Berwick InQUIZition
Back by popular demand. You’ve walked the walks, you’ve seen the buildings and exhibitions. Now put your knowledge of Berwick Heritage Open Days to the test!
Join historian and quizmaster Jim Herbert in the Brown Bear for the final HODs event for this year—a fun evening for all. As always, it's free to enter and there may be prizes at the end, but remember, the knowledge IS the prize.
Bell Ringing in Berwick Town Hall (Copy)
Visit the Bell Tower in the Town Hall to find out about the history of Berwick's bells and see how the bells are rung.
There has been a building on this site for many centuries connected with the Guild of Freemen. The present building, completed in the 1760s is listed and contains a bell tower with a ring of eight bells and a curfew bell. Most of the bells were originally cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. As part of the “Ringing in the Millennium Project”, the bells were restored and a new cast iron frame fitted tied into the structure of the tower. The work was completed on time and the bells rang in the millennium. The bells are rung on specific occasions, including the nightly curfew bell at 20:00. This was originally rung to notify the inhabitants that the gates into the town were to be closed.
Please note this event is only suitable for children over 10
Industrial Spittal and Spa Resort: A Guided Walk
Spittal was a place of contrasts in the past - a spa and beach resort but also highly industrial with chemical works and a bacon factory. Join this walk to find out more about these elements of Spittal's past and see what evidence remains.
In the 19th century people came to Spittal on holiday and to "take the waters" from its chaylbeate well. It continued to be a popular holiday resort until the 1960s. However, it also had another side. There were various industries here in the past, many of them concentrated at Spittal Point but also in other parts of the village. This walk will highlight remnants of this past which are still visible and build up a picture of the past.
L.S. Lowry Talk at Berwick Museum
Join this free talk to learn more about Lowry's love of Berwick.
Curator Anne Moore will talk about LS Lowry, with special reference to the paintings and drawings featuring Berwick, including recent acquisitions for Berwick Museum & Art Gallery.
Crime Unlocked!
Discover the dark side of Berwick’s history and what crimes took place in the town during the 18th and 19th centuries? Enjoy a guided tour of an old jail from a young person's perspective. Everyone is welcome!
Berwick Heritage Open Days took part in the HODs New Wave programme in 2022 where we worked with young people to develop new, innovative HODs events. We've continued this tradition with this event created by a young person for all ages.
Based on cases uncovered in the local archives, find out who was in the prison in the Town Hall and what life was like there. Come along and hear how Berwick meted out justice in the past and its consequences. View the condemned cell and hear the stories behind who was imprisoned there.
Berwick Parish Church - Music in Faith
Kit Hobkirk, Director of Music at the Parish Church, will demonstrate the Parish Church's fine pipe organ and talk about how music can aid worship
When George Fenwick was Governor of Berwick in the 17th century, funds were raised to build the church using stone and timber from the disused Castle. It was completed in 1652. It was designed and built as a Puritan place of worship consisting of a regular nave with 2 side aisles and no chancel. It has no tower or steeple, reputedly at the express orders of Oliver Cromwell.
Come and see this really unusual church and enjoy listening to it's beautiful organ.
Medieval Tweedmouth Tour
Join local historian, Jim Herbert, on a walk through Tweedmouth's historic core. Discover how local and national events from pre-Roman to Elizabethan times have defined and shaped the streets of this settlement whose history is often overlooked.
In this walk see little known parts of Tweedmouth and find out more about aspects of its early history, not usually highlighted or known.
Sunday 15 September: Tour 1030 & 1430
Berwick between the Wars - Guided Walk
Join Dr Elisabeth Wilson on a walk and learn how the well-to-do and slum dwellers lived cheek-by-jowl in Berwick in the 1920s and 1930s.
Based on Elisabeth's research for editing and publishing the memoirs of her father, Jock Richardson - A Berwick Boyhood - she will take people around parts of central Berwick mentioned, telling stories of her own family and also the social history of the time. The late 1920s and 1930s were periods of change for Berwick, with many people moved from poor housing in the centre of town to the outskirts. What was it like to live there whilst all this was happening?
Berwick Parish Churchyard Tour : Some History and Monuments
Enjoy a guided walk around this beautiful churchyard and discover the stories behind some of the monuments and the lives of those buried there as well on the Sunday about the flora and the environment.
Until the opening of the Civic Cemetery in 1856, this was Berwick's only burial ground which was used by all denominations. Over the centuries many thousands of people have been buried there. The churchyard contains many monuments of all different shapes and sizes. Some were removed in 1972 but what remains provide a fascinating insight into Berwick's history and its many inhabitants.
Stories From the KOSB Museum : World War One - Grief and Remembrance
Drawing on their collections, join members of the KOSB Museum and Archives team for this talk as they discuss how people dealt with grief in the wake of World War One. How did they cope with the indescribable experience and aftermath of war?
2024 is the 110th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One which impacted the lives of many throughout the world. How did soldiers and families cope with this and how did this help create a greater understanding of the need for support for veterans and their families, something which is still needed throughout the world today.
The Kings Own Scottish Borderers Museum is closed at the moment. However, here's your chance to view some of its artefacts and archives and find out more about the collections it holds relating to the First World War and its aftermath from those working on them.
Berwick Unlocked - Guided Walk
Take a tour around historic Berwick, hear tales of the town’s history and explore sites rarely open. Discover the iconic medieval & Elizabethan walls, explore an original 18th-century gunpowder magazine and find out why Berwick needed its ice houses.
Sitting astride the River Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed is a small town with a mighty history. The legacy of its industry and trade can still be found, surrounded by the medieval and Elizabethan ramparts, a result of centuries of warfare along the English-Scottish border.
Especially for Heritage Open Days, normally inaccessible sites around the town are being opened to the public, including medieval towers, the gunpowder magazine and an original ice house that was central to the town’s vibrant fishing industry. This is an opportunity to see behind closed doors to Berwick’s history.
Join local tour guide, Alexander Mobbs from Rambling Historian, for a special ‘Berwick Unlocked’ tour delving into Berwick’s history and visiting each of the specially opened sites. Along the way, you’ll learn about how Berwick changed hands between England and Scotland, see how Berwick became a major trading port, and find out about the town’s connections with L.S Lowry.
Begin the tour at the Quayside for the full walk or join at any of the Heritage Open Day sites around the walls as the tour arrives. This is an exciting opportunity to unlock the rich heritage and history of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Sunday 15 September: Tour 1030 & 1330
St Paul's Church now Spittal Community Centre
Now a Community Centre, visit a former United Reformed Church with its origins as a Presbyterian Church in the 18th century. Go up to the Bell Tower, see their new Mini Museum, pictures of Bygone Spittal and much more.
Throughout the weekend, there will be a photographic exhibition of old Spittal and some information about Spittal during the Second World War. There will also be the opportunity to see the brand-new Mini Museum of local finds. Pop in and you can also pick up a leaflet for a self guided walk around Secret Spittal.
The congregation first opened a Presbyterian Church on this site in 1752. It was replaced by the present building which was opened in March 1878 - work had started in February 1877. The new building was designed by James Alexander Doull of Edinburgh and could seat up to 500 people. Nearly 900 people attended the opening service. In 1972, the church became part of the United Reformed Church and after joining with other congregations in the area, it closed in December 2020.
Berwick Bridge: A Guided Walk
Berwick Old Bridge celebrates its 400th anniversary this year. Join Berwick Archivist, Linda Bankier in this walk across the bridge and find out more about its history and how it has been used in the past.
Berwick's Old Bridge has an amazing history and a unique set of archives. Using the local archives, find out about the construction of the bridge, who worked on it and its subsequent history right up to today.
Lowry and the Sea: Spotlight Tours
This exhibition explores the artist’s connection to Berwick and his lifelong fascination with the sea. He first visited the town in the mid-1930s and continued coming until his death in 1976, drawn by its clear air and views of the North Sea.
Lowry is one of Britain’s most recognisable artists, best known for his industrial scenes of the North-West. However, the sea was a constant presence in his life. During his childhood he enjoyed regular family holidays on the Lancashire coast. Later he travelled extensively throughout the British Isles, regularly visiting the North-East and its coast.
Lowry and the Sea includes works on loan from The Lowry, Salford, The Arts Council Collection, Royal Academy of Arts and several private collections, and is the first curated exhibition of his works in the town for 10 years. This is an amazing opportunity to see his less well known works.
Sunday 15 September: Tours 1230; 1330; 1430
The Free Trade Inn
Access the public rooms of a traditional 19th century small urban pub, last refitted c 1910. It is a Grade II listed building and is one of CAMRA's 'Historic pub interiors of national importance'. It retains a good Edwardian pub frontage.
The pub was refitted around 1910 and has a very unusual layout. The bar at the front is wood panelled and has its original bar counter. The front window is stained glass. The rear room was originally a smoke room but is now used for pool. The room has bell pushes and an attractive brick and tile fireplace probably installed around the time of the Second World War. Over the weekend there will be a small exhibition in the back room about the history of the pub including photographs and newspaper cuttings. Here's your chance to visit a small traditional pub.
Evidence of Angels - Tour and Talk of Berwick Parish Church
"To be charitable and helpful and beneficial to others is to be a good angel". Join this tour of Berwick Parish Church to find out more about the angels associated with Berwick Parish Church over the years.
The Parish Church of Holy Trinity and St Mary is the most northerly Anglican Church in England. The present church was built in the 1650s and is very unusual. This talk and tour will look at some of the people connected with the church and objects still visible which tell the story of the church over the centuries.
Cumberland Bastion
A chance to visit part of Berwick's Ramparts not normally open to the public. Go through a walled tunnel leading to the eastern flanker which was constructed as part of Berwick's Tudor defences, an innovation in this country and also unique.
Originally known as Middle Mount, the bastion was re-named in 1746 to commemorate the Duke of Cumberland who passed through Berwick on his way to confront the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden. Berwick's fortifications were built between 1558 and 1569 when there was a real threat of invasion from the Scots. Berwick was the first northern European town to be defended by this system of rampart and bastion, the most advanced technology of its time. These defences were never tested as the Union of the Crowns in 1603 ended the threat of Scottish invasion. Cumberland Bastion was one of the 5 strong points set around the walls. This flanker contained short-range artillery that could scour the ditch with grapeshot, dealing with any enemy attempting to scale the walls. The defences were aligned so that guns in the flankers could give supporting crossfire along the face of the neighbouring bastion.
Berwick Parish Church
Come and see this church which is a building of exceptional historic importance, a very rare example of an Anglican church built in the Commonwealth period in the time of Cromwell. It's also the most northerly Anglican Church in England.
When George Fenwick was Governor of Berwick in the 17th century, funds were raised to build the church using stone and timber from the disused Castle. It was completed in 1652. It was designed and built as a Puritan place of worship consisting of a regular nave with 2 side aisles and no chancel. It has no tower or steeple, reputedly at the express orders of Oliver Cromwell.
This year, there is also on display some clergy vestments - some traditional ones but also some which were specially commissioned by a local benefactor in the 1980s from two of the country's leading designers and embroiderers, Judy Barry and Beryl Patten. There will also be an altar frontal created by them as well.
Civic Society Bridge Exhibition
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Sketching in Stone: an exhibition by Berwick Bridge 400 Artist in Residence, Annie Lord
Berwick Old Bridge celebrates its 400th anniversary and Annie Lord, Connecting Threads Artist in Residence has been working with the local community to create an artistic response to this event. Come along and see the results at this exhibition.
As part of her research, Annie has spent time exploring the original account books which recorded the names, wages and job titles of everyone involved in the construction of Berwick Bridge. Dating back to 1611, these beautifully scribed books tell a fascinating story, revealing both the material history of the bridge, and the labour involved in its creation.
Throughout her residency, Annie has developed handmade paint, made from the same
sandstone used to repair the bridge. Inspired by the workers who initially constructed the bridge, Annie has invited local people to contribute an artwork in their honour, using this paint. The sandstone creates a warm-toned, reddish-brown colour, and provides an exciting, at times unpredictable material to work with. These artworks, as well as Annie’s own work, will be on display as part of the exhibition.
Throughout the weekend, Annie will be on hand to chat about her archival research, and to demonstrate her handmade, sandstone paint.
This event is by Destination Tweed’s Connecting Threads Project, part of The Southern
Uplands Partnership, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Looking at Berwick's windows - Illustrated Talk
Stained Glass windows can be found in many locations and often go unnoticed. Join Annie Robinson in this talk to find out about some of these hidden gems in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
The practise of making glass has almost remained unchanged since Mesopotamian Times (2 - 3000 BC). In this talk, Annie will speak about glass making in general as well as examples which can be found in Berwick. Although the town did not have any glass manufacturers, it did have over 50 glazier and plumbing businesses in the town during the 19th century.
Berwick's Bell Tower and Lord's Mount - guided walk
‘Sound the alarm! Summon the guard! Invaders are coming!’. This walk provides an opportunity to see some early defences started by Edward I in 1296; a fortified tower, complete with gun positions, a well, a bread oven, a latrine and much more.
Join Ray Clarke on this walk to explore Berwick's lesser known medieval walls which encompassed a larger area of the town than the Tudor ramparts.
The New Tower
Especially open for Berwick Heritage Open Days in Berwick. Go through a normally hidden door and see inside the lower portion of a 14th-century tower embedded in a 17th-century wall. Not to be missed!
An opportunity to see an unknown part of Berwick's medieval and 17th-century fortifications.
Berwick Lifeboat Station at Carr Rock, Spittal
Stationed in Spittal, the lifeboat service in Berwick has a long history. Visit the present Lifeboat Station and see their new inshore lifeboat. Find out what they do today as well as about their past.
Berwick Lifeboat Station was first established in Spittal in 1835. Since then, it has swapped from one side of the River Tweed to the other . It remained on the Spittal side until 1901 when it transferred over to the Berwick side of the river. It was subsequently moved back to Spittal again to its present site at Carr Rock. See a display to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the RNLI and the history of the local station.
Sketching in Stone - An Artist's Talk by Annie Lord
Join Berwick Bridge 400 Artist in Residence Annie Lord for an artist’s talk. Hear about her archive research, and learn about how she has created her own artist’s materials from sandstone, shells and charcoal.
Connecting Threads Berwick Bridge 400 Artist in Residence Annie Lord will share the outcomes of her 8-week residency researching the history and stories of Berwick Bridge, the workers who constructed it and the materials used to make and repair it.
As part of her research, Annie has spent time exploring the original account books which recorded the names, wages and job titles of everyone involved in the construction of Berwick Bridge. Dating back to 1611, these beautifully scribed books tell a fascinating story, revealing both the material history of the bridge, and the labour involved in its creation.
Throughout her residency, Annie has developed handmade paint, made from the same
sandstone used to repair the bridge. Inspired by the workers who initially constructed the bridge, Annie has invited local people to contribute an artwork in their honour, using this paint. The sandstone creates a warm-toned, reddish-brown colour, and provides an exciting, at times unpredictable material to work with. These artworks, as well as Annie’s own work, will be on display as part of the exhibition.
This event is by Destination Tweed’s Connecting Threads Project, part of The Southern
Uplands Partnership, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Gunpowder Magazine
Discover a purpose built ammunition store constructed in 1749 to provide safe storage of explosives required by the military garrison at the Barracks. Far enough away in case of accidents but still close enough to reach!
Previous storage arrangements in the flankers of the Brass Bastion proved unsatisfactory during preparations for an expected attack by the Jacobite forces in 1745 when most of the gunpowder was discovered to be damp and unusable. The new Magazine incorporated features designed to ensure protection against damp and potential explosion. It is built of local sandstone and is surrounded by a high wall. The walls of the vaulted, windowless structure are reinforced by eight heavy buttresses, intended to direct the explosion safely upwards. There are ventilators above the entrance steps that allow air to circulate, protecting the powder from damp. The building has a double-skinned roof and the main internal safety feature is the total absence of iron to avoid any possibility of a spark igniting the gunpowder. Among the interesting internal features are the original wooden racks.
L.S. Lowry and the Sea
This exhibition explores the artist’s connection to Berwick and his lifelong fascination with the sea. He first visited the town in the mid-1930s and continued coming until his death in 1976, drawn by its clear air and views of the North Sea.
Lowry is one of Britain’s most recognisable artists, best known for his industrial scenes of the North-West. However, the sea was a constant presence in his life. During his childhood he enjoyed regular family holidays on the Lancashire coast. Later he travelled extensively throughout the British Isles, regularly visiting the North-East and its coast.
Lowry and the Sea includes works on loan from The Lowry, Salford, The Arts Council Collection, Royal Academy of Arts and several private collections, and is the first curated exhibition of his works in the town for 10 years. This is an amazing opportunity to see his less well known works.
Creative UPCYCLING with the Living Barracks Project
Be inspired by the seaside, the townscape and landmarks of Berwick and upcycle an old T-shirt into a new favourite. Join Transform Arts CIC for this fun screen-printing workshop for all ages and create a unique design to wear about town!
In this FREE workshop, run by The Living Barracks Cultural Development Programme you will be able to transform an old piece of clothing or fabric by printing a new design from one of our templates or create your own.
Bring along a T-shirt (cotton/cotton rich) to upcycle or visit one of Berwick’s charity shops to find an item to upcycle. We will also have a selection of reclaimed fabric and T-shirts available.
Your opportunity to be creative and to take home something unique.
Berwick Town Hall - Faces of the Photo Centre and Berwick in the 1970s
Visit an historic building in the heart of Berwick and enjoy photos from the Berwick Archives . Help us name some of the mystery faces that were snapped by the Photo Centre's photographers over the years and see what Berwick looked like in the 1970s.
The Photo Centre contains millions of images of Berwick and the surrounding area. They cover a wide variety of subjects and styles but the thing many of them have in common is that they document the lives of generations of townspeople over a period of 60 years. This exhibition focuses on the 'Faces of the Photo Centre' from the 1950s to the 1980s. Help us put the names to the faces.
Take a step back to Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal in the 1970s through a collection of slides taken by the Borough Planning Department in our film show in the Council Chamber. These slides document what Berwick looked like in 1973-5 and some of the changes were afoot at the time. We see some of the early work of the Preservation Trust on the Quay Walls as well as work being carried out by the Corporation on its housing stock.
The slides, although taken for a mundane purpose offer us a unique view on the past and into details of the town many people will have forgotten even existed!
Coxon’s Tower
Coxon’s Tower is one of the last two remaining original medieval towers on the famous walls which surround Berwick. Yet all is not as it seems!
Inside, the vaulted ceiling and casemates remain. But look closer and you see evidence of early 16th century modifications, and in the 18th century, the structure was further, and drastically, modified on the outside to maintain its role as guardian of the river estuary. Visit this tower which is not normally open to the public.