Out & About in Berwick
Places to Eat
Berwick abounds in a wide range of restaurants, eateries, cafes, take-aways etc, amazingly within a few minutes’ walk of 2, The Courtyard.
We can particularly recommend a visit to 'Verdi'
Italian Restaurant (tel: 01289 303412), in Golden
Square, between 5pm - 6pm any day of the week,
including weekends. Not only is this delightful
little restaurant open for business at a time of day
when it is very difficult to find somewhere for a
light meal, but we like the relaxed, friendly
atmosphere as well as the reasonable prices!
Or why not try....
Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant, 35 Marygate Tel: 01289 331411
The Magna Tandoori, 39 Bridge Street Tel: 01289 308737
Cannons Fish Restaurant, Castlegate
Or for something a bit more special, or for a day out, you could try The Tankerville Hotel, Wooler, the Queen’s Head Public House, Sandgate, Berwick and St Aidan Hotel, Seahouses.
The Creels Restaurant, St Abbs Rd, Coldingham Tel: 0800 1693786, looks an interesting proposition!
Landmarks/ Days Out
On a clear day it is possible to see no fewer than
three Northumberland coastal castles all at once from Berwick ramparts. A flavour
of what is to come might be caught as you travel North up the A1 as Anthony
Gormley’s
magnificent ‘Angel
of the North’ dominates the skyline, and you sight the magnificent
set of bridges across
the Tyne.
Beamish is clearly signposted off the A1 just south
of Gateshead, and the brillant open air museum makes a wonderful day out.
A little further up the A1 there is Alnwick, home of the world famous Alnwick Castle and Gardens. Take a tip and linger until after dusk and motor around the outskirts of the town on the B 6341 - you will come across a wonderful atmospheric view of the castle, which is floodlit at night - shades of Harry Potter!
Two other excellent days out at this end of the county, and really not to be missed, can include Hadrian’s Wall and the superb Heritage Coastal Route. Lindisfarne (Holy Island) is another ‘must see’ but.. PLEASE don’t be one of the incautious few who get stranded on the causeway by the incoming tide! Just get a copy of the current tide tables from the internet, or widely available locally at Tourist Information Centres or newsagents etc. OBSERVE SCRUPULOUSLY!
Magnificent Bamburgh Castle, Warkworth Castle and Dunstanburgh Castle are just a few of the wonderful places to visit within easy reach of Berwick. These three are all on the Heritage Coastal Route. Lindisfarne Priory is of course a must!
For something completely different, a visit to see the
wild cattle herd at Chillingham is a unique
experience. The photographs I took (see sample lower right) were from the landrover tour, so necessary safeguards are no disadvantage. Chillingham Castle is also a very interesting venue. Enjoy!
Phew! this is only a start, but let us dip into a
selection from our ‘definitely mustn’t miss’ list....
For the Gardener
There is a superb specialist clematis nursery in Beamish village, run by people who love their plants and raise marvellous stock - well worth a visit. At nearby Sunniside there is a magnificent garden and plant nursery. Christine Liddle is a specialist in hardy geranium varieties, and has an inspiring show. Keen gardeners will be aware that it is important to buy plants suited to the particular climate in which they live - so northern plant nurseries are like gold! Ford Nursery, near Berwick upon Tweed, is especially attractive, with a large range of plants for sale as well as beautiful gardens to explore within the castle walls. There is also an enormous list of gardens in the area open to the public on the National Gardens scheme.
For the Artist
Generations of artists have been inspired by the
Berwick on Tweed area. LS
Lowry,
for example, was especially fond of the town, which features in a number of his paintings.
The Hayloft
Gallery at Paxton House is well worth a visit. The House and grounds
make an excellent day out.
There is an unusual display at Chain Bridge Honey Farm - lots to
see in the way of superb murals and
interesting exhibits, quite apart from the marvellous
range of tasty local
honey and honey by-products Don’t forget to try the honey-sweetened
ice cream!
If you like murals, don’t miss a visit to
Barter
Books in Alnwick - a wonderful experience! Their website is a
work of art in itself!
Pottery
Shire Pottery Gallery and Studios in Alnwick looks very interesting, and try the excellent Tower House Pottery in Berwick upon Tweed. The beautiful plate which sits proudly in the window of the local Tourist Information Centre is produced there.
For the Musician
The Maltings
Arts Centre in Berwick and
the new Sage venue in Gateshead between
them offer
an astonishing range of musical entertainment,
classical and otherwise, while lovers of folk music
will find a wealth of tradition. Why not try the Rothbury
folk festival next year?
The Pilot Inn in Berwick is the place to go on a Thursday night.
Kathryn
Tickell is a very well known northumbrian small pipes player.
For the Photographer
It goes without saying that the area is endless inspiration for the photographer. Graeme Peacock provides a supreme example of what can be achieved.
For the Birdwatcher/Naturalist
The Birdwatcher or Naturalist should really try to coincide with specialist day
trips/weekend breaks.
Mark’s local knowledge and expertise are legendary. A good outing guaranteed!
We might also personally try the Clifftop landrover tours organised by Dr and Mrs Wise and starting from
St Abbs. They sound like a wonderful way of exploring local natural
history.
Small groups tours - The
Reivers Tours look very
interesting - this organisation offers personalised
tours with a suggested bias towards local wildlife.
For the Golfer
2, The Courtyard is only a few minutes' walk from the scenic clifftop golf course at Magdalene Fields and a short drive from the links at Goswick. Only a little further south is the spectacular golf course at Bamburgh which should especially interest those who like local history and heritage.
For the Walker
The serious walker will find much to enjoy in our beautiful county, not least in the beautiful Cheviots, easily reached from Berwick.
You will not find anything to better Derek and Hazel Sharman’s
guided walks around Berwick. To contact ring 01289 330218 or email them.
For the Fisherman
Why not try the fishery at Conundrum
Farm or Keilder
Water. Something different but very tempting might be River
Till fishing. The River
Tweed is of course world famous for its salmon
fishing.
If sea fishing is your thing or if you simply fancy a go for the first time, there is plenty of information to be found here for the experienced and novice alike. Simply read ‘Scottish Borders’ for ‘Scotland’ on the site, and know that here we have “excellent and very varied sea fishing, from both shore and boat, with stunning coastal scenery to match.
