Northumberland is a land of scenic contrasts with a unique and spectacular history. The stunning sand beaches, dunes and castles of the Coast is best known, inland the rolling Cheviot hills less so whilst Hadrian's Wall stands proud as one of those 'must see' places in Britain. Map of Northumberland Map of Northumberland The 3 Areas of Northumberland 1. The Northumberland Coast Many have heard of Bamburgh and its famous castle but the entire 50 miles of coast from Tynemouth to Berwick is a series of spectacular sand beaches mixed with rocky headlands, pretty fishing villages and the remains of castles. There is nowhere to compare in England; Cornwall is instantly more dramatic but does not have the long sweeping beaches of fine sand capped with the castles and much quieter villages. Most are spectacular, do not assume Bamburgh is the best! For Full Details on the Northumberland Coast and my own favourite spots follow this link 2. The Cheviots and Inland Northumberland Rarely visited, often maligned the heart of rural Northumberland is a series of rolling hills and deep valleys capped by Cheviot at 2,500 feet high. The walking is quiet, the villages more so but this is an area to immerse yourself in the history of this conflicted county. More Scottish or more English (you decide) but history from Iron Age Hill Forts to battlefields, industrial remains to agricultural practices are everywhere making any walk an entirely unique experience. For Full Details on Cheviot and Inland Northumberland and my own personal favourites follow this link West of Housesteads 3. Hadrian's Wall Stretching 84 miles from Solway on Furth to Wallsend to the east of Newcastle lies the remains of Hadrian;s Wall. Whilst the 20 miles at each end are a little underwhelming the central section is wonderful. Roman History comes alive here. The wall is a constant companion to a walk which undulated (in places very steeply) across the Northumberland landscape. Forts, milecastles and turrets are regular companions as are the far reaching views north to those pesky Scottish tribes. For Full Details on Hadrian's Wall and my own personal favourite spots and walks follow this link The History of Northumberland There have been many words written about the history of Northumberland and so there should be.If I was going to direct you to one book it would be Dan Jackson's Northumbrians, a history through the people of the county. However I will detail a small potted history of the key periods and hopefully encourage you to investigate further. After all it is the walks, resulting from this history, that I am interested in. Ross Sands 1. Pre Roman Bronze and Iron Age remains across Northumberland offer evidence for a tribal history going back many thousands of years. A number of hill forts in the Cheviots can be viewed although it is clearly only the foundations that can be picked out. These provided refuge, religious centres or defensive positions for those who lived then. 2. The Romans Clearly the main legacy of the Roman's in Northumberland is best seen at Hadrian's Wall. In 122 AD Emperor Hadrian consolidated the north extremes of the Roman Empire at this point although the reality was the wall is more of a trading post than an actual defensive line. The Antonine Wall further north was abandoned a few years earlier and it is this confusion that is why many Northumbrians remain confused as to their ancestry (most of Northumberland is to the north of the wall). St Cuthbert's Way 3. Ancient Britons & the cult of Christianity As the Roman empire crumbled in roughly 350 AD Northumberland became a target for the Anglians (invading from Germany) and for 200 years they establishes an independent kingdom across the county. In 634AD Oswald re-united the region and became king of a vast area stretching from the Humber to the Forth. Oswald had been converted to Christianity in Iona (on the west coast of Scotland by the tidlewave of religious fervour then sweeping the country. St Aidan and St Cuthbert were two priests who made their home on Holy Island and Christians from across the lands came to worship on this spectacular of islands. Repeated Viking raids made this a hazardous period for all and a bloody period of Northumberland history. Eventually the Scots came to rule the area north of the Tyne. 4. Normans and Beyond Despite resisting the Normans in the 11th century the Scottish tribes were driven north and relative peace came to the area. Many Norman buildings, castles and churches now can be seen across the county, they were great builders and scholars. Even the Scots backed off and in the Treaty of York relinquished all claim to Northumberland. Alnwick Castle 5. Chaos in the County The treaty sadly did not last long and the bloodiest period of Northumberland history followed. The wars only ceased in 1603 when the countries were united under James 1 (6 of Scotland). Prior to that characters such as Harry Hotspur, Robert the Bruce and the Border Reivers all became heroes or villains of the story. Read up, it is a fascination and many of the battlefields such as Flodden, Alnwick and Branxton are visible today. A quick word on the 'Border Reivers'. Not aligned to either Scotland or England they were a band of lawless raiders making hay in the land of chaos up to the early 17th century. Governance was non existent and the Reivers made the county their own. Like Robin Hood time has been kind to them and now they are looked back on with a certain affection. They were killers! 6. The Modern World - Industry Whilst the Scottish raids continued in Northumberland the county was becoming one of the powerhouses of industry that drove the British Empire. Whilst coal had been mined since Roman Times it became very important from the early 18th century. The mines exist today (closed) and in places such as Ashington still dominate the landscape. A quirk of geology and the thick band of rich carboniferous rock encouraged the early mine owners. George Stephenson, born in Wylam, was possibly the most famous of all our industrialists. Newton by the Sea 7. The Modern World - Agriculture Away from the coal mines Northumberland became a place of agriculture and sheep farming. Many of the land owners came from the landed gentry and the Percy family still have vast holdings (including the impressive seat of Alnwick Castle). Ports like Craster, Alnmouth and Newton were busy fishing ports and have been for many centuries and the county grew in to a tranquil back water. 8. The Modern World - Tourism Tourism has come late to Northumberland. Partly due to it distance from population centres further south and partly its reputation for poor weather it is only those more local to the area that will visit. Incidentally Northumberland is one of the driest parts of Britain but sadly also one of the coolest. The Northumbrian Coast has always been popular but is becoming much more so in recent years whereas the Cheviot Hills and inland Northumberland has yet to catch on. It will. Hadrian's Wall tends to be somewhere people visit on a day trip to Newcastle or Durham although the growth of long distance walking is starting to put it more on the travellers map. Winshield Crags Other Areas About The Yorkshire Dales About North York Moors and Coast About the Lake District
