The Stanks (Berwick)

The Stanks is a historical site in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland close to the border with Scotland. Indeed, the town’s football clubs are members of the Scottish FA and compete in their league and cup structure.

An Elizabethan rampart in the town has a grass area inside them. This is called The Stanks, which means a swampy piece of land or ditch in Scottish language. The area was previously a defensive moat between Brass Bastion and Windmill Mount Bastion.

In the shade, the area would often ice over, providing a perfect area for fishermen to dig out ice they required to keep their salmon at the right temperatures for their journey and to stay fresh before being sold in London.

From 1922 the annual Berwick Infirmary Cup was competed for on the football pitch that is marked out. Unfortunately, it does not meet the required size for FA and SFA regulations to competition is limited to unofficial tournaments.

Several thousand spectators are known to have attended the 1929 final between Eyemouth Rangers and Belford. In 1959 the Berwick Charities Cup, which is competed each year between May and July, with most games kicking off at 6.30pm.

The competing teams are put together from pubs or groups of friends or businesses. The cup was close to being abandoned in 2017 with only nine teams wanting to take part. Fortunately, a publicity drive has since seen an increase in participation, which included the Women's Shield.

Between £5,000 and £8,000 was said to be raised for local charities from 2020 with local dementia, cancer care, pensioners, strokes, and a local school among the beneficiaries in 2023 with the presentation of funds being awarded at the Berwick Bowling Club.

My visit

Tuesday 13^th July 2021

As part of a week off work I decided to visit several places across England that took my fancy and tried to see sport along the way. The previous day I was washed out at Chester-le-Street where cricket was meant to take place.

It led to a long day drinking with good friends before taking the bus to Newcastle where I stayed overnight. Covid restrictions were gradually ending, but not all fixtures were back to full capacity after the pandemic.

I had hoped to see a game at The Stanks, but the Charities Cup had finished a week or so before. Instead, I made do with a good walk around the town and over the bridge to visit the Shielfield Park home of Berwick Rangers.

 

Back in town I had lunch and then settled on the ramparts to relax for a while before taking photos of this most incredible venue where spectators are known to look down on the action from great heights. I would have been down on the level standing for sure.

It was somewhere most photogenic, as was much of the old town, which I enjoyed before taking my train back to Tyneside where there was time for a quick snooze and then fine ales before heading off to the friendly between Hebburn Town and Whitby Town.