A new book, “William Elder & Sons Ltd: agricultural engineers” by Antony Chessell, has just been published by the Berwick Community Trust (who now occupy the William Elder Building in Castlegate).

For 125 years, William Elder & Sons Ltd. was a leading manufacturer, iron founder and distributor of agricultural machinery and implements. This is the story of a family dynasty which started in Tweedmouth and expanded into headquarters in Berwick-upon-Tweed with branches throughout Northumberland, south-east Scotland and the Borders, and which generated a national and international reputation.

The book costs...

Posted in Local History

At the current exhibition of Berwick photographs in the Granary Gallery, “The Light of Days Past”, there will be two guided tours offered by its curator Cameron Robertson.  They are on Saturdays 17th January and 7th February 2026, starting at 1.00pm, and each tour will last around 45 minutes.  Cameron will talk about some of the stories behind the scenes and people seen in the photographs.

Tickets cost £4.00 and should be booked in advance via the Maltings website.

Posted in Local History

A new exhibition at The Granary Gallery, entitled The Light of Days Past: Photography in Berwick 1840 –1980, opens on Sunday 26th October 2025 and will remain on show until February 2026.

Almost since its invention, the art of photography has thrived in Berwick. The town’s first photographic studio opened in 1849 and during the 19th century, travelling photographers, working from mobile studios would stop in the town. Although many of these were fleeting, William De Lan and his three daughters, who were also photographers, eventually made Berwick their home.

The FBDMA Autumn Lecture will be given by Cameron Robertson, speaking about “The History of Photography in Berwick 1840 – 1950” on Friday 7th November 2025.  It will explore some of the themes and characters featured in the current exhibition at the Granary Gallery, highlighting some of the early photographers who lived in Berwick.

The lecture will start at 7.00pm in the Parish Centre (Parade, Berwick).  All welcome – admission free.

Events

On Thursday 16 October 2025 at 7.30pm, the publication of a new book entitled “A Spy in a Berwick Garden” will be marked with a launch event and a talk by its authors, Lindsay Allason Jones and Phil Rowett.  Admission free.

“Who would have thought that excavating a Second World War Air Raid Shelter in a garden would unearth such a fascinating story covering the Steven family’s connections with both the First and Second World War? This has all been researched by Lindsay Allason Jones and Phil Rowett and has been written up as ‘The Spy in a Berwick Garden’ Come along to the Guildhall on Thursday 16...

Posted in Events