Berwick Upon Tweed : History & Guide

Berwick upon Tweed, a border town renowned for its spirit of independence, was the first place outside London to conduct a referendum on the desirability of having a directly elected mayor in the year 2001.

In the twelfth century however, Berwick had, alone of all Scottish towns, a mayor who was the ‘great man’ of the all-powerful guild which governed the town. At this time, Berwick was the most important town in Scotland, and was compared to Alexandria, such was its prosperity. Its location on the border between England and Scotland ensured it became the cockpit for centuries of expenditure of blood and wealth by both nations. Its character and history, forged in such fierce fires of hostility, makes it a fascinating place to study and visit.

This book gives the reader an insight to what makes Berwick ‘one of the most exciting towns in England’, as Pevsner has written in his Buildings of England. It also provides a guided tour of the town, thus allowing the reader to embark on a journey into Berwick’s past, through its existing streets and buildings, and especially its unique Elizabethan walls, which are probably the finest of their kind in Northern Europe.

Jim Walker is best known for his photographic exhibitions of aspects of Berwick upon Tweed. The exhibition and book A Wake for the Salmon in 1998 chronicled the decline of the traditional local salmon fishing industry and resulted in a Fellowship award by the Royal Photographic Society. Three years later, another exhibition and book Secret Berwick showed images of the town, generally unseen by the public. Remembering Walls, his exhibition in 1994, was seen by seven and a half thousand visitors. Since then, he has written and produced two photographic books about Berwick under the Images of England series.

In his latest book, he has combined his extensive knowledge and love of Berwick, with his photographic expertise to present this History and Guide of Berwick upon Tweed.