Berwick Barracks

Berwick Barracks were among the very first in Britain to be purpose-built to house a standing army, completed in 1721 to designs attributed to the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Before this point, soldiers had been billeted in townspeople's homes, and the new complex reflected the strategic importance of Berwick as a garrison town close to the Scottish border.

The three ranges of buildings arranged around a central parade ground now hold several attractions managed by English Heritage. Displays cover 300 years of army life through the 'By Beat of Drum' exhibition, and the King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum tells the story of the local regiment from 1689 to the present. The site also houses the Berwick Museum and Art Gallery, whose collection includes works given by Sir William Burrell.

Visitors can walk the parade ground, climb into the gun powder magazine and see the soldiers' quarters. Its location just inside the Elizabethan ramparts, next to Holy Trinity Church, makes it an easy stop on any circuit of Berwick's historic walls.