Historical bridge reopens as five-year revamp ends

Berwick Bridge marked its 400th anniversary last year

A 400-year-old bridge has reopened to traffic following the completion of restoration work.

Berwick Old Bridge, spanning the River Tweed in Northumberland, saw masonry repairs to the elevations and arch barrels as part of the final phase of work which began in 2020.

Renovation of the Grade I listed crossing needed Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England to allow the works to be undertaken.

Northumberland County Council claimed the refurbishment, which cost £3.54m, would protect the structure for generations to come.

Leader Glen Sanderson said: "All those centuries ago, workers might still have been talking about the Spanish Armada just 20 years or so before, or the Mayflower with 102 pilgrims that set sail for the New World, when the bridge was being built.

"They would not know that in less than 40 years England would become embroiled in the bloody Civil War.

"The Old Bridge is over 1,000 ft long, 17ft wide and has 15 spans or arches so its restoration was never going to be a quick or easy process. However, it is now in fantastic condition."

'Truly beautiful'

Sanderson praised the work of the stone suppliers, stone masons and other craftsmen involved in the project, many of whom he said were from the local area.

Across the five years, the whole bridge structure was refurbished, including below the water level, with the method used for the replacement of stone as historically accurate as possible, according to the council.

Samples of replacement stone and examples of the mortar pointing were approved by Historic England.

Councillor Nicole Brooke said the structure had once been "a key part of the Great North Road connecting London and Edinburgh and, more recently in 2018, it was featured in the Netflix Hollywood blockbuster The Outlaw King which portrayed the life of Robert the Bruce".

She added: "It's a truly beautiful bridge and one of the special landmarks in our town."