Things to do in Berwick-upon-Tweed

If you’ve got your own bikes, brilliant. If not, head to Berwick Cycles to rent a bike and then book a tour with a private tour guide! Explore Berwick at a gentle pace and see places to visit in Berwick that you'll miss if you go by car. 

Your tour guide can help you learn more about the history of the area, including the Royal Border Bridge, town gaol, and Berwick Lighthouse. 

The tour takes around 90 minutes to complete.

You can find this amazing bird and reptile centre in the Haggerston Castle Italian gardens. 

The team of knowledgeable and friendly animal handlers will help you get acquainted with the owls, falcons, lizards, snakes, and tarantulas. If you’re brave enough, you may even get to have a hold! 

If you’d rather keep your distance, there are bird and reptile shows that last 45 minutes each, including indoor shows when the weather turns.

Paxton House is a must-visit while you're in Berwick-upon-Tweed. It's one of the finest examples of a Palladian house in the country. You’ll learn about the people that lived and worked there through the collections of beautiful artwork and exhibits that change throughout the year.

Stroll around the Paxton House Landscape Gardens. You’ll get to see a selection of tropical plants, too. Before you leave, be sure to check out the gift shop for a range of locally-made items including art prints, cards, ornaments, and textiles.

The Elizabethan Walls are the only existing example of bastioned town walls in the UK. They’re just over a mile long and take about 45 minutes to walk around. You’ll see that the wall contains bastions — little sections which were purpose-built to allow gunfire all along the wall’s length (mainly to keep out invasive Scots people who tried to claim the town).

The area is wheelchair friendly and it’s free for everyone to enter. Bring your furry friend along for the walk too, bring a packed lunch, and sit in the picnic area nearby as you soak up the history of this location.

L.S. Lowry is one of the North’s most famous artists and he loved to holiday in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Many of his lesser-known works depict scenes from the town and his favourite places to visit in Berwick. 

This walk around Berwick takes you on a journey following Lowry’s footsteps — there are signposts all around the town (including some on the Elizabethan Walls). Find the hidden gems, landmarks, and architecture Lowry loved and included in his drawings and paintings. 

You can start off in Dewar Street and stroll around town to take in the sights. Plus, the trail takes you to nearby Tweedmouth and Spittal, just across the river.

Chain Bridge Honey Farm sits right on England’s border with Scotland on the banks of the River Tweed. Established in the early 1990s, it gives visitors in a unique insight into the importance of bees to the ecosystem and the wider world. Extraordinary education awaits you, putting into perspective just how bees operate and make the delicious honey we enjoy.

The visitor centre enables you access to a living colony of bees behind glass, seeing the fascinating way they interact with each other. Information and context is dotted around the place, and there are several artistic exhibits for you to enjoy. When you’re done here, step across the Union Bridge, England’s link with Scotland across the River Tweed.

Berwick Museum and Art Gallery is located at the Ravensdowne Barracks — the first purpose-built army barracks in England. Bring your dog, it’s pet-friendly! The Berwick Burrell Collection includes fine art of over 300 pieces including oil paintings, drawings, and watercolours by well-known artists like Degas, Boudin, and of course, Lowry. 

Marvel at the museum's 25,000 artefacts as you make your way around. Soak up knowledge of Northumbria and world history through interactive displays. If you have questions, friendly volunteers are on hand to help guide you. It’s wheelchair friendly with a wide entrance, a wheelchair ramp, and accessible toilets on the ground floor.

The art studio in Scremerston near Berwick gives you plenty of creative fun for an afternoon. All you need to do is pick a plain pottery piece to paint, or other arts and crafts activity. Pot-a-Doodle-Do provides all the art supplies you need in a friendly, spacious studio with lots of seating. Get creative! When you’re done, you can take your masterpiece home, or leave it to be fired in their kiln to collect later in the week. 

If creating gets you hungry, there’s a nice little cafe here offering home-cooked fare with hot and cold drinks.

For family things to do in Berwick-upon-Tweed, animal lovers will adore visiting the Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre. Families with dogs are welcomed with open arms. There’s a mix of indoor stables and surrounding fields for the resident Heavy Horses here. You can get right up close to them and there are even carriage trips in the summer holidays. 

It isn't just about horses— a family of rare British Lop Pigs live here too and love the attention from guests. Around the farm, you’ll spot geese and long-wool sheep, too. When you’re finished with the animals, sit down with homemade refreshments. You can even buy products like jams and pickles, which are all homemade too. As the centre is not-for-profit, every penny you spend here is funnelled back into the running of the centre, making that pot of homemade strawberry jam taste even sweeter!

If you're in Berwick-upon-Tweed on Wednesdays and Saturdays, shop the Berwick outdoor market on Marygate. There’s a variety of stalls to browse and it takes place in most weathers. Choose from gifts, freshly baked products, and handmade crafts. 

There’s plenty of parking and public toilets close by, so come and sample some of the best of what Berwick has to offer for the day.