| Venue |
Description |
Web Links |
| Allenheads |
High up the hills, a pleasant drive off the beaten track
to an old lead mining centre with local museum |
|
| Alnmouth |
Pretty litle harbour town |
|
| Alnwick |
Old market town with a vast number of pubs. great attraction
is the annual fair in which the townspeople dress up in old
costumes for an entire week. The marketplace is the scene
of "pie powder" court at which misbehaviour by local men sends
them to the stocks and women are unceremoniously ducked in
water (starts last Sunday in June) |
Alnwick
Fair |
| Alnwick Castle & Garden |
Fantastic castle in former Capital of Northern England.
Home to the Duke of Northumberland. The original 11th century
fortress was restored in the 18th century. Popular location
in feature films - most recently in "Elizabeth" and "Harry
Potter".
Now the home of a specially commissioned water garden and
tree house |
Alnwick
Castle
Alnwick
Garden
Unoffical Castle site |
| Aydon Castle |
One of the finest fortified manor houses in England |
English
Heritage
|
| |
| Bamburgh |
A Magnificent castle sits on an outcrop of rock above the
village and a fantastic beach. A fantastic backdrop. The village
is also the home of Grace Darling who became a world reknowned
heroine. in 1838 when she rowed out in a boat in violent storms
from the Farne Islands
to rescue the crew of stricken steamer "Forfarshire" There
is a museum in the village explaining her exploits |
Bamburgh
castle |
| Belsay Hall |
Neo-classical hall set in some spectacular gardens. The
house is not furnished inside but sometimes is used as a backdrop
for art exhibitions |
English
Heritage
|
| Berwick upon Tweed |
Most Northerly town in England. magnificent Elizabethan
town wall defences still guard this community which has changed
hands between Scottish and English rule many times. The river
Twed is home to a large number of swans. Here you will find
some fine Elizabethan and Georgian buildings and a wine and
spirits museum as well as the barracks and castle mentioned
below. Paxton House is a fine 18th century home with Chippendale
furniture and art on display |
Paxton
House |
| Berwick-Upon-Tweed Barracks & Castle Museum |
Dedicated to the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Some visitors
have reported seeing a strange figure whilst touring the building
adding fuel to stories of a ghost that haunts the site. |
English
Heritage
|
| Blanchland |
Picturesque village. Abbey originally built in 12th century
since destroyed but the old guesthouse is now the Lord Crewe
Arms - reputedly haunted. Myth has it that in 1327 a scots
raiding party missed the village and the monks were so glad
they rang the bells...which caused the Scots to return |
|
| |
| Brinkburn Priory |
Founded in 1135. Set in a secluded dene alongside the river
Coquet |
English
Heritage
|
| Cherryburn |
19th century farmhouse. Birthplace of Thomas Bewick, engraver
and naturalist. |
National
Trust
|
| Chillingham |
This is home to a unique herd of white cattle. It's a wild
herd believed to have been walled in to the estate for more
than 700 years, thus ensuring it's unique characteristics
as the closest animal to the oxen of ancient Britons. The
local castle is privately owned but rooms can be rented with
prior booking. |
Chillingham
castle |
| Corbridge |
Picturesque town next to an old roman settlement. Some of
the best example of roman military granaries |
English
Heritage
Roman |
| Cragside |
Victorian mansion of inventor and industrialist
Lord Armstrong. This was the fist house to be lit by hydro-electric
power. A fascinating house to visit set in beautiful gardens
HOUSE: CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT in 2006 GARDENS: OPEN |
National
Trust
|
| Craster |
Tiny fishing port. Famous for the local product "Craster
Kippers" When the smoke house is in operation you can smell
the burning wood heavy in the air. From here there is a nature
trail and also the start of the walk to Dunstanburgh
castle |
|
| Druridge Bay |
A vast stretch of beach. Unspoilt seclusion and the first
"Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" to be designated in the
UK. |
|
| |
| Dunstanburgh Castle |
Imposing clifftop castle despite being largely in ruins.
14th century fortress, ONLY accessible by foot. A great mile-long
walk along the coast from Craster |
English
Heritage
National
Trust |
| Farne Islands / Seahouses |
Group of islands just off the coast. Site of many shipwrecks
and home to Grace Darling (see Bamburgh).
A nature reserve with colonies of grey seal, puffins, eider
ducks, tern and other sea birds. You can visit the islands
by boat. Just turn up at Seahouses harbour. As well as getting
very close to the nesting birds and seals you can land and
visit the lighthouse. |
National
Trust
|
| Hadrian's Wall |
The stunning remains of the Roman occupation of Britain
and is a "World Heritage Site". In AD 122 Emperor Hadrian
ordered a wall be built from coast to coast to keep out the
marauding tribes in Scotland. As well as large sections of
the wall there are large forts, camps and watchtowers which
give a fascinating insight into daily life for Roman soldiers.
Click on the link for a special section devoted to Hadrian's
Wall. |
Roman |
| Hexham |
Ancient market town and Abbey with one of the best Anglo-Saxon
crypts still in existance |
|
| Holy Island / Lindisfarne |
Beautiful Island which can be accessed by car at low
water.
Causeway is impassable from 2 hours
BEFORE High Tide to 3 hours AFTER High Tide IMPORTANT: CHECK
SAFE CROSSING TIMES
Click
here for safe crossing times.
St Aidan founded a monastary here in 634 AD. The illuminated
manuscript, the Lindisfarne Gospels, were written here in
the 7th century and are now in the British Museum. There
is a local museum here next to the ruins of a Norman Priory.
Monks used to make mead here and visitors can have a free
taste of the sweet drink. At the far end of the island is
the castle. Until recently privately owned but now open
to the public. As well as a great day out for sightseers,
there is a large nature reserve for birdwatchers and the
seclusion and christian heritage makes it a popular venue
for those on religious retreat. If you do get cut off by
the tide there are pubs and accommodation. |
National
Trust
English
Heritage
Holy
Island Info |
| |
| Kielder |
Europe's largest man-made reservoir. Watersports are available
here and there is plenty of remote countryside to explore
by foot or by bike. |
Northumberland
County council
Info |
| Morpeth |
Historic market town and now the county town of Northumberland.
Quaint centre and riverside park |
Morpeth
Net |
| Norham Castle |
One of the strongest of the border castles with a fine Norman
keep. |
English
Heritage
|
| Northumberland National
Park |
Large area of beautiful rugged countryside. Note: Parts
are also used by the Army for training exercises. Some areas
are cordoned off and red flags denote that live ammunition
is being used so keep to the public areas. |
Northumberland
National Park |
| Prudhoe Castle |
Large remains of 12th century castle |
English
Heritage |
| Wallington Hall |
Fine stately home with magnificent gardens. Music and
plays are performed in the open air in Summertime. Lovely
walled garden. It is also home to colonies of bats. |
National
Trust |
| Warkworth Castle |
Beautiful castle which features in Shakespeare's "Henry
IV". Birthplace of Harry Hotspur. Medieval castle sits high
above a natural moat of the River Coquet. You can hire boats
in the summer to row upstream to a hermitage - a chapel cave
hewn out of the riverbank. |
English
Heritage |
| Woodhorn |
The Woodhorn mining museum is currently undgoing refurbishment
and extension works (2006) |
|
| Wylam
/
George Stephenson |
Birthplace of George Stephenson, father of the railways.
The family cottage still remains. |
National
Trust |
| Vindolanda |
Privately run Roman museum on old barracks and supply post
of the Roman Empire. Fascinating remains and beautiful surroundings |
Roman |
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