Scremerston
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Scremerston is a village in
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
, England. The village lies on the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
coast just under south of
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
and from the
Anglo-Scottish border The Anglo-Scottish border () is a border separating Scotland and England which runs for 96 miles (154 km) between Marshall Meadows Bay on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The surrounding area is sometimes referred to ...
. It is adjacent to the A1, providing access to
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
to the south, and to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
to the north. Scremerston encompasses a number of satellite settlements scattered between the A1 and the coastline at Cocklawburn Beach. These include Borwell, Heatherytops, Inlandpasture, Redhouse, Scremerston Town Farm and Seahouse. Surviving miners' cottages include Restoration Cottages, Deputy Row and Derwentwater Terrace. Scremerston Hill farm and cottages lie to the south, but have been largely cut off from the village by the busy A1 road.


Name


Toponymy

Scremerston has appeared in records at least as early as 1131. It has been written as Scrimestan, Scremerestone, Scremeston, Skremerstone, Screymerston and Scrymmerstone, making it a difficult name to interpret precisely. The first element is most likely a personal name such as Skirmer or Skurmer from the
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
''escrimeur'' meaning "fencer" or the
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
personal name ''Skraema''. The second element probably refers to either the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''stán'' meaning rock or stone or the Old English ''tūn'' meaning an enclosure, farmstead or village. Hence a variation of ''Skrimer's boundary-stone'', ''Skrimer's farm'', ''Skraema's Stone'', ''Skraema's Farm'', etc.


Richardson's Stead

Prior to the 1957 edition, the village appeared on Ordinance Survey maps as 'Richardson's Stead', with 'Scremerston' referring to the wider area and a specific settlement just under south, now known as Scremerston Town Farm. Naturalist George Johnston, in his 1829 publication ''Flora of Berwick-upon-Tweed'', refers to 'Richardson's-stead' and 'Scrammerston' as distinct places between which common barberry can be found. By the turn of the 20th century there was ambiguity, as typified by author and illustrator Charles George Harper when describing his journey up the Great North Road (the forerunner of the current A1) first published in 1901: "Always upwards, it passes collieries, the 'Cat' inn, and the hamlet of Richardson's Stead or Scremerston, whence, arrived at the summit of Scremerston Hill, the way down into Tweedmouth and across the Tweed into Berwick is clear."


History


Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements

Evidence of habitation during this period is scarce but not insignificant, and includes both domestic pottery and burial sites. Two
cist A cist ( or ; also kist ; from grc-gre, κίστη, Middle Welsh ''Kist'' or Germanic ''Kiste'') is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East ...
s were found in Scremerston about north-west of Borewell Farm, one in 1922 the other in 1948. The cists had been inserted at the south end of a low, sandy ridge. The first cist, made of thin sandstone slabs, measured square and contained a female skull, fragments of a beaker and two flints. The second cist was of similar size and contained two beakers which are held at the Great North Museum: Hancock. A sherd of a Bronze Age food urn was found at Scremerston Hill in 1925 and is held by
National Museums Scotland National Museums Scotland (NMS; gd, Taighean-tasgaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It runs the national museums of Scotland. NMS is one of the country's National Collections, ...
.


The Iron Age and Roman-British settlements

A multivallate fort is recorded on the cliffline north of Seahouse. Three arcs of ditch enclose an area about 150m across. The site is dissected by a railway line and the eastern end has not been identified and has most likely been lost to erosion of the cliff. About 150m to the west of the fort lies a linear feature running north–south for 400m while 80m further west a similar feature runs parallel for nearly 500m. These have been interpreted as the north–south axes of a field system associated with the site. A possible ring ditch and two ditches measuring approximately 8 metres by 6 metres considered to be of prehistoric/Roman origins lie 100m north-west of the Spittal Chain Low radar site. Both of these sites are documented on aerial photographs of crop markings. The
Devil's Causeway The Devil's Causeway is a Roman road in Northumberland, in North East England. It branches off Dere Street north of Corbridge and can be traced through Northumberland for about north to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Description The Devil's Causeway i ...
is a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
road extending across Northumberland from
Portgate The Portgate was a fortified gateway, constructed as part of Hadrian's Wall where it crossed the Roman road now known as Dere Street, which preceded Hadrian's Wall by around 50 years. It was built to control traffic along Dere Street as it pass ...
on
Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. R ...
to Scremerston, disappearing just over before reaching the
River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water ( gd, Abhainn Thuaidh, sco, Watter o Tweid, cy, Tuedd), is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the R ...
. The route passes to the west of the Scremerston church, with all traces disappearing to the north east at Heathery Tops. The route was mapped during a three-year survey by
Henry Maclauchlan Henry MacLauchlan (26 April 1792 – 27 January 1882) was a British military, geological and archaeological surveyor. Born into a military family, MacLauchlan studied surveying whilst a cadet at the Tower of London with the Royal Corps of Milita ...
, published in 1864. It has been suggested that the road's distinctive structure was designed for cavalry patrols rather than pedestrians or commerce, although no definitive evidence of Roman military structures has been found in the
Tweedmouth Tweedmouth is part of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, England. It is located on the south bank of the River Tweed and is connected to Berwick town centre, on the north bank, by two road bridges and a railway bridge. Tweedmouth ...
area. In 1980, a
Romano-British The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a ...
settlement was excavated at Doubstead Field, 180m south of Scremerston village and about 90m west of the disused colliery railway. The site was later destroyed by the re-routing of the A1. During the excavation, traces of timber roundhouses were discovered in a rectilinear ditched enclosure, along with 130 sherds of pottery, various stone items, a hinged metal bracelet, a metal brooch, a spiral finger ring, fragments of glass bangles and skeletal remains of ox and horse. The site was dated to the late first or second century.


Medieval settlements and border wars

Scremerston is mentioned as the home of Robert De Tughale (Tuggal), sheriff of Berwick from 1333 to 1337. Tughale, in a petition to
King Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...
in around 1335, requests that the King grant to him a tenement in the Shambles of Berwick due to his losses at the hands of the Scots. He states that his house at Scremerston had been burnt and his cattle taken by the Scots, his grain crop destroyed by the king's army. This was a particularly violent period in the area, with Berwick having been under siege by the English for four months and finally captured in 1333 when the surrounding area was noted to have been widely pillaged by Edward's army. Scremerston was destroyed again by the Scots in 1386. Scremerston Town Farm, which is marked as "Scremerston" on many maps until the mid-20th century, was once the site of a larger
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
settlement and the remains of the earthworks and medieval
ridge and furrow Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges (Medieval Latin: ''sliones'') and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages, typical of the open-field system. It is also known as rig (or rigg) and fu ...
ploughing can still be seen. These are most prominent on the pasture between the farm and Doupster Burn to the north. Mid-16th century records mention that the village had a stone tower and enclosure, while 17th century records describe 40 cottages. Early maps show that they were arranged in two rows along a road running from east to west. The village began to shrink in the 18th century, with many of the remaining cottages used as agricultural buildings. The remains of ridge and furrow ploughing is also evident adjacent to Inlandpasture, suggesting this largely Georgian farmyard was built over an older settlement.


Civil War, Treason and Greenwich Hospital

During the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
(1642–1651), land seized from
Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
by Parliament's 'Sequestration Committee' could be 'compounded' – returned on payment of a fine. Documents of the
Committee for Compounding with Delinquents In 1643, near the start of the English Civil War, Parliament set up two committees the Sequestration Committee which confiscated the estates of the Royalists who fought against Parliament, and the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents which a ...
showed that lands around Scremerston, including the village and Scremerston Colliery, were taken from William Fenwick for
recusancy Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...
and were included in an Act of Parliament to be sold off. Scremerston village, colliery and surrounding lands instead passed on to the Radclyffe family (also recorded as Radcliff, Radclyff and Radcliffe) by marriage. The Radclyffes were made
Earls of Derwentwater Earl of Derwentwater (pronounced "Durwentwater") was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1688 for Sir Francis Radclyffe, 3rd Baronet. He was made Baron Tyndale, of Tyndale in the County of Northumberland, and Viscount Radclyff ...
(hence Derwentwater Terrace) in 1688 by James II, but following a Jacobite rebellion
James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater (26 June 1689 – 24 February 1716) was an English Jacobite, executed for treason. Life Radclyffe was the son of Edward Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Derwentwater and Lady Mary Tudor, the natural daughter of ...
was beheaded for treason at
Tower Hill Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher grou ...
in 1716. On the death of his son in 1731, the estate was forfeited and granted to the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital in 1735, who retain most of the estate to this day.


Industrialisation

During the 18th and 19th centuries Scremerston experienced rapid and extensive industrialisation, largely due to the accessibility of raw materials such as coal, stone and clay. Scremerston Mill was a water-powered mill designed by renowned Leeds civil engineer
John Smeaton John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the fir ...
in 1776. It was sited just north of Seahouse and the ruins are still visible. The corn mill was unique for having its own small harbour and an unusual horizontal "norse" water wheel. The mill is described in Rees's ''Cyclopædia'' as having a wheel in diameter with 12 "ladles" or concave paddles in diameter. The wheel's axle rose up to a cog which could turn one of two sets of grindstones. The larger set would turn 65 revolutions per minute while smaller set could turn at 88 revolutions a minute, and the mill was capable of grinding of corn an hour. Hud's Head quarry, also known as Pier Quarry, lies between Hud's Head and The Skipper rock formation on the shoreline at the foot of the Scremerston Incline railway. It was active between 1808 and 1825 and was the source of the stone for Berwick Pier. The first stone of the pier was laid in 1810 and it was completed in 1826. Scremerston was a local centre for coal mining from at least the 17th century. Records of the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents of 1650-52 show a colliery existed in Scremerston, although it had "drowned" and was "now useless to Berwick garrison". Following the village, colliery and surrounding lands passing to Greenwich Hospital in 1735, Nicholas Walton wrote to William Corbett, then secretary to the Greenwich Hospital reporting that the coal seam at Scremerston had been on fire for a number of years and, due to an increase in workings, a subsequent "admitting of Aire, has Increased, & is at present to that degree as to lay the workmen off work and unless some expedient is found the Collierys will inevitably be destroyed." A plan was described to block the levels and flood the mine to save it. Jack Tar Pit (also known as Scremerston New Winning, Scremerston Old Colliery and Greenwich Colliery) was sunk in 1840 by Robert Johnson and continued work until 1878. The site still includes a largely intact engine house and pumping engine house, both
grade II listed buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. The coal seams beneath Scremerston were intensively mined and four other major pits in the village were Scremerston Colliery, Engine Pit, Rise Pit and Restoration Pit. A number of
lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is :Calcium carbonate, Ca ...
s operated along the Scremerston coastline. A lime works sat at each end of Cocklawburn Beach, while another operated from Cuddy's cove just north of Seahouse. They supported around 190 people in now vanished coastal communities. The kilns included an infrastructure of
wagonway Wagonways (also spelt Waggonways), also known as horse-drawn railways and horse-drawn railroad consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded Steam locomotive, steam-powered rail transport, railways. The t ...
s, blacksmiths and steam engines.
Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
was quarried on site and the
quicklime Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature. The broadly used term "''lime''" connotes calcium-containing inorganic ma ...
was produced using coal mined in nearby collieries in Scremerston village. The lime works was served by two horse-drawn railways which operated into the 20th century, and connected with the mainline railway via a dedicated lime depot near Scremerston railway station. Scremerston Brick and Tile Works operated between 1850-1943, by Carr & Company from 1855, Shoreswood & Scremerston Coal Company from 1873 and Scremerston Coal Company from 1894 but closing soon after. In the mid-1930s, Hartley Main Collieries built new works beside the derelict works with four large 'Newcastle' kilns producing bricks marked SMC (Scremerston Main Colliery), but this was short-lived and the brick works closed with the colliery in 1943. Borewell Tileworks appears on maps contemporaneously with Scremerston Brick and Tile Works in a survey of 1860 but had disappeared by 1898. Industrialisation brought with it a growing population and new facilities. By the early Twentieth Century the village had its own Workman's Institute and football pitch on what is now the site of Berwick RFC, and a bandstand situated behind Derwentwater Terrace.


World War II

Scremerston was the site of Spittal
Chain Home Low Chain Home Low (CHL) was the name of a British early warning radar system operated by the RAF during World War II. The name refers to CHL's ability to detect aircraft flying at altitudes below the capabilities of the original Chain Home (CH) rada ...
radar station during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the generator building and set house remain largely intact to the north of the village. The gun house of Scremerston beach defence battery sits between Cocklawburn Beach and Cheswick Sands at the site of Scremerston Limeworks, which closed in 1910. The gun house sits on top of a loading platform for three limestones kilns which were still in place when the gun house was built, but later demolished by
Northumberland County Council Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. The population of the non-metropolitan unitary authority at the 2011 census was 316,028. History It was formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of N ...
in 1981. The gun house faces Cheswick Sands and
Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important ...
to the south-east and overlooks a substantial earthen ramp which was once topped with the limeworks tramway. The tramway was hauled by an engine sat on the platform where the gun house sits today. A network of largely overgrown trenches leading to a small
pillbox Pillbox may refer to: * Pill organizer, a container for medicine * Pillbox hat, a woman's hat with a flat crown, straight upright sides, and no brim * Pillbox (military), concrete dug-in guard posts * Pillbox affair The Pillbox affair, also known ...
can still be found forward of the gunhouse. From 1941 to 1944, Scremerston was an operational base for an
Auxiliary Unit The Auxiliary Units or GHQ Auxiliary Units were specially-trained, highly-secret quasi military units created by the British government during the Second World War with the aim of using irregular warfare in response to a possible invasion of the ...
Operational Patrol. The Auxiliary Units were a secret network of volunteers who would undertake armed resistance should the UK have been invaded. The Patrol had eight members including a miner, a coal hewer, a butcher, a driver and several clerks and farmers. The Patrol was the first to be formed in Northumberland and met at the Cat Inn (now the Island View Inn) south of Scremerston on the A1 road. Their base was a cellar at Inlandpasture farm, the entrance hidden beneath seed trays in a garden cold frame. The patrol was very lightly armed and would have been responsible for sabotaging the local infrastructure such as the railway, A1 road and bridges over the Tweed. For much of 1941 the unit was overseen by Captain John Anthony Quayle who, on leaving the army, returned to his acting career and became a household name. Scremerston was bombed from the air on 3 March 1941, and 5 February 1942, causing minor damage but injuring two people, one seriously. On 23 July 2006, a
bomb disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous Explosive device, explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functi ...
team detonated an unexploded World War II bomb in a field close to the village.


De-industrialisation

By the turn of the 20th century, much of Scremerston's industry was in decline. Local coal seams were becoming exhausted and labour-intensive industries such as lime production found themselves unable to compete against larger more mechanised plants elsewhere. The Scremerston Lime Works closed in 1910. Borewell Tileworks had already closed by the 1890s and the Scremerston Tileworks closed in 1943. In the previous year, Scremerston miners dug their own new shaft at Blackhill as the village colliery seams were finally exhausted. The Blackhill Colliery continued production into the 1950s, but finally closed after a well documented campaign to save it in 1959. 202 jobs were lost at the mine. Many of the miners then travelled to
Shilbottle Shilbottle is a village in Northumberland, north-east England, south-east of Alnwick, and from the coast at Alnmouth, close to the A1 road (Great Britain), A1. History Coal mining began in the district around 1728; by the end of the 18th cent ...
Colliery, 30 miles away, until the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "v ...
built them new houses and their families left Scremerston permanently. The last coal mined by Scremerston miners was at Allerdean Drift Mine, abandoned in 1908 and reopened privately in 1961 as an initiative of unemployed Scremerston miners. By the time it closed in 1967 it only employed 12 miners underground. A number of streets and settlements have disappeared along with industry. These include cottages at Colliery Row, Old Hill and Electricians Row, with many families moving to housing built by the local council at the request of the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "v ...
in the 1950s. Salt Pan How, Philadelphia and Sand Banks were three clusters of cottages which sat along the coastline at Cocklawburn Beach when the coast was a centre of lime production. The last of these cottages was abandoned in 1956. The site of Jack Tar Pit (also known as Scremerston New Winning, Scremerston Old Colliery and Greenwich Colliery) was noted by
Augustine Henry Augustine Henry (2 July 1857 – 23 March 1930) was a British-born Irish plantsman and sinologist. He is best known for sending over 15,000 dry specimens and seeds and 500 plant samples to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. By 1930, he was a rec ...
as an early example of coalfield regeneration and
afforestation Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees (forestation) in an area where there was no previous tree cover. Many government and non-governmental organizations directly engage in afforestation programs to create forests a ...
, with the colliery, wagonway and spoil heap successfully planted as woodland in 1887 on the instruction of the Greenwich Hospital estate. The woodlands still stand and are known as Old Colliery Wood at the colliery site and Restoration Wood along the disused wagonway.


Governance

Scremerston is in the
parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...
constituency of
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
. Scremerston sits within
Ancroft Ancroft is a village and civil parish (which includes the village of Scremerston) in Northumberland, England. Prior to 1844, Ancroft lay within the Islandshire exclave of County Durham. It is south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and has a population ...
civil parish. Prior to 1844, it lay within the ancient liberty of
Islandshire Islandshire was an area of Northumberland, England, comprising Lindisfarne or Holy Island, plus five parishes on the mainland. It is historically associated with the Bishop of Durham, and was administratively an exclave of County Palatinate of D ...
, an
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of the
County Palatine of Durham The County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge, commonly referred to as County Durham or simply Durham, is a historic county in Northern England. Until 1889, it was controlled by powers granted under the Bishopric of Durham. The county and Northum ...
. The Liberty is thought to date back to lands gifted by the
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
kingdom of
Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
and originally extended from
Budle Bay Budle Bay is a wide bay on the North Sea in Northumberland, England, between Bamburgh to the southeast and Lindisfarne to the northwest. The bay is roughly square in plan opening to the North Sea along its northeastern side. Budle Point forms it ...
near
Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important ...
to
Blackadder Water Blackadder Water () is a river in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, forming part of the River Tweed system. It reached 2.84m at Mouthbridge, which was its highest level ever recorded on Tuesday 22 October 2002 at 2:45pm. Ety ...
, a river in
East Lothian East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In 1975, the histo ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It also encompassed monastic lands up to the
Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
. While much of southern Northumbria was conquered by
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
and ultimately became the county of
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, the northern territories including the Scremerston area are thought to have remained unconquered, despite suffering many Viking raids. While this allowed for a degree of continuity of governance under local
Earls Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...
and
Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
for many centuries, the Liberty was repeatedly overrun by armies from the north and south. Scotland expanded southwards, annexing all land north of the
River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water ( gd, Abhainn Thuaidh, sco, Watter o Tweid, cy, Tuedd), is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the R ...
, just from Scremerston, in 1018 but border wars continued until the nearby fortified port of Berwick-upon-Tweed changed hands for the final time, becoming permanently English in 1482 and moving the border with Scotland a further from the village. Being south of the Tweed, the Scremerston area had effectively become part of England in 927 when
Ealdred I of Bamburgh Ealdred (died c. 933) was a ruler of Bamburgh, at least part of the former kingdom of Bernicia in northern Northumbria, in the early tenth century. He was the son of Eadwulf. Background Ealdred's father, Eadwulf, called "king of the Saxons of ...
accepted
Æthelstan Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ang, Æðelstān ; on, Aðalsteinn; ; – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first ...
as
King of the English This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Kingdom of Wessex, Wessex, one of the heptarchy, seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled ...
, but the local rule of Islandshire by the
Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
meant royal authority remained largely excluded from the area until jurisdiction was transferred to the Crown by the
Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 The Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will 4 c 19) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It abolished the temporal authority of the Bishop of Durham within the County Palatine of Durham, placing the county under lay administ ...
. Following the passing of The
Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 The Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 (7 & 8 Vict. c. 61), which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of counties in England and Wales for civil purposes. ...
, Islandshire joined the county of Northumberland as a
Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...
(or Ward). In 1894, Scremerston formed part of the Norham and Islandshires
rural district Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...
under the
Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level un ...
which survived until 1974. It was abolished under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
and Scremerston formed part of the Borough of Berwick upon Tweed until 2009, when the county of Northumberland became a
unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
.


Geology

The Scremerston Formation is a geological formation consisting of layers of
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
,
siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...
,
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology. ...
and
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...
, with occasional thin
dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
or
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
beds. Sandstones make up about 50% of the formation and are white, grey, brown or reddish brown, forming beds that are typically less than 15 m thick, but are known to reach 60m thick in places. The siltstones and mudstone layers are grey or brownish grey and non-
calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...
. About 5% of the formation is made up of coal seams, which reach up to 1.5 m thick. These geological layers, and a surface layer of heavy clay, defined much of Scremerston's economic history from the 17th century to the mid-20th century, with the principle industries being agriculture, brick and tile making, coal mining, quicklime production and quarrying for stone and clay. By the mid-20th century, only agriculture remained.


Geography

Doupster Beck (also known as Doupster Burn), although only a small stream, is the largest water course in Scremerston. It runs from the A1 highway just south of Jack Tar Pit, directly to the sea. Although only 2.4 km long it changes name, becoming Cockley Burn as it runs through dunes at Pin Fold onto Cocklawburn beach. It emerges between two low rock outcrops known as Jock’s Linn to the north and Near Skirr to the south. The burn gives its name to Doupster Bridge - now little more than a culvert under the A1 - and Cockley Burn Woods on the inland side of the mainline railway. The name is most likely related to ‘Doubstead’ - a field close to the spring which contained the remains of a Romano-British ditched farmstead. "Doup" means "buttocks" in
Northumbrian dialect The Northumbrian dialect refers to any of several English language varieties spoken in the traditional English region of Northumbria, which includes most of the North East England government region. The traditional Northumbrian dialect is a m ...
and ‘ster’ has
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
origins, meaning field or enclosure.


Demography

The population of Scremerston (including Cheswick) at the 2011 census was 606, living in 121 households. Ethnically, twelve people (2%) defined themselves other than white British, English or Scottish. About two thirds of the population described themselves as Christian, with the remaining third as not stating or having a religion. The median age of residents was 43 years old. Economic activity was primarily full or part time employment (48%), followed by self-employment (14%) of those economically active. Unemployment was 3.7%. Census data shows a population in 1801 of 1,144 people. The population peaked in 1861 at 2,113 but by 1961 had more than halved to 1,012 and by 1981 had fallen to 825. The number of homes had remained fairly consistent between the 1840s and 1980s (317 homes in 1841, 333 in 1981) but the size of households had fallen from a peak average of 5.6 people per home in 1861 to an average of 3 in 1961 and 2.5 people per home by 1981.


Economy

The main employment sectors for the area are skilled trades (21%), services including shops, hotels and catering, financial services and most public sector employment (13%), elementary (e.g. basic manual labour)(11%) and process and plant (e.g. factories) (11%). Some current and recent economic activities in the Scremerston area include agriculture, self-employed trades such as plumbing and joinery, tourism and holiday accommodation and retail. Retail is limited and currently consists of a cafe and outdoors clothing outlet. Holiday accommodation includes a number of self-catering cottages and a small holiday park at Borewell Farm known as ''Pot-A-Doodle Do'', which also incorporates a cafe, small shop and activity centre.
Berwick RFC Berwick Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team that was founded in 1926, and reformed in 1968. The team is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just over the border in England. They are affiliated to the English Rugby Football Union and the ...
is based in the village with a large premises and runs activities for all ages. The only remaining public house is the Island Inn (formerly the Cat Inn) on the A1 south of Scremerston village. The Miners Arms, to the north of the village on the route to
Tweedmouth Tweedmouth is part of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, England. It is located on the south bank of the River Tweed and is connected to Berwick town centre, on the north bank, by two road bridges and a railway bridge. Tweedmouth ...
, is now a residential dwelling. Scremerston is a former industrial village, and much of its growth in the 18th and 19th centuries can be attributed to a range of industries exploiting the resources of the Scremerston Formation. These included stone, lime, clay, sand and coal leading to industries such as tile and brick making, quarrying, lime production and coal mining. The area was also the site of salt pans, a water powered mill, ice houses for fisheries and a windmill.


Landmarks


Buildings

* Jack Tar Pit (also called Scremerston New Winning, Scremerston Old Colliery and Greenwich Colliery) lies to the south of the village and includes an engine house and a pumping-engine house built in 1840, both Grade II listed. The pumping engine house bears the inscription: * The buildings of Spittal Chain Home Low radar station, built during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, remain largely intact to the north of the village. * The Church of St Peter is Grade II listed and was designed and built by
Ignatius Bonomi Ignatius Bonomi (1787–1870) was an English architect and surveyor, with Italian origins by his father, strongly associated with Durham in north-east England. Life He was the son of an architect and draughtsman, Joseph Bonomi (1739– ...
and John Augustus Cory in 1842–43 in the 'early English style'. * A
Primitive Methodist The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834). In the United States, the Primiti ...
chapel built in 1886 stands in the village and is now a dwelling. It was named the Brown Memorial Chapel after John Brown, a local "religious and political propagandist". * The remains of several
lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is :Calcium carbonate, Ca ...
s survive in the low cliff faces at Cocklawburn beach. * Kiwi Cottage is a Grade II listed Georgian house originally known as Poplar Grove.


Memorials

* A war memorial was unveiled on 8 May 1920 in commemoration of 14 local servicemen who died during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The memorial is located 150m south of St Peter's Church beside the main road. It was funded by public subscription and placed on land donated by the
Lords of the Admiralty This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660). The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of The Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was ...
. The memorial is made of Aberdeen granite 5m tall in the style of a
Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...
, ornamented with carved interlace patterns. Following the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
a tablet recording the names of five local men who died in that conflict was added at the base. * A photographic memorial which originated at the Scremerston Working Men's Institute was originally kept in the
Methodist chapel Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
but was moved to
Berwick Town Hall Berwick Town Hall is a municipal facility in Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, is a Grade I listed building. History The current building was commissioned to ...
in 2004 after the chapel's closure. It is a single frame encasing 13 oval photographs and an oval sketch of the 14 local servicemen who died in the first world war, unveiled in 1920. A second similar photographic memorial was dedicated after World War II. Smaller copies of each are kept in St Peter's Church in Scremerston. * A memorial commemorating miners of Scremerston Colliery stands at the entrance to the
Berwick RFC Berwick Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team that was founded in 1926, and reformed in 1968. The team is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just over the border in England. They are affiliated to the English Rugby Football Union and the ...
. It consists of two coal ‘tubs’ or trucks standing on rails on a stone plinth. * The top and bottom halves of a pedestal for a memorial to 'Major Johnson' can be found at the north and south entrances to the village, and now bear the village name. The memorial was erected 'by the workmen to the memory of their master' in an open area (now woodland) next to but pre-dating the Methodist chapel. By 1879 it was noted that the upper section "was unfortunately blown down during a severe storm". and by 1914 "nothing remains except the pedestal".


Transport


Roads

The Great North Road passed through Scremerston and was the main coaching route used by horse drawn
mail coach A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...
es travelling between London, York and Edinburgh. In the "Golden Age of Coaching", between 1815 and 1835, coaches could travel from London to York in 20 hours, and from London to Edinburgh in 45 1/2hours. By the mid-nineteenth century, coach services could not compete with the new railways and the last coach left Newcastle for Edinburgh in July 1847. Much of the Great North Road route became part of a new route designated the "A1" by the Ministry of Transport in 1921, and the A1 passed through the village until 1983. The A1 is the longest numbered road in the UK, at , connecting
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, the capital of England, with
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, the capital of Scotland. While the Great North Road passed through villages and towns, the A1 was incrementally diverted around built up areas through a series of by-passes. Scremerston was by-passed in 1983 when the A1 was diverted to the west to avoid Berwick-upon-Tweed. This required a 195m bridge costing £9.5million to traverse the Tweed. The new route diverged at Jack Tar Pit (also called Scremerston New Winning, Scremerston Old Colliery and Greenwich Colliery) 600m from the village church. The Great North Road / A1 once passing through the village has given it a distinctive, straight approach and unusually wide main thoroughfare. The mainline railway runs parallel to the coast in the area, making local vehicle access to the coastline only possible via a level crossing at the now defunct Scremerston railway station. An underpass at Seaview can be accessed on foot but the track is too steep and uneven for most vehicles.


Footpaths and cycle routes

The
Northumberland Coast Path The Northumberland Coast Path is a long distance path in Northumberland in northern England. It now forms part of the England Coast Path. The path starts at Cresswell and then heads north along the coast through Amble and Warkworth, where it ...
follows the local coastline at Scremerston. The route extends from Cresswell north to
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
. The route is divided into six stages, with the Fenwick to Berwick-upon-Tweed section passing Scremerston being the longest at 12 miles. The coastal path also forms part of the
North Sea Trail The North Sea Trail is a transnational long-distance hiking trail along the coast of the North Sea. The route passes through seven countries and 26 partner areas. The aim of the project is to promote sustainable tourism and to keep alive the com ...
, a transnational long-distance hiking route that passes through seven countries. The total length of the trail is miles.
National Cycle Route 1 The cycle-path is located in the United Kingdom. Route Dover to Canterbury Dover , Deal , Sandwich , Canterbury Links with National Cycle Route 2, Regional route 16, and Regional route 17 in Dover. Leaves Dover passing Dover Castle. S ...
(NCN1) of the
National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...
passes through the area along the coastline, on the same route as the Northumberland Coast Path. The route runs for from
Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
to
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...
. Locally, the route is traffic free from the southern approach until it joins the coastal road at Cocklawburn Beach. From Seahouse it becomes traffic-free again, although unsurfaced, crossing the Berwick-upon-Tweed boundary at Seaview. The cycle route also forms part of the EV12 North Sea Cycle Route which extends from
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
to
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
via
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The coastal cycle route is the only designated cycle route in the area. Access to the coastline is restricted by the mainline railway. A small bridge crosses the line between Seahouse and Seaview, but is not a public right of way and access is blocked. All of the unprotected railway foot crossings in the area have been closed due to safety concerns as the local speed limit for trains is 110 mph. The final unprotected foot crossing at Inlandpasture was blocked in 2020, leading to the disuse of sections of local
public rights of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
. The level crossing at Seahouse and an underpass at Seaview are the only remaining means of crossing the railway on foot in the area.


Railways

The
East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
railway passes near Scremerston, and Scremerston railway station served the village from 1847 until 1951. The station was designed by the Newcastle architect Benjamin Green for the
Newcastle & Berwick Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
company. The station design was a slight departure for the architect, and has been noted for its more cottage-like appearance compared to other stations on the line. The building cost was £918. The station was closed in 1941 and reopened 1946. It was finally closed to all passengers on 8 July 1951. The platforms were demolished in 1959 and the station house has since become a residential dwelling. The signal box, which stood on the opposite side of the road, was closed in 1981 and demolished soon after. Since 1960, it had only served the level crossing and once the gates were replaced with remotely controlled electronic barriers in 1980, it became redundant. A
wagonway Wagonways (also spelt Waggonways), also known as horse-drawn railways and horse-drawn railroad consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded Steam locomotive, steam-powered rail transport, railways. The t ...
was built from the Jack Tar Pit to the Scremerston Incline, which linked Scremerston to the docks, ironworks and industry at Spittal and Tweedmouth. The route remains almost fully passable as a public footpath. Scremerston Wagonway was a 19th century wagonway linking the Scremerston Main Colliery (SMC) and tile works to the Scremerston Incline and was operated till 1938 as an industrial railway using steam locomotives. From the SMC site, the railway crossed the A1 at Derwentwater Terrace to join the Incline at Restoration Cottages. Scremerston Lime Works had its own wagonways linking the coastal kilns at Cocklawburn to the main line at Cockley Burn Woods.


Education

Schools in
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
use the three-tier system, and Scremerston has a ′First School′ for children aged 4 to 9 years old. The school has a capacity of 90 children, with an advertised annual intake of 18 per year. In 2021 the school had 63 pupils falling to 55 in 2022. In October 2022 a campaign was launched by local residents to save the school from closure with an online petition titled 'Save Our School!' on
Change.org Change.org is a worldwide nonprofit petition website, based in California, US, operated by the San Francisco-based company of the same name, which has over 400 million users and offers the public the ability to promote the petitions they care abo ...
attracting 832 signatures by the end of 2022. Scremerston children are required to travel to middle school from the age of 10 years, the nearest being in
Tweedmouth Tweedmouth is part of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, England. It is located on the south bank of the River Tweed and is connected to Berwick town centre, on the north bank, by two road bridges and a railway bridge. Tweedmouth ...
. The nearest secondary school is also in Tweedmouth, though Scremerston children may also commute across the Scottish border to
Eyemouth Eyemouth ( sco, Heymooth) is a small town and civil parish in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is east of the main north–south A1 road and north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The town's name comes from its location at th ...
or
Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...
to attend secondary school from the age of 14 years. Prior to the current First School opening in 1974, teaching took place in Scremerston County First School which opened in 1842. This older school building is now a residential dwelling.


Religious sites

The Anglican church of St. Peter's, built in the
Early English style English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
, was consecrated in 1842. A
Primitive Methodist The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834). In the United States, the Primiti ...
chapel built in 1886 at a cost of nearly £400 is now a residential dwelling. A
Kingdom Hall A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii. Rutherford's reasoning was that these bu ...
of
Jehovah’s Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ev ...
was built north of St. Peter’s church beside the main road in 2011.


Sports

Berwick RFC Berwick Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team that was founded in 1926, and reformed in 1968. The team is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just over the border in England. They are affiliated to the English Rugby Football Union and the ...
is based near the site of the former Borewell Tile Works which was a major employer in Scremerston in the 19th century. Berwick RFC plays in the Scottish leagues. Before becoming a rugby club, the site was central to village life and included Scremerston Workman's Institute, a bandstand used by the Scremerston Colliery Band and a football pitch bordered by a race track.


Notable people

William Ancrum (ca. 1722 – 24 February 1808) was a wealthy
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
merchant, slave trader and indigo planter from
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
who was born in Scremerston. Of particular value to historians are the ''William Ancrum Papers, 1757–1789'', which are made up of Ancrum's letters and personal account books, currently held by the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina. This collection provides insight into the economic impact of the American Revolution on Charleston planters and merchants, from the prices of slaves to restrictions on imports and exports.
Arthur Humble Evans Arthur Humble Evans FRSE (23 February 1855 – 28 March 1943) was a British ornithologist. Life He was born in Scremerston on the Northumberland coast on 23 February 1855, the son of Rev Hugh Evans, the local vicar. He attended school i ...
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(23 February 1855 – 28 March 1943) was a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...
. He was born the son of Rev Hugh Evans, the local vicar, in Scremerston. His publications include
''Birds''
(illustrated by
George Edward Lodge George Edward Lodge FZS, (3 December 1860 – 5 February 1954)Savory ''op. cit.'' was a British illustrator of birds and an authority on falconry. Early life George Edward Lodge was born at Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire. His father, Samuel Lodg ...
, Cambridge Natural History, 1899)
''Aves Hawaiienses''
(1890-1899, with
Scott Barchard Wilson Scott Barchard Wilson (1865–1923) was a British people, British ornithologist and explorer. Wilson was the son of the chemist George Fergusson Wilson. In 1887, he was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On h ...
)
''A Vertebrate Fauna of the Shetland Islands''
(1899, with Thomas Edward Buckley), ''Handbook to the Natural History of Cambridgeshire'' (1904)
''Turner on Birds''
(1903)
''A Fauna of the Tweed Area''
(1911) an
''The Birds of Britain''
(1916).


Climate

Scremerston sits in the most northerly part of England on the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
coast and has a temperate
maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
. It tends to have relatively mild summers of around and cool but not cold winters, with occasional frosts between October and May. July and August are usually the warmest months, while the coldest months are January, February and December. January has average minimum temperature of and an average of 8 days of frost. Rainfall is relatively low by English standards, with an average annual rainfall of compared to for England as a whole. Rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the year, but highest between July and October. Average sunshine hours are typical for England at 1508.5 hours per year compared to an all England average of 1492.7 hours per year. Scremerston weather data is sourced from the nearest climate station at Berwick-upon-Tweed, located from Scremerston and operated by the
Met Office The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
.


References


External links


Northumberland Communities
accessed 12 November 2008 {{authority control Villages in Northumberland