Berwick upon Tweed Tips
The most northerly town in England, Berwick-upon-Tweed, formerly the county town of Berwickshire, is just over 2 miles south of the Scottish border on the east coast, at the mouth of the river Tweed, in Northumberland.
A traditional market town, Berwick has lain in England since 1482 after three hundred years of border wars and skirmishes but lying geographical as north as Glasgow, still retains it close ties and cultural links with Scotland.
The origin of town’s name is presumed to be Anglo Saxon or Norse, the term originating from ‘baer’ meaning barley or ‘bar’ meaning headland, the second part probably ‘wic’ meaning settlement.
It’s position close to the boirders meant that centuries of war between the two nations led to a succession of raids, sieges and take-overs with the town changing hands no fewer than thirteen times. One of the most brutal attacks was by King Edward I of England in 1296, which set the precedent for the bitter border conflicts in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Under Scottish rule, the town had a mint producing Scottish coinage contrasting with English rule where it was first and foremost a garrison town and secondly a port. It was made one of Scotland’s four royal burgh’s under Kind David I which allowed the town’s freemen a number of rights and privileges.
- Denise
Slap bang on the english/scottish border Berwick has seen its fair share of strife over the years. Today it is a bustling market town and a great short break destination. Although in England its team plays in the Scottish Football League - Nick
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