Berwick Upon Tweed Barracks - Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland (EH)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is an excellent example of an Elizabethan fortified town. Its ramparts, begun in 1558, are some of the best artillery defenses that exist anywhere. The old Castle and the northern third of the town were abandoned outside these new fortifications. The cost of maintaining the castle and town defenses taking priority justified this move away from Berwick being a royal residence in favour of its new role as a fortified town.
Ravensdowne Barracks in Berwick were among the first purpose-built barracks to be erected. They were
begun in 1717 in response to requests by Berwick Corporation. Previously, soldiers in the
town had been lodged in inns or even private houses, and this had caused friction between
the towns-people and the military. By 1725, the barracks, based on a
sketch by Nicolas Hawksmoor, were almost complete.
They contained accommodation for 600 men and 36 officers, in two three-storey blocks facing each other across the drill square. The third block, opposite the entrance, was a stores building and is known as the Clock Block, for the obvious reason. The west barrack is still in military use and is therefore not open to the public, but the east block now houses an exhibition on how the soldiers lived when it was first built. Behind this block is the gymnasium, which now holds exhibitions of contemporary art.