Did you know that the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed has changed hands between England and Scotland at least 13 times?
Things are peaceful today but Berwick has a dramatic history caught on the frontline of battles, rebellions, wars and skirmishes.
On this unforgettable walk enjoy magnificent views from Berwick’s castle, discover how locals have lived alongside the military for centuries and look for evidence of English and Scottish identity. How about a circular walk exploring one of the best-preserved fortified towns in Europe, for more information please visit: https://www.discoveringbritain.org/activities/north-east-england/walks/berwick-upon-tweed.html
Why not follow in the footsteps of LS Lowry on The Lowry Trail. LS Lowry was especially fond of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and his first oil painting of Berwick is dated 1935. For more information on walking in Lowry’s footsteps pop into our Tourist Information centre https://www.visitberwick.com/tourist-information-2/
Berwick-upon-Tweed is the perfect base for exploring the county or crossing the border, you can challenge yourself with some long distance walking.
- Northumberland Coastal Path – Best known for its wide, sweeping beaches, backed by high sand dunes that are punctuated by dark whinstone outcrops. For more information please visit: http://northumberlandcoastpath.org/
- Berwickshire Coastal Path – Stretching for some 45km from Cockburnspath in the north down to Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Berwickshire Coastal Path takes in some dramatic clifftop scenery complete with arches, stacks and crumbling castles. For more information please visit: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/directory_record/7469/berwickshire_coastal_path
- St Cuthbert’s Way – A beautiful and varied walking route, an ever changing variety of scenery and spectacular views. For more information please visit: https://www.stcuthbertsway.info/
- St Oswald’s Way – A long-distance walking route, exploring some of the finest landscapes and fascinating history of Northumberland. For More Information please visit: https://www.stoswaldsway.com/
Guided walks can be found here: https://www.visitberwick.com/what-to-do-categories/tours-and-sightseeing/
One of the easiest way to get your bearings is to walk Berwick’s Elizabethan walls. At a little over a mile it’s a low impact way of getting a feel for the history and geography of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Berwick’s town walls are its most famous piece of architecture and still stand strong today, 450 years after they were built.
The Elizabethan Walls are a mile and a-quarter in length. The ramparts completely surround the town, with four gates through which entry to the town is enabled.
Berwick’s Elizabethan Walls are the only example of bastioned town walls in Britain and one of the best preserved examples in Europe. When 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 allow gunfire covering every part of the wall. Outside the curtain wall and bastions, there were wide water-filled ditches to deter potential invaders.Walking around the town walls takes about 45 minutes and is a great way to discover Berwick’s turbulent history 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.
