George Stephenson is recognised as ‘The Father of the Railways’, but his son Robert Stephenson, builder of the famous Rocket, was arguably the greater of the two engineers and has a very special place in the history and development of our beautiful border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Indeed, it was Robert Stephenson who designed and built the iconic, 28-arch Royal Border Bridge across the silvery River Tweed in 1850, which completed the continuous direct railway link between London and Edinburgh and still carries the East Coast Main Line over the Tweed, connecting Berwick with everywhere in Britain from Penzance to Bournemouth, South Wales and Aberdeen.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Robert Stephenson’s death in 1859 and next year’s 160th anniversary of the completion of his greatest work, the Royal Border Bridge, Berwick History Society and partners have put together a major programme of events for everyone to enjoy.

There’s something for everyone in this Season of Stephenson, from a Family Fun Day at the Heatherslaw Light Railway to fascinating history talks. There will be showings of classic railway films such as Buster Keaton’s silent classic The General (complete with live piano accompaniment), the heart-wrenching Brief Encounter and social history documentaries such as Night Mail and Snow Drift at Bleath Gill. There’s plenty to see at our exhibitions of railwayana and plenty to do, from children’s drama workshops with Her Majesty Queen Victoria to relaxing and scenic Railway Walks along long-closed former lines, thanks to Dr. Beeching!