AT A GLANCE
Why go?
That Boat is a striking driftwood sculpture perched on the banks of the River Tweed in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. Built by local artist Lee Mace beginning in 2016, the piece is constructed entirely from driftwood collected along the Tweed coastline and has become one of the town's most beloved landmarks. Standing just beyond the soaring Royal Border Bridge viaduct, it rewards visitors with a rare combination of raw artistic craft, riverside peace, and dramatic industrial-era scenery.↗↗
An Ever-Evolving Artwork
Lee Mace started building That Boat in 2016, and it remains an ongoing project. Additions and tweaks are made periodically, meaning each visit can reveal something new. The entire structure is fashioned from driftwood gathered along the Tweed coast — pieces shaped by the sea and deposited on the shore, now reassembled into a vessel that will never sail again. In recognition of this remarkable contribution to the town's cultural landscape, Mace was awarded the Berwick Rotary Club's Jubilee Trophy in July 2018.↗
Visitors consistently praise the sculpture's tactile, interactive quality — you can walk right up to it, touch the weathered timbers, and appreciate the surprising level of detail in its construction. It has weathered multiple storms without losing its character, adding a patina that only deepens its sense of place.
