Berwick’s famed town walls still hold strong hundreds of years later. The earliest set of walls was built by Edward I, reaching two miles long, whilst the later Elizabethan Walls are a mile and a quarter long. Admire the ramparts which entirely encircle the town, with four gates allowing admission.
Berwick Town Walls
The Elizabethan Walls of Berwick are the only bastioned town walls in Britain and one of Europe’s best-preserved. It was the most expensive project of England’s Golden Age when it was built in 1558 to keep out marauding Scots.
The walls were built in an Italian style, with bastions allowing shooting to cover the entire wall. Wide water-filled ditches surrounded the curtain wall and bastions to ward against intruders. A 45-minute walk around the town walls reveals Berwick’s stormy history. You can also enjoy spectacular views of the town, the North Sea, and the Tweed Estuary, home to mute swans.
During your visit, explore even more beauty around Northumberland with our travel guide…