With its fortifications offering epic views of the Northumberland coast, Berwick is the last town in England you should visit
Berwick-upon-Tweed is the last town in England in the least populated county, so it should feel remote and parochial. It certainly feels undiscovered; its handsome Georgian sandstone houses, slate and red-tiled rooftops, and complete set of 16th-century fortifications (the walled town sits on the much disputed border between England and Scotland), including a bridge over the river Tweed, rarely fail to drop the jaws of those visiting for the first time.
Parochial, however, it is not. An hour by car from Edinburgh, it has some of that city's strength of character. Shops selling local produce and resident artist Mark Irving's gallery (the-irving-gallery.co.uk) on Bridge Street have brought a bohemian vibe to the town, which now depends on tourism for its livelihood rather than the salmon and wool trade of old.
It also has an award-winning hotel-cum-guesthouse, No 1 Sallyport (off Bridge Street, 01289 298002, sallyport.co.uk, doubles from £140), run by Elizabeth Middlemiss, who has an eye for design and an understanding of what guests want: comfort, courtesy and treats. Set inside the old town's walls, it is a Grade II-listed former merchant's house overlooking the Tweed estuary. Suites have mahogany beds, cashmere blankets, original artworks and state-of-the-art TV equipment. Breakfast, served in jolly communality, includes bacon and sausages from local rare breed pigs.
No 1 Sallyport's central location means it is easy to venture outside and climb on to the medieval walls. Beyond the rooftops are views of the eye-widening Northumbrian coastline, with its beaches and roiling sea, stretching toward the romantic holy island of Lindisfarne.
• What to see Berwick's Elizabethan town walls (visitnorthumberland.com/berwick-upon-tweed)