Northumberland
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Description
National Park area with bags of history including Hadrian's Wall
National Park area with bags of history including Hadrian's Wall
Region
North East England
North East England
Pronounced
north-umber-land
north-umber-land
Northumberland
Northumberland is probably most famous for Hadrian’s Wall. Built by the Romans to keep out the Scots, and keep the English in, it is one of the Roman Empire’s most impressive achievements. Northumberland also has a beautiful coastline and some remarkable islands. Inland the National Park has a remote wilderness quality that will immediately take you away from the hustle and bustle of modern Britain, and help you picture life in Roman times. A number of hill forts - old settlements enclosed within massive dry stone walls. These would have contained perhaps one or two extended families. They date to around 300 BC and some 50 examples lie within the National Park boundary.
Activities
Kielder Water & Forest Park is a place of pure tranquillity, yet also having a wide range of recreational activities at its disposal, such as walking, sailing, riding and fishing in and around the park.
Holy Island (Lindisfarne) is connected to the mainland by a road at low tide, and becomes an island again for the rest of the time. Lindisfarne is internationally famous both for its medieval religious heritage and also its more recent picturesque 16th century castle. Many are also attracted by the peace and tranquillity which pervades the Island and the remote Northern conservation area, with more than its fair share of quiet beaches and unique natural history. Lindisfarne Priory is one of the holiest Anglo-Saxon sites in England. Originally home to the Lindisfarne Gospels, it was an important centre of early Christianity, and the home of St Cuthbert. You can enjoy the ornate carvings on the ruins of the monastic buildings and the peace and serenity that first drew the monks here in the 7th century. 
Alnwick is dominated by its impressive castle which began as a Norman mott and bailey castle only to be replaced by a stone castle in the 12th century. The castle is a favourite film location, notably doubling as Hogwarts school in the recent Harry Potter films. South of Alnwick, Warkworth Castle English Heritage was and remains one of the largest and most impressive fortresses in North East England.
Just north of Alnwick is Dunstanburgh Castle English Heritage stands on a remote headland and although now largely a ruin, was one of the grandest castles in the north of England at one time. Further up the coast is Bambrough Castle, one of the largest inhabited castles in Britain.At Belsay Hall and Gardens you can first discover the grand medieval castle with stunning views from the top of the tower. On the same site, Belsay Hall is an architectural work of art inspired by the temples of ancient Greece, with its magnificent Pillar Hall. Finally the vast grounds are crammed with a remarkable array of shrubs, flowers, ravines, pinnacles and exotic plants. English Heritage
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall is a stone and timber fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain. The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire and built to draw a line to mark the edge of the Roman Army's Empire. The Wall runs from the edge of the Lake district through to Newcastle and can be walked, cycled and even bussed down. History lovers will not want to miss this, the UNESCO site and most important Roman remains in Britain. English Heritage
Did you know... Berwick Upon Tweed was technically at war with Russia for 110 years until 1966 because it was independantely declared in 1856 and ommitted from the Paris Peace Treaty!
From the region:
Saint Hilda
(Saint)
Jack and Bobby Charlton
(English football legends)
Saint Hilda
(Saint)
Jack and Bobby Charlton
(English football legends)
For more info: www.visitnorthumberland.com
