Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)

Infobox UK district
name = Berwick-upon-Tweed


status = Borough
region = North East England
admincounty = Northumberland
area = Ranked 27th
971.80 km²
adminhq = Berwick-upon-Tweed
onscode = 35UC
population = Ranked English district rank|ONS=35UC
English district population|ONS=35UC
English district density|ONS=35UC / km²
ethnicity = 99.6% White
politics = Berwick-upon-Tweed Council
http://www.berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk/
leadership = Alternative - Sec.31
executive = English district control|ONS=35UC
mp = Alan Beith
year = 2005

Berwick-upon-Tweed is a local government district and borough in Northumberland in the north-east of England, on the border with Scotland. The district had a resident population of 25,949 according to the 2001 census, which also notes that it is the most ethnically homogeneous in the country, with 99.6% of the population recording themselves in the 2001 census as "White". It is also the smallest district in England with borough status, and the third-least densely populated local government district (after Eden and Tynedale).

Its main town is Berwick-upon-Tweed, sited immediately to the north of the Tweed estuary. The town is ancient, the scene of a number of battles; it has perhaps the best remaining example of a (almost completely intact) town wall, built for defensive purposes.

On the south of the estuary, the port of Tweedmouth is the point of export of diverse goods, but especially grain and roadstone. The remainder of the borough is rural, bordered to the west by the Cheviot Hills, and to the east by a stunningly beautiful coastline.

The borough was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the previous borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed with Belford Rural District, Glendale Rural District and Norham and Islandshires Rural District.

Berwick was the first district in the UK to have a referendum on whether to have a directly-elected mayor. This election took place on June 7, 2001, and was a decisive victory for the status quo. The district will be abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.

=Settlements and parishes=

The borough contains the settlements and civil parishes of: (towns highlighted in bold)

*Adderstone with Lucker, Akeld, Ancroft
*Bamburgh, Beadnell, Belford, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Bewick, Bowsden, Branxton
*Carham, Chatton, Chillingham, Cornhill-on-Tweed
*Doddington, Duddo
*Earle, Easington, Ellingham, Ewart
*Ford
*Holy Island, Horncliffe
*Ilderton, Ingram
*Kilham, Kirknewton, Kyloe
*Lilburn, Lowick
*Middleton, Milfield
*Norham, North Sunderland
*Ord
*Roddam
*Shoreswood
*Wooler, Wark on Tweed

External links

* [http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/site/highlights/towns-and-villages/berwick-coast-and-country/ Information On Berwick-upon-Tweed] from [http://www.VisitNorthumberland.com/ VisitNorthumberland.com]
* [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/AreaProfileFrames.asp?aid=175720&hid=14&tid=13 Statistics] about the Berwick-upon-Tweed borough from the Office for National Statistics Census 2001