Archives

The Stream and the River

My Mum, sister, and I moved to Cornhill-on-Tweed in the 1970s, where my Mum taught at Cornhill First School for many years. My sister and I spent hours playing in the stream at the bottom of the field behind our house, which ran through the old mill and into the Tweed. We stayed away from […]

Dog Days

I walk the Tweed regularly with my border collies between the Tweed Bridge at Manor and the Barns estate. Have done so for the last 30+ years. So many happy times spent there walking in all seasons watching the spring birds arrive, seeing kingfishers and otters and other wildlife. I especially love the arrival of […]

Wool, Water and Weaving

From the earliest Neolithic settlers to modern-day artisans, sheep farming has shaped the region’s economy, culture, and landscape. Powered by the river, and later wind and steam, early mills transformed local wool into high-quality textiles sold across the globe. The hardy Border Cheviot sheep, bred in the uplands of Ettrick, Yarrow, and the Cheviot Hills, […]

In the wake of Arwen

It was a chilly but gloriously sunny day in January 2022 when I first visited Paxton House, beside the River Tweed near Berwick. Storm Arwen had roared through the region in November, flattening swathes of woodland and damaging properties, including taking a bite out of our roof in North Northumberland. Paxton’s beautiful gardens and grounds […]

An Otter from the Tweed

My favourite memories of the Tweed, and Berwick in particular, are all tied up with the love of our dearly departed dog, Otter. A nice family from the borders surrendered her to the Berwick animal shelter after a change in circumstances and luckily we were the people chosen to take her home. Already an older […]

Swanning About

The Tweed Estuary at Berwick-upon-Tweed is of national importance for mute swans whose numbers peak at around 800 individuals.