Lady’s Guide to a Day Out in Berwick-upon-Tweed

Today I want to bring you my guide to spending a day out in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. This underrated town sits on the border between England and Scotland and is a beautiful place to put on a Northumberland itinerary. I hope my guide inspires you to visit Berwick.

Day Out in Berwick-upon-Tweed

There aren’t many places I want to visit after I pass through them on the train, but Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of them.

As the UK’s East Coast Main Line service turns toward the Northumberland coast, green pastures give way to wide sandy beaches and arched railway bridges.

Eventually the tracks lead to Berwick, the medieval-walled, orange-roofed town that sits picture-pretty at the mouth of the River Tweed.

Berwick-upon-Tweed History

But Berwick-upon-Tweed’s beauty belies its turbulent past. Right on the border of England and Scotland, the town has changed hands 13 times.

According to a sign in the 18th-century Main Guard museum, it’s the only town in the United Kingdom to have been represented in both the English and Scottish parliaments.

As is the case with many border towns, Berwick is fortified with thick medieval walls, historic military barracks, and a sturdy gunpowder magazine.

But there’s more to this English town than military history, and I’m here to discover the lovelier side.

After a great visit to nearby Holy Island, my boyfriend and I do a day out in Berwick-upon-Tweed to explore what rivals Durham as the prettiest town on east coast train line.

Lowry Trail in Berwick-upon-Tweed

We start our trip with the Lowry Trail, a signed path that corresponds to artist L S Lowry’s paintings of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

It runs through pretty little streets and around the town’s walls, leading all the way out to the lighthouse at the end of the long pier in the North Sea.

The Lowry Trail takes us by the Main Guard and other historic landmarks in town, as well as newer additions like the Gymnasium Gallery and Granary Gallery.

Along with a number of artists’ studios, they’ve started to give the town a reputation for its artistic treasures alongside its historic ones.

Streets and Bridges

The Lowry Trail also leads along Bridge Street, one of the loveliest streets in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Shops sell all kinds of vintage treasures and lovely gifts, and cafes like Audela serve pretty coffee and cake.

Around the corner on Sandgate is the sweet Queen’s Head Hotel & Restaurant, and down the road is Love Lane, which pretty much sums up how I feel about this part of town.

Also in Berwick are picturesque historic streets and great waterfront views, particularly those over the River Tweed.

The bridges are as lovely to look at from land as they are from the train, and even when we get caught in a downpour I don’t mind getting soaked as I take photos.

Visiting Berwick-upon-Tweed

There’s more to explore during a day out in Berwick-upon-Tweed than what I see in my short time here, but my brief visit has proven that the town isn’t just a pretty facade to look at from the window of a train.

While other cities on the same rail line are better known (ahem, Newcastle and Edinburgh), Berwick is almost more exciting because it’s not as firmly on the tourist trail. Yet.

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