Working in Whitby

It was a much brighter morning today. It was still cold as we headed for the bus stop, but at least the sun was shining!

We caught the bus into Berwick-upon-Tweed town centre and then headed along the riverside pathway to the quay where our pre-booked boat trip would depart from.

Berwick is the northernmost town in England and has a population of just over 12,000. It is situated at the mouth of the River Tweed on the east coast 56 miles from Edinburgh. For more than 400 years, the town was central to the border wars between England and Scotland, and it changed hands several times. The last time was when Richard of Gloucester retook Berwick for England in 1482. To this day, many local people feel a close affinity to Scotland, and both the town's football and rugby clubs play in Scottish leagues 😀.

The first thing that struck us as we walked along was the number of bridges across the river, carrying traffic, pedestrians, and trains. At one point, it is possible to photograph all three main bridges in one shot!

The oldest bridge is called, unsurprisingly, the Old Bridge! It was commissioned by James VI of Scotland as he was travelling south to claim the English throne in 1603. It is a 15-span sandstone arch bridge 355 metres long and is part of the Great North Road from London to Edinburgh. It was completed in 1624, meaning that this year is its quatercentenary! The local council, though, has chosen now to do 'necessary repairs', so half of this beautiful bridge is covered in scaffolding and plastic!

The Royal Tweed Bridge is the newest bridge in town. It was built in 1925 to carry the A1 road across the Tweed. It is 110 metres wide, which, at the time of its construction, was the longest concrete span anywhere. The A1 was diverted onto a bypass around the town in the early 2000s, but the bridge is still very much used by local traffic.

The third bridge in Berwick, and probably the most impressive, is the Royal Border Bridge. It was designed by Robert Stepehson and completed in 1850. It is a 658-metre long railway viaduct with 28 arches and was opened by Queen Victoria. Today, it carries the East Coast Main Line nearly 40 metres above the River Tweed.En savoir plus