Coordinates: 55°47′N2°02′W / 55.78°N 2.04°W The Liberties of Berwick are coterminous with the parish of Holy Trinity and St. Mary. They comprise the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and a rural area to the north and west. For several centuries the Bounds of the liberties have been ridden on horseback each year on May Day. [1]
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a town in the county of Northumberland. It is the northernmost town in England, at the mouth of the River Tweed on the east coast, 2 1⁄2 miles (4 km) south of the Scottish border. Berwick is approximately 56 miles (90 km) east-south east of Edinburgh, 65 miles (105 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne and 345 miles (555 km) north of London.
May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on 1 May. It is an ancient Northern Hemisphere spring festival and a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the festivities. In the late 19th century, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. International Workers' Day can also be referred to as "May Day", but it is a different celebration from the traditional May Day.
The liberties and Berwick parish do not encompass the suburbs of Berwick on the south bank of the Tweed, which are contained in the separate parishes of Spittal and Tweedmouth. [2] The population in 2011 was 4.500. [1]
After Scotland acquired the area in 1020, Berwick became the chief town of the country between Northumberland and the Firth of Forth and grew into a great seaport, becoming one of the four major royal burghs of Scotland. Coveted by England, it was seized during the disputed succession to the Scottish throne after the demise of Alexander III and was thenceforth the object of jealousy and subject to various seizures and negotiated transfers. The Liberties of Berwick were relinquished by Scotland in 1482 and by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 became part of the county of Northumberland. [3]
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Sharing a border with England to the southeast, Scotland is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, by the North Sea to the northeast and by the Irish Sea to the south. In addition to the mainland, situated on the northern third of the island of Great Britain, Scotland has over 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Northumberland is a county in North East England. The northernmost county of England, it borders Cumbria to the west, County Durham and Tyne and Wear to the south and the Scottish Borders to the north. To the east is the North Sea coastline with a 64 miles (103 km) path. The county town is Alnwick, although the County council is based in Morpeth.
The Firth of Forth is the estuary (firth) of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. It was known as Bodotria in Roman times. In the Norse sagas it was known as the Myrkvifiörd. An early Welsh name is Merin Iodeo, or the "Sea of Iudeu".
