The approach to Berwick on Tweed across the Old Bridge makes clear the town's huddled nature. Work on planning a stone bridge here started with the union of
the English and Scottish crowns
Looking across the Tweed to where the Old Bridge joins the town wall
The town of Berwick-upon-Tweed traces its origins back to being in the Kingdom of Northumbria far from any boundary, but with the formation of English it became a border town and centre of disputation. Stability arrived with James VI of Scotland travelling south to become James I of England; it is rumoured that his dissatisfaction with the Tweed crossing at Berwick resulted in the stone bridge being completed in 1624. The attention of the visitor to Berwick is at once drawn by two aspects, the surrounding water and the town walls. The water and walls confine the older buildings to a pleasing huddle, a huddle emphasised by the openness of its surroundings.
Berwick is open in both its prospects: towards the sea, and south-west towards the Cheviot Hills
A road through the wall: to the Pier...
...to the Sandgate's 'Hen & Chickens'
...and here looking over a battlement to the Sandstell
chimney in Spittal,
past a cannon near Coxon's Tower
The piercing of walls offers the photographer many possibilities
Above, the town wall which leads up onto the Old Bridge
Right, that elderly door with the 'KEPT SHUT' notice:
A variety of ports in this wall
"THIS DOOR to be KEPT SHUT"
A tunnel through to Sally Port lane
Here an arch needed, rather than lintel
A relief from so much stone, Berwick Community Allotments offer vegetables and sea views - into which the Sandstell Chimney makes its appearance once again
Steep steps descend from the town wall into the narrow streets below
Bridge Street, Berwick's characterful shopping street
Behind the town hall an acute corner is occupied by G C Grieve ltd
Looking down Marygate to the town hall
Wellington terrace has a splendid position looking over the town wall across the estuary to the south. The
seats
everywhere in Berwick and Spittal share the same origin
Looking from on the wall, next to the Guard Museum,
down into Palace Street
The front of the Drivers' Lane houses where the wall points to the bridges
Palace Street's pleasant curve
The town walls behind Pier Road
The promenade on Quay Walls features more of the snake seats
A gull hoping for a visitor who will share their snack
Maybe a working boat, by the Custom's Watch House
The main east coast rail line, on which this train is seen, passes over the river beside Berwick on the Royal Border Bridge which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1850. The arch just above the photographer is of the Royal Tweed Bridge which was opened in the 1920s to relieve the narrow Old Bridge - allowing the latter to be one way
Trailers...
The next Picture Posting page
introduces you to Route 32 in northern Vietnam.
The next page
of the Mosaic Section is headed 'Roots'.
Or go to the contents Go to the contents of the Mosaic Section. of the Mosaic Section.
The last page had photographs taken from Spittal, looking out to sea, and back at Berwick
Another north Atlantic town on the sea - Torshavn the Faroes capital
To a town on the Mekong - Luang Prabang in Laos
...guide to this site