Berwick-upon-Tweed Preservation Trust

DEWARS LANE GRANARY RESTORATION
More than just a building . . .

Dewar’s Lane Granary is a six-storey Grade 2 listed building that lies between Bridge Street and the Quayside in Berwick. The Berwick-upon-Tweed Preservation Trust has lead a £5 million project to restore the building and secure its future as a multi-use facility incorporating

the only MLA Grade 1 exhibition space between Edinburgh and Newcastle
heritage interpretation facilities
seminar/meeting rooms
a bistro, and
a youth hostel.

It was officially opened by The Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, The Duchess of Northumberland on 3 June 2011.

The Granary was built in 1769, part of a densely-packed concentration of narrow streets and alleyways within Berwick’s Elizabethan Quay Walls that contained a multitude of granaries, maltings, workshops, smokeries, mills, icehouses, and other premises. Originally known as John Dewar’s Granary, it was badly damaged by fire early in the 1815 (from when, in all probability, its lean dates). The building was not insured, the owners could not afford to rebuild so it was propped up with buttresses and put back to ‘work’. It was in use for storing and conditioning grain and, more recently, linseed and grass seed, until 1985 when following a merger of local grain businesses its new corporate owners transferred operations to a more modern and accessible facility on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Berwick. It then lay empty and became increasingly derelict.

The Trust has gained a reputation for ‘getting things done’. For this project, it teamed up with the Youth Hostel Association to restore and develop Dewar’s Lane Granary as a vibrant multi-use facility that will act as a catalyst for the ongoing development and re-invigoration of the lower part of the town.

The ground floor configuration comprises of a reception area, a small retail facility, and a bistro which extends out into a courtyard having direct access to both the Quayside and Sally Port/Bridge Street, thus exploiting the site’s potential ‘permeability’ by encouraging pedestrian circulation. Interpretive material and artefacts from the Granary are on permanent display in the bistro, reception area, and courtyard.

A major element of the restoration work was the installation of a new steel frame for the building, as the existing timber frame – although massive and stable – was not designed to sustain the volume of footfall now envisaged for the building in its new configuration. Parts of the steel frame are left exposed in the grounf floor, emphasising the ‘working’ nature of the building. Click here to view architectural sketches of the project.

There are two meeting rooms and seminar facilities on the first floor. The Dewar’s Lane Gallery on the second floor is the only facility of this high standard between Edinburgh and Newcastle, and as such is able to put on exhibitions such as those mounted by the Hayward Gallery in London. It also plans to show the significance Berwick has had for notable artists such as Lowry, Turner, Mackintosh, Landseer, and others. There is direct access from the Quay Walls via a footbridge, as well as from the Granary building. The Granary Gallery is run by an independent Trust who organises and oversees the exhibitions.

The Youth Hostel accommodation, with en suite facilities, occupies the third and fourth floors. There are a total of 57 beds, including facilities for disabled guests. The fifth floor comprises of the Youth Hostel lounge, cooking, and dining facilities.

This project was the largest and most exciting restoration project ever undertaken in Berwick, and had the support of the relevant local authorities and government agencies, as well as of public and amenity organisations locally. Dewar’s Lane Granary is more than just a building – it represents a unique opportunity for preserving and enhancing part of Berwick’s rich heritage while at the same time creating a vibrant and sustainable facility that will add life to a hitherto under-exploited part of the town centre. The Preservation Trust invite you to become part of it! Click here to view architectural sketches of the project.