The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.5 miles (5.6km)
Time to walk: Probably about 1.5 hours to walk at a constant pace but this is a stop & explore walk that could easily take half a day. There are also options to extend it around many of the other local footpaths
Difficulty: Easy & all on hard surfaces
Parking: Free parking in the Parade car park. Please note that some car parks in the area require you to buy a disc
Public toilets: We used the facilities in the Visitor Centre at the start & end of this walk in Walkergate
Map of the route:
Berwick-upon-Tweed, sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town & civil parish in Northumberland, England, 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border, & the northernmost town in England
The town lies at the mouth of the River Tweed on the east coast, 56 miles south east of Edinburgh & 65 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne
Berwick was founded as an Anglo-Saxon settlement in the Kingdom of Northumbria, which was annexed by England in the 10th century. For more than 400 years, the area was central to historic border wars between the Kingdoms of England & Scotland, & several times, possession of Berwick changed hands between the two kingdoms. The last time it changed hands was when Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III) retook it for England in 1482. To this day, many Berwickers feel a close affinity to Scotland. Both Berwick Rangers Football Club & Berwick Rugby Football Club play in Scottish leagues
Berwick remains a traditional market town & also has some notable architectural features, many of which we’ll see on the walk, in particular its medieval town walls, its Georgian Town Hall, its Elizabethan ramparts, & Britain’s earliest barracks buildings
Berwick’s name is of the same origin as the word ‘berewick’, denoting a portion of farmland which was detached from a manor & reserved for a lord’s own use. This comes from the Old English berewíc, meaning “corn farm”
Let’s Walk!
1. This lovely town boundary walk starts at the superb Visitor Centre (not the Tourist Information Centre) in Walkergate, close to the car park. The Centre is situated in a former Methodist Church…
The staff are most welcoming & informative & tea / coffee & cake is available to buy which is a bonus!
Before starting this walk we recommend going upstairs to the balcony to sit in one of the pews & watch the excellent 10 minute film which will give you a great potted history of the town – it really does set the scene
After that pop into the lovely downstairs area where you’ll find more information
2. Exit the chapel & turn left & then left again. Walk past St Andrew’s Wallace Green Church, which is only one of eight Church of Scotland churches in England. Incidentally another of these is in Corby
This beautiful Victorian church which was formally opened on 19 June 1859
3. At the top of the road climb the steps in the picture below & walk up the slope to the right…
This is now the part of the walk that follows Berwick’s amazing fortified town walls. The town actually has two sets of walls, the first set (of which only fragments now remain), begun by Edward I, was two miles long
The later Elizabethan Walls you see today are still complete & are a mile & a quarter long. The ramparts completely surround the town, with four gates to enter the town. They are the only example of bastioned town walls in Britain & one of the best preserved examples in Europe. They were originally built in 1558 to keep out the 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 & contained bastions, such as the one in the picture above, which were designed to allow gunfire covering every part of the wall. Outside the wall were wide water-filled ditches. There are some great English Heritage information boards which tell you about how the guns were positioned
4. If you fancy it climb onto the top of the mound to enjoy amazing views across golf course to the North Sea. The defences must have looked formidable from the sea…
5. Continue along the path…
This really is a fabulous walk
6. Look to the right to see a large building…
These are the town’s barracks called Ravensdowne which are the oldest barracks in Britain, dating back to 1717, built to repel unrest amongst the Scots. They were built to house 600 men & 36 officers & continued in use for over 200 years
7. On your left’s an information board detailing ‘The Lowry Trail’…
Lowry visited Berwick often & painted many of the views. This is another great local trail which takes in 18 of those sites
8. Pass another bastion on your left…
…&, if you climb up onto the grassy mound, you’ll find one of the gun mounts
Again there’s another excellent English Heritage information board
9. Continue along the path…
…stopping outside the small, but very significant building on your right
What you’re looking at here is one of the magazines built around 1750 to house the barrels of gunpowder that supplied all the guns of the garrison. Being highly volatile it had to be kept surrounded by high walls. Plus there are slots in the walls & a raised floor so the air inside could circulate to keep the powder dry
10. Next to the magazine’s another house on ‘The Lowry Trail’…The Lions House, an early 19th century house that Lowry is purported to have looked into buying. By 1971, it stood neglected & forlorn & there was a danger that it might have to be demolished. The house was purchased & presented to the Trust for restoration in 1972
11. Continue along the path & pass through the gate…
We’re now approaching the sea & there are great views over the entrance to the estuary. This is another of Lowry’s views of the lighthouse he painted
12. Note the large cannon…
Made in 1826 & bearing the Imperial arms of Russia, this cannon was captured at Sebastopol in the Crimea in 1856, & presented to the town as a trophy of the war in 1858. It’s the sole survivor of the holocaust which befell the town walls’ other guns, which were all melted down for scrap in WWII to aid the war effort. It was removed to Wales for specialist conservation & preservation for two months in 2017
13. Continue along the path towards Coxon’s Tower…
There was originally a tall round medieval tower here. but after attacks by the Scots a new platform for guns was added. It became known as ‘the tower within the stone bulwark in the sands’. Climb up the steps to the top…
However there were problems in that the platform was so close to the sea it meant gunners & their guns could not be kept dry. There were significant repairs carried out in the 1500s & further alterations in the 1700s
There are some magnificent views across the mouth of the Tweed. On a clear day you can see Holy Island & the bulk of Bamburgh Castle
14. The path now bends to follow the river passing some rather lovely cottages…
…& you also get your first view of the three bridges the town is famous for. You’ll shortly pass under each of them so we’ll look at their history later
15. Continue & look at the noticeboard & building on your right…
This guardhouse dates from the 18th century when many soldiers were based in the town. Most of the soldiers were considerated invalids who were unfit for real combat. The building was known as the Main Guard & has been rebuilt many times over the years
There are more beautiful properties on this stretch
16. Don’t you love the way some of these cottages tell you who once lived in them…
The path now approaches the first of the bridges…’Old Berwick Bridge’. There are records of an old wooden bridge here that James VI of Scotland allegedly crossed when travelling south to be crowned James I of England. Apparently he didn’t think much of its rickety state!
It’s known that the Crown funded the building of a new permanent stone structure, on which work began in 1611. With 15 arches it opened ‘traffic’ in 1624
Today, the Old Bridge is still in use for both pedestrians & traffic. If you fancy a break then the tiny ‘The Lookout’ cafe is well worth a visit
17. Carefully cross the road & continue along the same path past the second bridge…’The Royal Tweed Bridge’ also known by locals as the ‘New Bridge’ as it’s the youngest. Opened on 16th May 1928 by the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, at the time it was the longest single-span concrete span in the UK
Until the 1980s it carried the A1 over the Tweed when it moved to a newer bridge to the west
The final of the three bridges now lies ahead & the walking along the estuary path is just stuning
18. Look for the well on your right. The plaque on the well tells you it was erected in 1882 & named after “an early 18th century watch & clockmaker, Peter Conqueror”
It’s a ‘chalybeate’ spring which is a natural spring that contains a high concentration of iron which gives the water a distinct metallic taste. Springs like this one have been historically sought for their perceived health-giving properties, & are known as a popular destination for “taking the waters”
The word ‘chalybeate’ comes from the Greek word for iron
19. Continue along the path towards the imposing third bridge…
This is the magnificent ‘Royal Border Bridge’ which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1850. The viaduct was designed by Robert Stephenson
28 arches carry trains high above the Tweed
20. We’re now on a mission to find a rather ‘famous’ path so continue along the banks of the Tweed to arrive at an area known as the ‘White Wall’…
Look up to your right. This imposing wall with its stepped parapet is also known as the ‘Breakneck Stairs’, which was constricted by Edward I after he reclaimed the town from the Scots. Originally the wall extended down to the river to a tower which was swept away by floods
Pass through the tunnel
21. The bridges now behind you, continue along the estuary. Keep your eye out as we saw otters along here…
…as you pass by an incredible boat structure
22. You don’t have to do this part of the walk as, you’ll see in a moment, it’s quite self indulgent. Pass the cottage & look for a footpath sign pointing off to the right…
Well who knew…fancy a stroll with me along ‘Askew’s Walk’?
23. Head back towards the town along the same path, passing underneath the bridges once more. After going under ‘Royal Tweed Bridge’ leave the river by turning sharp left back on yourself up Bank Hill
Note the tunnel on your right…
This is an ‘Ice House’, one of several built in Berwick in the early 18th century. The ice was sourced locally if the winter had been severe enough, but usually was imported from Norway. The collected blocks were carefully stored in layers with sawdust laid between them to prevent it from freezing into a solid mass
Without this facility, much of 18th century Berwick’s wealth may not have been created. The ice was used for packing fish, particularly salmon, in crates to be transported to London. Ice houses were still being used in the 1930s, & Bank Hill was designated an air raid shelter during the World War II
24. Pass under the bridge & note the statue of Annie ‘Lady Jerningham’, a philanthropist…
Just after the statue bear left back on yourself up the steps
25. The view from the top is amazing along the Tweed & down the coast to Holy Island…
Now walk back down the steps & then up onto the walls once more & walk ahead to where you first joined the wall. Now head back down to the Information Centre & the start of this fabulous walk
So that’s our look at the wonderful walls of Berwick & what a gem of a place this is. If you’re in the area please go & try this one
Go Walk!