Berwick Heritage Blog Contents
A slide show explaining why Northumbria Healthcare’s new plan is a bad one.
We respond to Northumbria Healthcare’s surprise announcement that they will be demolishing all of John Starforth’s 1874 Berwick Infirmary apart from the tower.
We outline how turning the front of the Berwick Infirmary into a winter garden satisfies many conditions for economic, sustainable and practical reuse in close proximity to the hospital.
Our statement on the NCC’s approval of the application on 5th August, 2025.
This is the speech we gave at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting to decide the Maltings application on August 5th, 2025.
Our detailed analysis of the flaws in the new Berwick Maltings proposal and how it will harm us is now available from the Berwick Heritage web site.
The Maltings partners have kindly shared images of their latest designs, in response to mounting criticism that their current design is an "abomination". They must be congratulated for their responsiveness and sensitivity to this iconic site. Enjoy!
The visualisations of the new Maltings are an absolute joke. After messing up, they've now cobbled together views with faint red lines indicating the new building - as seen through the wrong end of a telescope.
Hurrah! The Maltings application is now live and chock full of spin.
This is the final Maltings design, and it’s a shocker. Historic England and the Maltings Trust disagree on whether it should be a ‘beacon’.
There’s no admission fee to enjoy this! The unique, historic beauty of Berwick, viewed from Tweedmouth.
The Victorian Society has strongly objected to the planned demolition of the WWI Army hut and 1908 Speirs & Co. classroom at 5, Palace Street East, Berwick.
The Berwick Heritage group is thrilled to see the first phase of the Living Barracks plan approved and the £4.5m Heritage Lottery grant secured.
Beautiful modern architecture is possible - check out this social housing with ornamentation, by Ben Pentreath.
Coming soon! A Luxury Flat-Roof Riverside Residence.
A tale of two roofs.
An article in the Guardian by Simon Jenkins: “The Ransacking of Britain: why the people finally rose up against ‘sod you architecture’”.
How Berwick Infirmary came to be.
A song for Corporal John Edgar Boal, former Berwick Grammar School pupil and Northumberland Fusilier.
Find out how yet another piece of bad development will scar beautiful Berwick.
A history song about lovers Patrick Home and Sophie de Brandt, and the country house that never fulfilled its owner's hope.
A musical celebration of 150 years of the Berwick Infirmary, designed by John Starforth.