From the earliest days of wars between the English and the Scots, Berwick was an important military town. Soldiers of the garrison were for many years lodged in local taverns and private houses, which placed a heavy financial burden on the poeple of the town. Complaints to the government led eventually, in 1717, to the building of the first purpose built infantry barracks in England. Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, Berwick Barracks were completed in 1721.