Travels in the North – Berwick

The English and the Scots fought for centuries over Berwick-upon-Tweed, so I figure it has to be worth a visit. The northernmost town in England sits in a strategic position where the River Tweed meets the sea. Berwick’s role as a border fortress led to enormous sums being spent on fortifications during the reign of Elizabeth I. Amazingly, the most expensive building works of the 16th century are still in existence.

We arrive mid-morning and park on the quays above the river, where a baby gull is squawking loudly for food. The Old Bridge over the river dates from 1611, relatively young by local standards! It promises to be a nice day, 19 degrees, perfect for walking around those Elizabethan walls! So off we go…

Berwick is absolutely made for walking, and the sun has come out, which means the views are stunning. We walk out along the pier to the lighthouse, a brisk half mile in distance. Unfortunately the dolphins are elusive today but the outlook down the Northumberland coast is tremendous.

Back on the walls, we circumnavigate the town, getting a good idea of the layout. Well, I do anyway, the husband could get lost anywhere – map reading is a dark art to him. Most of the main sights of the town can be seen by strolling around the ramparts, including the Georgian Town Hall and the oldest military barracks in Britain.

Berwick today is just a small and sleepy market town with around 12,000 inhabitants. You wouldn’t believe that it was once a wealthy centre of commerce, and pivotal to the power battles that raged across the border.

There are some interesting shops and galleries in the town, along with the usual dreary chains, and a good selection of pubs and restaurants. You can even walk in the footsteps of Charles Dickens at the King’s Arms Hotel on Hide Hill – he stayed here in 1861. We do, of course, it’s a great excuse for a gin and tonic.

For lunch, we decide upon the stylish looking Atelier bar and deli, and try a local pie by the Jarvis Pickle company based just over the border in Eyemouth. ‘Cullen skink’ filling comprises smoked haddock, potatoes and onions, and very tasty it is too.

As we sit and finish our wine the owner of Jarvis Pickle Pies turns up in his delivery van. Turns out he and his business partner named the company after their cocker spaniels. Pickle the dog is smiling at us through the van window. I like these pies even more now!

After lunch we take the riverside path along the Tweed to the ruins of Berwick Castle, and admire the 28 arches of the Royal Border Bridge, a railway viaduct designed in the 1840s by Robert Stephenson, and opened by Queen Victoria.

The Castle itself, or what remains of it, dates from the 12th century. It’s location in the disputed border country made it one of the most important fortresses in the land. Once the walls around Berwick were built it was no longer needed, and so sadly it fell into decline. Regardless, it’s a lovely spot. We walk back into town through Castle Vale Park and past the bulk of Meg’s Mount, one of the bastions of the fortifications, named after ‘Roaring Meg’, the cannon that was once mounted here.

We have pre-dinner drinks in the Brown Bear Inn, refusing to be put off by the yellow tape around each table which give it the air of a crime scene. The barstaff are ever so friendly, which makes up for their intimidating coronavirus measures. As I’m walking out, a guy down the road shouts out ‘If I was a single man…’ The husband is less than impressed, but I’m secretly quite pleased. Obviously, the locals are pretty discerning around here!

Dinner at the Queen’s Head Hotel is a strange mixture of olde worlde service, cracking food and a constant barrage of Mick Hucknell. I like Simply Red, but seriously, their whole back catalogue in one evening? My starter of beetroot sorbet with pickled root veg is really unusual, in a good way. I can never resist beetroot on a menu – it’s the taste of childhood, although Mum never made me a sorbet. Our verdict – full marks for grub, but the ambience needs a bit of work.

Our base in Berwick is The Walls, which unsurprisingly is situated right on the fortifications. A B&B with just four rooms, it gets top marks on Trip Advisor, and I’ve been impressed by communications giving directions and restaurant recommendations prior to our arrival. Our room has a view of the river, rather than our usual car park vista, hurrah!

Greedy as ever, I’m particularly impressed by the offer of homemade fishcakes for breakfast – made of three different types of fish, no less, fresh from the fishmonger in Eyemouth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them on the menu before at this time of day, and they are scrumptious.

It may have a ferocious past, but Berwick today is a bit of a pussy cat. If, like me, you travel mainly to walk and to eat, it should be on your list.