Introduction

Northumberland lies in the north east of England, south of the border with Scotland.

Unique Points

Northumberland has more castles than any other English county. This is mainly due to the numerous battles between the English and the Scots in the 14 - 16th century. The coastline is very dramatic with long golden beaches and cliffs.

How to get there

Newcastle upon Tyne is the nearest airport. There is only a mainline train service, the East Coast line, running north to south from Berwick upon Tweed through Alnmouth to Newcastle. I would suggest that to see most of the area that you hire a car, this will allow to get to the small towns and countryside.

Berwick upon Tweed

Berwick upon Tweed is the most northerly town in England. It has changed hands between the English and Scots fourteen times. The debate continues over whether it should be in England and Scotland. I moved to Berwick upon Tweed in Spring 2006 and I call it Scengland as I think of it as a kind of hybrid country. The best known landscape of the town are the three bridges. The old bridge built in 1624, the Royal Tweed railway bridge constructed in the 1840s, and the new bridge built in 1928. It is a most beautiful town, on the banks of the River Tweed at the estuary where the river meets the sea. The estuary and river are full of birds: there is a large colony of mute swans, cormorants and herons. There are also several seals who swim between the pier and the old bridge. The town boasts the best preserved Elizabethan town walls in Europe. From almost any point in the town you can see the 150 foot steeple of the Georgian Guild Hall (townhall) built in 1754. Another distinctive building in the town is the Holy Trinity Parish Church, dating from 1652. It is unusual in that it does not have a steeple. The church was built during the Commonweath of Cromwell and Cromwell did not approve of church steeples and towers. Berwick Barracks was completed in 1721 to provide accommodation for the soldiers of the garrison. It now houses the Regimental Museum, the Gymnasium Art Gallery and the town Museum and Art Gallery.

You would imagine that such a historic town would have a castle. However Berwick Castle, built in the 12th century, was finally flattened by the Victorians in order to build the railway station. Stones from the Castle were used in the construction of the railway viaduct. There is only a small part of the castle wall left.

The best way to see Berwick is to walk around the town walls. There is a lovely beach and promenade at Spittal, a couple of miles from the town centre. The English artist Lowry (1887 - 1976) often visited Berwick and there is now a Lowry Trail around the town.

A few miles west of Berwick lies the Union Bridge, the oldest surviving suspension bridge in the world. Just up from the bridge is the Honey Farm.

Holy Island or Lindisfarne

St Aidan travelled from the island of Iona in Western Scotland to the Holy Island in 635AD to establish Christianity in northern England. The island is reached by a causeway and so can only be reached at low tide. The current Roman priory is built over the original monastry founded by St Aidan. The island was invaded by Vikings at the end of the 9th century. The castle was built in 1550, on the highest point of the flat island. Lidisfarne Mead is a fortified wine with an infusion of honey and herbs, and is still made on the island. I find that Holy Island can be rather crowded with visitors, you almost feel as if you could be walking along the pavement in a busy town centre.

Bamburgh

Bamburgh Castle is a landmark along this stretch of coastline. There has been a castle on this spot since the first century AD. At one point Bamburgh as the capital of Northumbria, which covered a much large area than the current Northumberland. The present castle mainly dates from restoration work carried out during the 19th century. The oldest remaining part is a 12th century keep. You can reach the Farne Islands, famous for the seabirds and seals from the nearby village of Seashouses. Another famous inhabitant of the Farne Islands was Grace Darling, a Victorian heroine who helped rescue nine shipwrecked sailors. Her father was the lighthouse keeper on the islands.

Alnwick

Alnwick's most striking feature is its castle. The castle was first built in 1096 by Yves de Vescy. The Harry Potter films used the castle as a location. Alnwick Garden is a beautiful contemporary garden which opened in 2002. Alnwick is a historic market town, being equidistant from Berwick upon Tweed and Newcastle, it was an ideal staging post, a one day ride from Berwick and from Newcastle.

Alnmouth lies 4 miles southeast of Alnwick where the River Aln joins the sea. The town used to have 16 granaries exporting grain from the Tyne Valley. However the legacy of a severe storm in 1806, which changed the course of the river, meant that the harbour became redundant. Alnmouth has the 2nd oldest golf course in England, designed in 1869 by Mungo Park.

Nine miles south of Alnwick is the town of Amble, at the mouth of the River Coquet. In the 19th century the town was a centre for coal export. The town is once again a popular harbour with a marina. Just inland on the banks of the Coquet is the village of Warkworth, dominated by its castle. There is a walk along the south bank of the rivet between Amble and Warkworth.

Wooler

Wooler is a ancient market inland town. often regarded as the Gateway to the Cheviot Hills. In the past the main industry was wool from the sheep that grazed in the Cheviot Hills. The area is great for walking. The author of Postman Pat ran the mobile library in the area in the early 1950s and is said to have been inspired by his journeys in the beautiful surrounding countryside.