With a good mix of properties and excellent rail links – as well as spectacular beaches nearby – this ancient walled town is proving popular with buyers freed from city life by working from home
The finest way to arrive in Berwick-upon-Tweed is by train. This gives ample time to take in the coastal scenery, equally mesmerising whether you arrive from Scotland or from England. From the north, the railway line runs close to the cliffs around St Abb’s Head and the deep ravine of Eyemouth; from the south, it affords tantalising glimpses of Holy Island followed by the long empty sandy beaches of Goswick, Cheswick and Cocklawburn. Actually, those arriving from the south probably get the best deal as they also cross Robert Stephenson’s magnificent viaduct that strides imperiously across the River Tweed.
And it’s the town’s position overlooking the Tweed Estuary, and with its farreaching views up and down the coast, that made Berwick such a prized possession – it changed hands 13 times between England and Scotland before finally settling on English soil in 1482. The town’s encircling walls, improved in Elizabethan times, made sure it was going to remain English, but just three miles from the Scottish border it nevertheless retains its charmingly independent streak.
The river, the coastline, the constantly changing colours of the North Sea, the rich history and architecture – atown hall with a spire, Hawksmoor-designed army barracks and streets of Georgian townhouses – make Berwick an attractive proposition to live. And especially its position on the main east coast train route. ‘The big thing in its favour, particularly since the Covid pandemic and the rise of working from home, is the transport connection,’ agrees Nigel Parmenter, partner at Edwin Thompson estate agents. ‘We’ve seen people, particularly from Edinburgh, moving out of the city, realising good value for their property, and moving to Berwick. If they have to go into the office, it’s a quick train ride.’ Indeed; around 40 minutes. Newcastle, too, is do-able, in much the same time. It’s not unknown for some residents to commute to London on Monday, and return on Friday.
Second-home owners and early retirees are drawn to the town, too, explains Parmenter, because it affords such good value for a coastal location. ‘Retired people can sell in a higher-value area and downsize in value, but not necessarily in size.’ And he recently sold a small flat to a Londoner wanting a weekend crash-pad, for less than £100,000.
WHERE TO BUY
Anywhere with a view out to sea or over the river will always be sought after; houses adjacent to the town walls on the southern and eas
