under the Treaty of Perpetual Peace between Henry VII of England and James IV of Scotland in 1502 (just 11 years before the Scottish army and nobility was destroyed by the English at the Battle of Flodden) Berwick was given a special status as being "of" the Kingdom of England but not "in" it. As a result the town thereafter needed special mention in royal proclamations.
This had one odd effect. When Queen Victoria signed the declaration of war on Russia in 1853, she did so in the name of "Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and the British Dominions beyond the sea." But Berwick was not mentioned in the Treaty of Paris that concluded the Crimean War in 1856, leaving the town technically still at war with Russia. A peace treaty was only finally signed by a Russian diplomat and the Mayor of Berwick in 1966. As the mayor said at the time: "You can tell the Russian people that they can now sleep peacefully in their beds".

Berwick is considered one of the most picturesque towns on the region's coast, mainly because of its attractive red roofed houses, pinkish grey elegant and attractive Georgian buildings and it's location at the mouth of the River Tweed.
The North East England has been named as one of the top 30 locations in the world to visit, and. is described as being "the most exciting, beautiful and friendly region in the whole of England", with Berwick upon Tweed being singled-out as "the definitive border town".With this high level of praise it can only reinforce that the North East England with its spectacular Northumberland Coast, is an area well worthy of visiting and not to be missed.

There are two or three very obvious features to Berwick. It has three superb bridges which cross the River Tweed when you are heading northwards into the city.

Berwick's story over its past five hundred years as an outpost of England on the "wrong" bank of the River Tweed can be told in terms of its links across the river to the rest of the country. The "Old Bridge" across the Tweed that survives today was the fifth on the site. The first was lost in a flood in 1199; the second destroyed by the English in 1216; and the third was lost to another flood in 1294. A fourth, wooden, bridge built in 1376 served for well over two hundred years of constant repair and patching.
When James VI of Scotland and I of England passed through Berwick in 1603 en route to claim his English throne in London, he commented unfavourably on the state of the wooden bridge.

So a stone bridge known as the “Old Bridge” was built. Its construction started in 1611. It was not completed until 1624. This bridge takes you across the Tweed and into Bridge Street, Hide Hill and Marygate, which is the main thoroughfare through Berwick.

The third bridge to be built was the “Royal Tweed Bridge”, known as the New Bridge, and it was built between 1925 and 1928 as part of the A1 trunk road, prior to the construction of the Berwick bypass in the 1984.

The second bridge to be built came about because of the expansion of the railways, and this bridge is called the “Royal Border Bridge” and is also known as the Railway Bridge. It was designed by Robert Stephenson and built between 1847 and 1850. The bridge is 720 yards long [2,160 feet] (659 metres). It has 28 arches, constructed of brick but faced with stone and stands 126 feet (38 metres) above the river itself. This cost £253,000 to build and was opened by Queen Victoria on 29 August 1850

The second feature is that Berwick has some magnificent Elizabethan Town Walls. Berwick's town walls are its most famous piece of architecture and still stand strong today, hundreds of years after they were built.
Berwick actually has two sets of walls, the first - of which only fragments now remain - was built by Edward II, and was two and a half miles long.
The second set of walls is a mile and three-quarter in length. The ramparts completely surround the town, and there are only four gates through the walls.
Berwick's wall is now the only intact Elizabethan town wall remaining in England and when it was built in 1558 - designed to keep out the marauding Scots who regularly laid claim to the town - it was the most expensive undertaking of England's golden age.
The walls were built to an Italian design and contained bastions which were designed to give fire cover for every part of the wall.
Outside the curtain wall, as well as round the bastions, there were wide ditches kept full of water in order to deter potential invaders.

In addition to the castle [8], (numbers refer to the map which follows) the town was protected by earthworks which were rebuilt in stone at the end of the 13th century with 19 towers. Only the rebuilt Bell Tower [2] on the north west side remains. In the first half of the 16th century the defences were completely rebuilt and the castle became redundant. A new town wall with earth ramparts and 5 bastions were built, each sited so that it could protect the neighbouring bastion. These are Meg's Mount [9], Cumberland Bastion [4], Brass Bastion [5], Windmill Bastion [6] and King's Mount [7]. On the north west side a gun battery was added in 1539, Lord's Mount [1], which was of similar design to the castles built by Henry VIII on the south coast of England although the upper storey is now demolished. Fisher's Fort [11] overlooked the river at the southern edge of the town. Also shown are [3] Scots Gate, [10] Cowgate, [12] -------[13] Sally Port,

Aerial View of Berwick's Fortifications

(Numbers on the photos below match the numbers on the map above)

(1) Lords Mount

(2) Bell Tower

(3) Scotsgate

(4) Cumberland Bastion

(5) Brass Bastion

(6) Windmill Bastion

(7) King's Mount

(8) The Castle

(9) Meg's Mount Bastion

(11) Fisher's Fort

(13) Sally Port

Walking around the town walls takes about 45 minutes and is a great way to witness Berwick's turbulent history at first hand. You can also take in stunning views over the town and look out towards the wide sandy beaches of the North Sea and the Tweed estuary with its colony of mute swans.
The castle and ramparts are open all year round - entry is free.

The Castle

Berwick also boasts a Castle but, sadly, the railway station is built on the site of Berwick Castle Great Hall.

It also has a football team which is the only English side to play in the Scottish League!

On Palace Green you will find one the first purpose built barracks. It was the home of the KOSB – King’s Own Scottish Borderers. In it you will find the KOSB Museum, with a display called By Beat of Drum, which chronicles the history of the infantryman of the British Army from 1660 to 1900. There are 12 rooms which show reconstructions of barrack room life with original uniforms and equipment.
The Berwick Borough Museum with its “Window on Berwick” section is where you can take a walk around the ramparts of the old historic town of Berwick, looking and listening to the sights and sounds of the past. See the salmon fishermen at work, peer in a farm workers cottage and down a gloomy coal-mine. Pop into the tavern for a moment or visit a laundry. Look into the shop windows and have a go at being a cashier. Become the lighthouse keeper and take a peek at Dr Johnston’s cabinet of curiosities. and the Burrell collection and Art Gallery