Dewars Lane Granary

LOCATION: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

CLIENT: Berwick-upon-Tweed Preservation Trust

CONTRACTOR: M&J Ballantyne Ltd.

The Vision

Dewars Lane Granary is a Grade II Listed building that is part of a densely-packed concentration of narrow streets and alleyways within Berwick Upon Tweed’s Elizabethan Quay Walls, now a Scheduled Monument.

The building contained a multitude of granaries, maltings, workshops, smokeries, mills, icehouses, and other premises that form part of the Berwick Town Centre Conservation Area. Originally known as John Dewar’s Granary, it was badly damaged by fire early in 1815, from which it developed a pronounced lean.

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, where it lay empty and became increasingly derelict.

Since its abandonment in1985, the building had become increasingly derelict with its structural instability a wider cause for concern in such a tight, medieval street plan. Poorly undertaken historic repairs had seen the coursed rubble walls re-pointed in cement, resulting in stone deterioration whilst the pantile roof was severely compromised.

The building, like many historic structures in Berwick Upon Tweed, retains a close affiliation with the renowned artist, L.S Lowry, who visited the town frequently from the 1930’s onwards. The granary building features in a pencil sketch by Lowry, completed in 1936.

CSY were commissioned by the Berwick Preservation Trust to undertake conservation-led repairs and the conversion of the building into a cultural facility for the people of Berwick.

The Solution

Appraisal of the historic fabric concluded that the free-standing stone facades mostly retained their structural integrity and, with temporary support, could be retained and repaired in-situ but that the existing structural timber frame was so compromised that it could not be used to bear the load of any new floor plates.

Based on the above, a strategy of sensitive repair and restoration with the careful insertion of a new, steel frame, was deemed to be the best conservation solution to retain authenticity and integrity. Accordingly, the existing stone walls were carefully repaired and re-pointed and the roof, deemed to be beyond repair, was replaced in its entirety following detailed recording of the original structure. Parts of the steel frame are left exposed in the ground floor, emphasising the ‘working’ nature of the building.

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.

Two meeting rooms and seminar facilities are retained 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. The Youth Hostel accommodation, with en-suite facilities, occupies the third and fourth floors. There are also separate facilities for disabled guests. The fifth floor comprises of the Youth Hostel lounge, cooking, and dining facilities.

The Conclusion

Completed in 2011, Dewars Lane Granary represents one of the most ambitious and exciting conservation projects undertaken by the Berwick Preservation Trust in its 50 year history.

By working closely with heritage and funding bodies, the successful delivery of this heritage project was a unique opportunity to preserve and enhance part of Berwick’s rich heritage while at the same time creating a vibrant and sustainable facility that contributes to the cultural and historical fabric of the town.