Northumberland – Kingdom of Northumbria – Holy Island of Lindisfarne

NORTHUMBERLAND INTRODUCTION
Northumberland, part of the Kingdom of Northumbria with the Holy Island of Lindisfarne on the Northumberland Heritage Coast, is a magnificent county resting, as it does, at the head of England to provide this most treasured country with a precious and fitting crown. It was once the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria which has provided so much of the history, heritage and culture of Britain, in particular the Holy Island of Lindisfarne on the Northumberland Heritage Coastline. The borders enclose a large and distinctive triangular tract of land. To the east the wondrous coastline provides an obvious boundary stretching from Tynemouth in the south to Marshall Meadows, just north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. From here it follows the England-Scotland border mainly across the rolling summits of the wild and lonely Cheviot Hills. From Carter Bar the boundary takes in the Border Forest Park and then south almost to Alston, then east towards Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Within, can be found some of the most beautiful and magnificent historical sites, attractions and unspoiled natural landscapes to be found anywhere in England.

HISTORY & HERITAGE
Arrowheads and scrapers attesting to settlers of the Middle Stone Age are the earliest remains found in this area. The Romans have left that most wonderful of relics – Hadrian’s Wall and there is a marvellous history concerning the foundings of Christianity amid conquest by the Anglo-Saxons – who created the Kingdom of Northumbria – and later Viking settlement. After a really barbaric campaign to subdue the rather lawless tribes (known as the ‘Harrying of the North’) the Normans started a great period of castle building which has led to this county being known as the ‘Kingdom of Castles’. Although a great many advances were made during Norman rule, these did not bring peace to the area which in Mediaeval times underwent the most turbulent period of its entire history. This is ‘border country’ and was fought over again and again. The history of this period is of some of the bloodiest battles ever fought.

CUSTOMS & CULTURE
Wherever one looks there appears to be a fortified dwelling of some sort or other, whether it be a fabulous castle, like Bamburgh or Alnwick, or a humble pele tower. So it comes as something of a shock that the underlying culture of the area seems not to be based on warfare but more of a leaning towards links with early Christianity. Neither should we ignore the great maritime tradition of the area which gave rise to the incredible rescue effected by Grace Darling, probably the most famous of the areas great heroines. Towards the south, the Northumberland coalfield has given rise to the former heavy industries associated with Newcastle and the attendant traditions that are a way of life in this part of the County. Many of the famous people appear to have had independent and radical viewpoints like the 2nd Earl Grey of the 1832 Reform Act fame, or Emily Davison who gave her life for the cause of ‘women’s lib’. The lines on her tombstone in Morpeth sum up much of the custom and tradition of Northumberland – “Deeds not words”.

LANDSCAPES & LANDFORMS
The Cheviot Hills are the least known, least populated and least visited of all England’s upland areas. They impart a feeling of being on the very edge of civilisation. It is a no-man’s land where one could disappear and no-one be any the wiser. It is a wild, desolate, confusing, jumbled mass of round-topped hills deeply riven by long lonely valleys. For the purist it is truly magnificent! In complete contrast the hills around Rothbury are a glory to behold and walk upon. The highest point on the Simonside Fells, Tosson Hill, offers remarkable views of the Coquet Valley almost from its source, high in the Cheviots to its mouth at Amble. Perhaps the best coastal scenery in England is to be found on this unspoilt, often empty coastline which is punctuated by scenes of enormous, dramatic splendour and quiet villages. One of Britain’s most famous landforms is found here, Lindisfarne. Also known as Holy Island, it is a tombolo which means it is only an island at high tide. Many visitors do infact drive to it at low tide!

PLACES TO VISIT & EVENTS
This is the ‘Kingdom of Castles’. Some are ruinous, others are complete, all are wonderful testament to a bygone age. The best known are Bamburgh, Alnwick, Warkworth, Lindisfarne and the haunting remains of Dunstanburgh. Rothbury, curiously without a castle, makes a good centre for exploration and a visit to the nearby house of Cragside is almost mandatory! No visit to Northumberland would be complete without a visit to Hadrian’s Wall and perhaps the best introduction to it is Housesteads Fort and its excellent visitors centre. Holy Island can only be reached at low tide but is well worth the wait. Nearby Berwick-upon-Tweed is the most fortified town in Britain with the added advantage of a marvellous location and shops! Virtually all the villages on the coast are utterly fascinating like Craster and its association with the kipper! Kielder Water and Kielder Forest (the largest in England) offer many different kinds of activity and are also worth visiting, if only for the views.

SPORTS & LEISURE
The Pennine Way is well-known to all walkers and the Cheviots possibly provide the most difficult section. For the majority the Simonside Fells are excellent and in the south the area around Allenbanks is also good. Sea fishing is brilliant and most of the larger harbours offer facilities. River and lake fishing are especially good and the Tweed is world famous. The ‘King of Sports’ can be followed at the delightful Hexham racecourse. Resorts in the south of the county offer tennis and bowling and village cricket has strong associations with the area. Berwick Rangers are the only English team to play in the Scottish Football League.