Surveys explore future of two North Berwick landmarks

Surveys considering the future of two North Berwick landmarks have been launched.

The Chamber on the first floor of 1 High Street and St Andrew’s Kirk Ports church and graveyard are both held in Common Good for the town.

The Chamber

1 High Street is a category B-listed building on the corner of Quality Street and known locally as the Town House. It was built around 1724 and has a distinctive bell-shaped clocktower. The chamber is on the first floor and, although it’s currently empty, it was previously a gaol, custom’s house and the former Royal Burgh’s offices.

Now it could be given a new lease of life if a proposal to rent it as office space and reinvest the income into the town’s Common Good fund is approved. The consultation, which is a legal requirement for common good assets, is available online until 6 May 2026.

St Andrew’s Kirk Ports

Separately, local charity NB Heritage has launched a survey on the future of St Andrew’s Kirk Ports, a scheduled monument of national importance.

Sitting in an attractive graveyard, the building is in a dilapidated state and its condition is deteriorating. Although we maintain the grounds, we do not have funds to invest in works beyond essential safety measures.

NB Heritage is leading a campaign to secure a future for the kirk and graveyard. The volunteer-run charity has been working with our officers to find an effective way of conserving the kirk and making it available as a community asset. They will present the results of their survey to us to inform next steps.

You can find the survey online here until 23 April.