Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Walls and Ramparts

Berwick's town walls are among the most complete and impressive of their kind in Europe. The Elizabethan ramparts, begun in 1558 in the reign of Mary I and completed under Elizabeth I, were designed on the latest Italian principles of military engineering to withstand cannon fire. Their vast angled bastions, wide ditches and low stone-faced earthworks made Berwick one of the most heavily defended towns in the country.

Visitors can walk the full circuit of roughly 1.5 miles along the top of the ramparts, which encloses the historic centre and offers changing views of the River Tweed, the harbour, the three Tweed bridges and the North Sea coast. Key features include Cumberland Bastion, Brass Bastion, Windmill Bastion and the surviving fragments of the earlier medieval walls above the river.

The walk is free, open at any time, and clearly signed. Sensible footwear is a good idea in wet weather, and benches along the way give plenty of chances to stop and take in the sea air. The ramparts are maintained by English Heritage and remain the defining feature of the town's character.