Town mouse goes to the border country
A visit to the Borders finds Clive wondering at the rich history and gorgeous countryside, but why, with all this, it seems just a despondent part of the world


Why isn't Berwick-upon-Tweed another Ludlow? Both are in glorious border country, and Berwick is easier to reach by train. After crossing the Tyne and sweeping past Durham Cathedral, I rejoiced to see Lindisfarne, shimmering in the spring sunshine. Because the Victorians thought that Berwick Castle was a good place to build a railway station, you alight onto the spot where Edward I decided the fate of the Scottish crown. And yet, although Ludlow thrives as a foodie heaven and smart retirement destination, Berwick languishes.
* Subscribe to Country Life and save; Get the Ipad edition
How can this be? It has ramparts, a town hall (1754) with a spire, Palladian windows through which sailing boats can be watched in the estuary and Georgian façades behind which may well be Tudor bones. But the cockle shop has closed. Half the town seems to be for sale. We ate well-the young lady who served us was an advertisement for the fare, if not its slimming properties-but Berwick is far from being a gastronomic paradise. What of it? Within half an hour, we could reach Floors Castle, Abbotsford, Melrose, Dryburgh Abbey, Paxton House-even a chain bridge of 1820 (go quickly: it may close) across the River Tweed. I'm back in London now. I've left my heart behind.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Robert Redford's Oscar and this week's unique royal funeral: Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 17, 2025
One of Hollywood's greats is remembered in Wednesday's quiz.
-
The Gallivant review: The Camber Sands retreat with show-stopping seafood and a penchant for happiness
The coastal hotel in Rye, East Sussex, is utterly unique and almost faultless, but is seamlessly eclipsed by the real showstopper, its Anglo-French restaurant, Harry’s.