Berwick
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As the most northerly town in England
the ancient town of Berwick
is situated on the North East coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. Lying 3
miles from the Scottish Border it stands as the only Town in England North
of that river.
After a long turbulent history Berwick now rests in the beautiful and historic county of north Northumberland,
as an ideal base to explore the nearby countryside and the rugged north sea coast.
North and West lie the Scottish
Borders. South lie the
picturesque and historic Market Towns of Alnwick and Morpeth. To the East, the
North Sea coastline with beautiful golden beaches and rugged cliffs. Where
Castles stand as historic reminders of protectors of the region. Where sea
birds populate The Farne Islands, and where Holy Island, said by some to be the
seat of Christianity, stands in majestic eloquence.
The Town
is interwoven with the
settlements of Spittal
and Tweedmouth and is arguably the most
picturesque town on the coast. From its
Elizabethan Wall and golden
beaches to its magnificent Royal border Bridge there
is much for the visitor to see. All this
supplemented by a traditional warm welcome to visitors…makes Berwick well worth a
visit.
The walk, of between one to one and a half miles, follows the town Elizabethan walls (said to the finest in Europe) and shows the visitor the towns historic, cultural and scenic beauty.
Begin at the car
park at Castlegate
Guide to the walk.
Castlegate
See the arch at nearby
Scotsgate. Go through the Arch looking down the street (Marygate) at the bottom you will
see the Spire of the Town Hall.
Through the Arch Turn
left, go up the steps.
Under another arch.
Left up the 'STEEP!' steps, on to the Ramparts.
Turn
left again, walk over Scotsgate
You are now on the Elizabethan Town Walls 1558. Constructed to the most advanced Italian
design of the day, these massive artillery-proof defences replaced the medieval town walls.
Scotsgate
One of the towns four
gates. Original was smaller and single arched: widened in 1815 when the
drawbridge and the outer fosse or ditch were removed. Until 1885 the gate
remained firmly locked after 10pm each day until the following morning.
TownHall
Looking left as you
walk over Scotsgate the road below is Marygate. To the left…the spired building
in the distance is The Town Hall (1754) built on the site of two old
tollbooths. Notice the 150-foot spire/steeple and magnificent portico, the
building is said to resemblance the London Church of St. Giles in the Fields.
Above the columned supports is the Town’s Coat of Arms. The steeple has 8 bells
one of which is rang every evening except Sunday at 8 o’clock signifying a
ancient curfew! The building housed the
town’s Courts, Police Station and a Goal. The original goal is still intact
complete with condemned cell, branding irons, shackles and leg irons. Also in
the building is the old Town Hall museum.
The street and building are well worth a visit
after completion of the walk.
Meg’s Mount
Continuing over
Scotsgate up the steps takes you to ‘Meg’s Mount’. Named after the large
cannon, ‘roaring meg’ which once stood on this strategic southerly defensive
position.
Take in the view. Look
out toward the Tweed River.
The Royal Border
Bridge
The Bridge
To the right is the
Royal Border Rail Bridge 1850. With 28 arches it is over 700 yards long and
towers 126 feet above the river. Described as one of the finest railway
viaducts in the world! Designed by local engineer Robert Stephenson it cost of
£¼ million. It still carries the main
London—Edinburgh rail line.
Royal Tweed Bridge
The Bridge
Left the first bridge
is the Royal Tweed Bridge (1925) carrying the main road north into the town
over the river on four large concrete arches. The northern span of over 360
feet is one of the longest in England.
Walking on down the
walkway, toward the bridge, is
the Statue of Lady Jerningham wife of a late 19thC local Member of Parliament.
Continue on, to the left is The Leaping Salmon Inn-once a School.
Salmon Fishing
From medieval times, salmon caught on the River Tweed were
exported from the port of Berwick to London. Early19thC, they were transported
on ice or live in the hulls of the boats called 'Berwick Smacks', said to be
the fastest vessels sailing at the time. Salmon fishing on the Tweed
played an important role in the area's economy until early in the 20thC.
Old Bridge
The Bridge
You are now walking
toward the Old Bridge End, the lowest bridging
point.
Notice the Red
Sandstone, it stands over 300 yards long with 14 supporting pillars and cost
£15,000 to construct. Nearly 400 years old it is not the original. 5 bridges
have stood at this point. The current, ‘Old Bridge', known as Berwick Bridge’,
dates from 1611. Until
the19thC this was the main crossing point of the Tweed at Berwick.
Cowes
Building (to the left on Bridge Street) which still bears the name and refers to
Berwick Cockles is the base for the makers of Berwick ‘Cockles’ loved for over
2 centuries and a very popular sweet.
Walk on
and Cross over the road. Onto the landside of
the wall see the old Merchant’s Houses and behind them buildings which were
once their places of work. Recently revamped it now houses small businesses in
The Chandlery.
On the riverside,
opposite the houses once saw a bustling Quayside with thriving businesses
importing and exporting goods. Now there is only the occasional pleasure trip
on the river.
Sandgate
Further on where the
wall curves to the right, is ‘Shore or Sandgate’ leads to the quayside.
It still has wooden gate and is used regularly. The street opposite on the
left is Sand or Shoregate. A little over 100 years ago the then very busy
Cobbled Street was populated with horses and carts--no cars!
The Playhouse Cinema
on the left was once a granary. On the right The Hen and
Chickens Hotel was a coaching Inn for over 200 years. Also
on the right the high stone castle shaped building was once the town’s Corn
Exchange.
Walk on following the
course of the wall.
Customs House
The large building
next to the steps was once a dispensary and the first medical health centre in
the town. In later years it became The Old Customs House (late 18thC), the
building is a fine example of Georgian architecture. 5 bays with arched windows
and a Venetian doorway.
The Main-Guard
Walking
on, follow the wall and road as the it
curves to the right, then to the left. The next cobbled pathway on the left is an area
called ‘The Main-Guard’. Strategically moved to this spot in the early 19thC
from Marygate. Based here were the towns Militia and Guards ready to defend the
walls.
It now houses exhibitions of local
history, opened to the public in the summer months by Berwick Civic Society.
Berwick's town walls continued to
be patrolled and its gates locked at night until the end of the Napoleonic
wars. In the 18th century there were military guardhouses at strategic points
in the town.
Wellington Terrace/
Coxon’s Tower
You should now be on
Wellington Terrace. Where the road straightens out on the left there three
houses. Look for the door which now faded had a carved Harpoon above it. At this point the
walls were defended by several large canons.
Fisher’s Fort.
Turning left, as the wall turns left, follow it on. You are now walking north; on the right at the wall recess, is Fisher’s Fort, with its gun emplacements positioned to guard the river against attack. One canon now remains.
Ness Gate 1815
See now Ness Gate
which once saw medieval towers (at one time there stood over 14 towers).
The tower was lowered in the 15th C. The Gate in the wall was made
to allow access to the new pier.
King’s Mount
Looking along the
course of the wall the medieval wall rises up Kipper Hill. Named after the
amount of fish curing factories situated here. None of which remain today, most
having been converted into houses.
Walking on Kipper Hill
as the hill levels there is a magazine storage point (1749) and a nearby sign for
Windmill Bastion, named after a windmill which once stood there.
Notice the arrowhead
shape of the walls at this point. This shape allowed the guns mounted here to
give covering fire in several directions. The rather large mounds of earth are
not there through waste tipping, on them was positioned more canons. Giving
higher vantage from their positions and enabling downward cover from above.
In later years and
still acting in its original purpose this part of the wall was used as a
coastal defence against enemy aircraft in WWII with an anti-aircraft battery
situated here.
On your left side
walking on are the Barracks. As the first purpose built infantry barracks in
England. Built after complaints from the town’s residents who had to personally
look after and billet in their own houses soldiers based in the town.
Innkeepers in the town also gave large amounts of money to ensure the comfort
of the soldiers!
The gatehouse with its
fine ornamental gates has above it a coat of arms. Inside is a regimental
museum. Before its last military occupants (The Royal Scots and Kings own
Scottish Borders) left it was the oldest occupied barrack in England.
The next opening in
the wall is Cow Port.
Cow Port. (Or muck
gate!)
Built in the 16thC to give access, over an outer
bridge, over the moat, to grass at nearby Magdalen Fields where town’s folk
were allowed to graze their cattle outside the Town wall. The beautifully
preserved entranceway with its two 200-year-old wooden doors, still stands.
Looking closely there is evidence of the original portcullis grooves.
At this point on the
outer side of the walls was a large moat with ditch and a redoubt called ‘Great
Bulwark in the Snook.’
Brass Bastion
Walking on now to
where the wall turns sharply to the left is Brass Bastion.
The tower was built in
16thC to replace the original. Also in the same area stand the remains if
Lord’s Mount an artillery Fort that was built in the time of Henry VIII prior
to the original Elizabethan Wall.
Over to the left is
the Holy Trinity Church. In the original Church the 16thC, John Knox,
(protestant reformation preacher), is said to have had a calming effect on the
soldiers and locals to whom he spoke. It is also claimed that the pulpit in the
current church is the original from which Knox spoke.
Now turning left and
you are heading toward The Cumberland Bastion.
The Cumberland Bastion
Named in honour of The
Duke of Cumberland after his defeat of the Scottish Jacobite armies at Culloden
in 1746, it is another example of the arrowhead shape of the Bastion.
Walking on and in a
short distance you have returned to where the walk began.
Thanks to
Mr Allan Smith who spend his time walking over this walk checking it out for NW
from a 'locals' viewpoint!
Thank you
NW.
Please note that Newcastle Walks does
not accept liability, for the condition of the walks which can change on a daily
basis, or for any injury, fatality, loss or damages incurred by any person.
Newcastle Walks are not inviting the public to walk on any of the walks, but are
providing information about specific routes, that are available in the North
East of England. Therefore any person who decides to walk any of the walks
within this website does so of their own choice and at their own
risk.
