| The remains of Berwick Castle stand on a steep rise above the mouth of the River Tweed. It was first built in the 12th century, although most of the remains that can be seen today were added in the late 13th century or later. When King Edward I captured the town during his wars with the Scots he added many towers and some wall to the building. During these wars the castle was captured and re-captured by England and Scotland. It was only in 1482 that England finally captured it for good. Soldiers were kept at the castle until 1603 when the Act of Union joined together the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Much of the wood and stone from the castle was moved to build the church of Holy Trinity in the mid 17th century. The ruined castle was held by a number of owners until more of it was demolished in the mid-19th century to make way for the railway which linked England and Scotland. Recent work by archaeologists has discovered that remains of the medieval castle survive beneath the station car park, including a substantial stone wall that linked the castle with the medieval town wall. This is a Grade I Listed Building and a Scheduled Monument protected by law. See also:
Source of Reference
Local History of Berwick upon Tweed
Location of this site on a map, with option to view historical maps. Please note this link will open a new window. To return to this page please close the new window.
The Past Perfect web site for an example of a medieval castle (Wark). | |
