The truth about Berwick's war with Russia...

It didn't take us long to realise that Berwick-upon-Tweed is a strange place. It's as close to England's northern border as it is possible to be without being in Scotland, and indeed, has leapt from one kingdom to the other so many times as the border as oscillated north and south that it was often difficult to be sure which country it was actually in. This gave rise to the popularly believed story that Berwick was accidentally at war with Russia for several decades.

The story goes that because the town kept finding itself on different sides of the border Berwick came to be viewed as a sort of stateless entity in its own right. As a result, decrees, treaties and other intergovernmental paperwork referred to "England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed". So far, so good. 

Then came the Crimean war - an epic battle between Britain and Russia that led to much death and destruction, a mediocre poem by Tennyson, the discovery of every terrorist's favourite headgear, the "Balaclava Helmet", the rise to fame of a certain Florence Nightingale and the rather shameful failure of a grateful nation to remember Mary Seacole until somebody invented Black History Month more than a century later. When the killing was over the two warring nations met in Paris to sign the 1856 "Treaty of Paris" which ended the conflict.

I have no idea why Britain and Russia signed a treaty in Paris. Perhaps the diplomats involved really, really liked croissants, strong coffee and rude supercilious waiters. Who can say. Crucial to the story, however, is the fact that the peace treaty makes no mention of Berwick-upon-Tweed - meaning that this little north eastern town is technically still at war with Russia!

Now, this is a very nice story but whilst this would explain the town's devotion to its Elizabethan fortifications there are a couple of problems with it. First of all, while it is true that there is no reference to Berwick in the peace treaty, there is no reference to Berwick in the declaration of war either. Add to that the fact that Imperial Russia effectively ceased to exist with the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, which meant there was no Russia to be at war with after that date - and the rather obvious fact that towns can't declare war in the first place and the whole thing rather falls apart.

Still. It is a nice story.

 It's a fitting one too. Berwick-upon-Tweed is a town steeped in battle set on a coast and in a landscape that is festooned with relics of past conflict. Still, we were there for only a few short days, and there was no way we were going to be able to take in everything in such a short time. The northern section of Northumberland is just too crammed with interest. To be honest, we didn't even visit Berwick properly.

I drove through it on the evening of our arrival looking for a supermarket - we'd been on the road for more than a week and although we'd made a foray to the Tesco in Barrow-in-Furness while staying at Ravenglass, supplies were getting low. As a public service I can tell you that Berwick is blessed with three supermarkets. There's a smallish ASDA (which is the closest to the Caravan Club site), a largeish CO-OP literally just outside the walls and a medium sized Tesco.  Of the three, I found the Tesco the best - which is a shame, because that first night I didn't find it and so was at the mercy of the Co-op and the ASDA.

I don't know if I've made a big enough thing of this yet, but we Snails are food snobs. Sorry, but we are. We don't insist on organic meat, but we do insist on free range. Essentially if I'm going to have an animal killed so that I can eat it, I like to think it's seen the sky a couple of times; call me a soppy sentimentalist if you like. Free range seems to be an idea that Berwick hasn't totally embraced, because my choice at both the ASDA and the Co-op was severely restricted. As in, neither place had any.

On the up side, I was able to replenish our dwindling stock of red wine and the ASDA also supplied the perfect salt shaker/pepper grinder combo that I've been looking for for the caravan for ages, so I guess I'll let them off...

At this point it should be noted that the little retail park about five hundred yards from the Caravan Club site boasts an M&S Simply Food, which I didn't notice on the first night there, but which will amply provide for the most seasoned food snob, which means that in the end Berwick turns out to be a source of culinary delight...

Anyway. None of this tomfoolery is telling you anything about the place itself.

As previously mentioned the town is surrounded by rather impressive Elizabethan defensive walls, built between 1558 and 1570 to defend the place from the Scots. The English/Scottish border was a pretty dangerous place in the sixteenth century and the strategic importance of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed simply cannot be overstated. The Scots were rather keen to get their hands on it, the English - having lost it several times over the years as the border wandered north and south apparently at will - were equally keen to hang on to the place.

The result of this desire was - at the time - the most expensive construction project England had ever seen and is now the only fully intact se of Elizabethan town walls in the whole of England and nearly four hundred and fifty years after their construction they are still a pretty impressive structure. At a mile and three quarters in length they completely surround the old town and are pierced by just four gates. Had you been a rampaging Scottish army in the late sixteen hundreds, you really would have thought twice before you took them on - they are huge!

Back in the day I suspect they made the good people of the town feel very safe indeed. In more modern times they're a useful tourist attraction and a fantastic vantage point from which to view the town and its surroundings. The tourist websites suggest that a walk around these magnificent ramparts will take you about forty five minutes, but I reckon that if you want to really see and appreciate the place you ought to give yourself a good hour or more. Decide for yourself next time we chat because I'll be taking you on a little walk around the fortifications...