Berwick is an atmospheric base for touring nearby fairytale castles, beaches, birds and sea life – by train, boat and bus
The Victorian viaduct is lit by a pink and orange sunset. The sky deepens to cloud-studded red and violet during the 10-minute walk to my B&B along Berwick-upon-Tweed’s old town walls. On countless train journeys between London and Edinburgh, I’ve looked out of the window near the Scottish border and been drawn to Berwick’s long, arched bridges, its polygonal town hall spire rising over the rooftops, and the river widening to meet the sea. Finally, I am stepping off the train here rather than hurtling past, ready for castles, boat trips and wintry waterside walks, full of wildlife and history.
Berwick’s border location meant for centuries it was the scene of Anglo-Scottish skirmishes. Before you leave the railway station, a sign announces that here, in 1292, “the claim of Robert Bruce to the crown of England was declined”. The town and its castle, whose ruins are right next to the platform, changed hands 13 times in the next 200 years. Britain’s only bastioned town walls now form a mile-long amble around the major sights, with medieval ramparts overlooking the Tweed, and Elizabethan fortifications towering above cave-backed beaches. A car-free winter weekend by the sea, with late sunrises and early twilight, has many moments to savour: window-gazing in all weathers, windy clifftop walks, and lingering fireside pints.
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