The Maltings
Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ
Our current building stands on a hillside in the centre of Berwick-upon-Tweed with views across the 17th century old Berwick Bridge and the Tweed estuary. It was built in the ruins of an early 19th-century Maltings, which had been destroyed by fire in 1984. The new venue was designed by architects Law & Dunbar-Nasmith, and was opened on 4 April 1990 by Peter Palumbo, then chairman of Arts Council England.
We deliver a year round programme of live events, films, youth and community arts across our two performance spaces – the Main House and the Henry Travers Studio (named in honour of local boy and Clarence the guardian angel in It’s a Wonderful Life). We also have workshop spaces, meetings rooms, and offices, over 5 floors – Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival is also based at The Maltings.
Our light and airy Café Bar is a popular destination for visitors and locals, with a panoramic river view. Many of our spaces are available for hire.
The Maltings
The Granary Gallery
Dewar’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HJ
The Granary Gallery can be found on the 2nd Floor of Berwick YHA off Dewar’s Lane and houses a temporary programme of exhibitions throughout the year with a focus on modern British art and artists who have been inspired by Northumberland and the Scottish borders
Previous exhibitions have included Scottish Colourists from The Fleming Collection, Turner: Northern Exposure, The Glasgow Boys & Girls and LS Lowry in Berwick & Northumberland.
Originally known as Dewar’s Lane Granary, the building was built 1769, part of a densely-packed concentration of narrow streets and alleyways within Berwick’s Elizabethan Quay Walls. It was badly damaged by fire early in 1815 , but continued to be used as a granary up until 1985 before it fell into disrepair.
It was refurbished by Berwick-upon-Tweed Preservation Trust and re-opened in 2010 with a youth hostel, bistro, seminar and meeting rooms and the Granary Gallery.
Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks
The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF
Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks is situated on the Barracks site, with public access via the main entrance on The Parade.
Test screenings at Berwick’s comfortable and intimate 96-seater cinema space, will begin in November 2024. We will continue to trial occasional events at the venue to ensure the very best customer experience in the run up to its official launch in the summer of 2025, in line with The Maltings’ Eastern Lane redevelopment. Ongoing programme details will be available on our website.
Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks first opened its doors in October 2024 hosting two live events in partnership with Berwick Literary Festival.
The venue itself was originally the Barracks Mob Store, dating from the early 20th Century and originally used to store military equipment.
You can watch a short video on how to find our new venue below.
Image of Maltings Cinema building
The Gymnasium Gallery
Berwick Barracks, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF
The Gymnasium Gallery hosts our temporary programme of modern and contemporary art between April and October each year. We commission work from regional and national artists for the gallery and exhibit work produced from our visual artist in residence programme and focus on sculpture, moving image work and installation.
Previous artists who have exhibited include Douglas Gordon, Bethan Huws, Juneau Projects, S Mark Gubb, Hardeep Phandal, Lucy Clout and Roy Voss.
The gallery is a former military gymnasium connected to Berwick Barracks. The Barracks were built to a design by architect Nicholas Hawksmoor and when completed in 1721 it was the first purpose built military barracks in Britain.
Between 1881 and 1964 the barracks were home to the British regiment, The Kings Own Scottish Borderers, with the Gymnasium added to the site in 1901 as a venue for physical training for the regiment.