Norham is the second most northerly village in England and was once the main pillar of defence of the eastern English border against the Scots. Strictly speaking, for many years it was not really part of Northumberland at all, but was an outpost of County Durham. It had two main roles in history as an ecclesiastical centre and a military stronghold.

The location of the village is well chosen. It nestles in a valley on the south side of the Tweed. The Cheviots to the south-west and the Lammermuir Hills to the north, provide a sheltered environment. The village has also grown up at a crossing point of the Tweed, and the village’s original name of Ubbanford reflects this.

Presumably the crossing point of the Tweed encouraged a large amount of through-traffic in the area and led to the growth of a settlement on the site of modern day Norham. It was this route that St Aidan took on his way from Iona to found the monastery on Lindisfarne in AD635. It was surely often used by monks subsequently travelling between Iona and Lindisfarne and was also a resting place for the community of monks from Holy Island after they fled the Vikings in AD875. With them they carried the body of St Cuthbert, who was finally laid to rest in Durham Cathedral. And so it is at this time that we see the first connections between Norham and the bishops of Durham, who soon administered this area.

The church in Norham is, of course, dedicated to St Cuthbert. It was built in 1165, but the presence of many Anglo-Saxon carvings suggests that there was a ninth century church here. The exact location of this church is unknown but it is likely to be beneath, or to the east of, the present church, where a slight platform in the graveyard suggests a former building. In 1320 the church was occupied and fortified by Robert the Bruce during a siege of Norham castle.

While Norham developed as a religious centre, it was also the focus of much unrest, being located on the disputed border between England and Scotland. The defence of the area was given to the Prince Bishops of Durham and through their influence it became a military stronghold too. The mainstay of this stronghold was Norham castle built around 1121 by Bishop Ranulph Flambard. It was a motte and bailey style castle and was damaged and destroyed many times resulting in a long series of repairs and rebuilding, culminating in a very substantial castle, the remains of which we see today.

King John met William the Lion here to make one of the many treaties intended to secure peace on the Borders. The latter's son, Alexander II stayed here and most famously Edward I met the Scots nobles here and discussed their differences and the result was his selection of the ill-fated John Balliol as King of Scotland, who swore fealty to Edward in the Castle. After that the story of sieges and surprises goes on without ceasing. Sir Walter Scott described Norham Castle in his poem Marmion as “the most dangerous place in England.”

From the steep of Norham castle looking over to the Scottish side the old church of Ladykirk is easily visible. Built by James IV in 1497 it is said he built this church after being miraculously saved from drowning by the virgin mary while trying to cross the river tweed at Norham bridge.

The most famous English landscape artist William Turner painted depictions of Norham castle and sunsets on the River tweed at Norham in the mid 19th century and which now hang in the Tate gallery.

Norham sits five miles from the old historic town of Berwick-upon-Tweed which has been fought over through the ages by both the English and the Scots. Once one of Britain's wealthiest ports, it was a prize worth fighting for, pulled between kingdoms for two blood-soaked centuries and more.

Today Berwick offers a unique glimpse into the past. It's the gateway to England from the north and just a few miles from Scotland but whichever way you are coming from you will find that Berwick as well as Norham sits amidst the glorious landscapes and historic castles for which Northumberland and the Scottish borders are famous for.

Berwick's strategic position on the English / Scottish border during centuries of war between the two nations led to a succession of raids, sieges and take overs. Between 1147 and 1482 the town changed hands between England and Scotland more than 13 times and was the location of a number of momentous events in the English / Scottish border wars. One of the most brutal sackings was by King Edward 1 of England in 1296 and set the precedent for the bitter conflicts in the Wars of independence.