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About Northumberland

Northumberland's special blessing lies in the fact that it is the least populated of all the English counties and therefore has mile upon mile of unspoilt open countryside dotted with quaint market town's and villages, left almost untouched by the march of time and the hand of progress. It has the wilderness of its great National Park, the fascination of bustling Newcastle-upon-Tyne and, Northumberland's coastline of beautiful empty beaches and towering cliffs offer seascapes rivalling those to be seen in any other part of the world.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Now a thriving city, Newcastle-upon-Tyne was once Northumberland's county town. As its name suggests Newcastle grew up around the banks of the River Tyne which for centuries sourced Newcastle's industries (shipbuilding being the principal one) - now, the demise of shipbuilding has led to redevelopment of the Quayside where the visitor will find handsome apartment buildings with wide windows and balconies overlooking the river. During the 19th century, many of the city's fine streets and squares were built by Richard Grainger to designs by well known Architect, John Dobson. In 1850, Queen Victoria opened what was doubtless Dobson's finest masterpiece - the magnificent porticoed Central Station in Neville Street. Always a city in tune with the times, Newcastle is a vibrant, invigorating place to visit, it has lovely old buildings that sit comfortably with those of a newer age, excellent shopping facilities, fine hotels, restaurants and inns.

To fully appreciate the diversity of Newcastle we suggest your itinery includes the following

St.Nichols's Cathedral built in the 14th-century

Leazes Terrace of Regency properties built between 1829 and 1834

The Bagpipe Museum

The Museum of Science and Engineering

Take in a Town Trail showing the most interesting and attractive parts of the city

ALNWICK

Considered by many to be ' The Windsor of the North ' this historic and pretty market town has a lovely old castle which was used for some of the scenes in the Harry Potter films. The castle is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and their family - the Duchess, with the aid of Charlie Dimmock has recently masterminded the re-building of the Alnwick Gardens (featured on TV) with amazing fountains - probably modelled on the Palace of Versailles and the gardens are themed to include a Poison Garden, a Serpent Garden etc; the interior of the castle is richly decorated and contains rare paintings by Van Dyke, Canaletto and Titian. This beautiful town with its old cobbled pavements abounds in myths and legends, a visit to the Cross Keys public house to hear the tale of 'The Dirty Bottles' is a must for every visitor! The town hosts three major festivals, these include; Alnwick International Music Festival, Alnwick Northumberland Gathering and the week long Alnwick Fair begins on the last Saturday in June. These interesting and lively events attract overseas visitors as well as tourists from all over England.

To appreciate the best of Alnwick we suggest the following

Enjoy a Heritage Tour from the unique vantage of an open topped Vintage bus

Visit Alnwick Castle and Gardens

Bailiffegate Museum tells the history of Northumberland and Alnwick

Barter Books the largest second-hand bookshop in England

See the Stone Cross of 1774 commemorating the death of Scottish King Malcolm who fell at the hands of Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland. The cross is built on a site about a mile north of the town

Hulme Park shows the romantic ruins of the earliest Carmelite Convent in England C1240

BAMBURGH

This fine coastal town boasts a magnificent Norman Castle which was once the seat of the Kings of Northumbria. Recent times have seen the castle restored to its former glory by Lord Armstrong who was an inventor, shipbuilder and industrialist. Bamburgh was also the home of Grace Darling who was born and buried in this amazingly unspoilt place. In the year 1838, Grace set sail with her father from a lighthouse on nearby Longstone to rescue survivors from the wrecked Forfarshire sailing ship caught in the fury of a gale. Grace is commemorated by a museum founded by the local RNLI.

Attractions in Bamburgh include

Bamburgh Castle

St. Aidens Church

Grace Darling Museum

Beachside Golf Course

Excellent surfing and sailing opportunities

THE FARNE ISLANDS

No visit to Northumberland would be complete without a visit to the lonely outcrops forming the beautiful Farne Island Bird Sanctuary off the coast of picturesque Seahouses. The islands are unique, in the breeding season - May - July the islands are home to over 100,000 nesting birds, including the lovely puffin. There are also large colonies of grey seals to be seen languishing awkwardly on the rocks. In calm weather regular sea trips to the islands run from Seahouses.

HOLY ISLAND

Holy Island or Lindisfarne, has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It is said that the corpse of St.Cuthbert was found here undecayed in the year 698 AD. Holy Island lies close to Beal and is reached - tides permitting - by a causeway. It is a populated island and has been used many times in films, with perhaps Cul-de-Sac by Roman Polanski being the most recent.

NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK

The beauty of the landscape is well documented it is an area of sprawling moorland, towering hills, deep, almost secret forests, sparkling rivers and waterfalls. It is a wilderness area where silence is often only disturbed by the cry of birds swooping amongst the lofty pines or the sound of an animal foraging for food. The park is threaded with interesting little towns and joyous little villages that are a pleasure to explore.

CRASTER

The tiny harbour of Craster lies at the centre of a village famous for its kipper's which for centuries were smoked in sheds above the harbour. It has attractive houses and cottages and its pretty harbour is now the scene of pleasure craft and a few gaily painted boats plying the waters for lobster and crab. The herrings, once brought in from the sea for kippering in Craster, are now caught in Scottish waters and brought to the village for smoking from the Western shores of Scotland. Dunstanburgh Castle, once the stronghold of John of Gaunt who, as uncle to the boy king Richard II, virtually ruled England in the 14th-century lies just a short distance from the centre of Craster.

Attractions include

Dunstanburgh Castle

Newton Pool Nature Reserve

Embleton Bay Golf Course

CHILLINGHAM, FORD, and ETAL

These are three picturesque villages, all lying within a few miles of each other - interestingly at Chillingham there is a herd of completely white cattle. They are protected and have been there since pre-historic times and it is believed they have never been touched by human hand (add/update description)

See below for all the best towns & attractions in Northumberland, or see a selection of our Northumberland photographs on our picture tour of Northumberland..

Hotels in Northumberland - Find discount Northumberland hotels and Northumberland accommodation.

Recommended towns & villages in Northumberland

Allendale Town in the county of Northumberland
This picturesque Northumberland village enjoys a lovely location in the fine hill and dale countryside of the beautiful East...
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Bamburgh in the county of Northumberland
Bamburgh, is known as the ancient capital of the Northumbrian coast and it is home to probably the finest Castle in England. ...
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Bellingham in the county of Northumberland
The market town of Bellingham sits on one of Northumberland's prettiest stretches of water, the north bank of the River North...
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Berwick-upon-Tweed in the county of Northumberland
Standing on an entirely Scottish river, it is no wonder that the most frequently asked question concerning Berwick-upon-Tweed...
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Blyth in the county of Northumberland
Within twenty miles of Newcastle, the resort of Blyth sits beside the estuary of the River Blyth, a short distance from where the...
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Ford in the county of Northumberland
It is Lady Waterford who is responsible for much of Ford as it is today. In 1859, owing to the tragic loss of her husband through...
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Hexham a Historic Market Town in the county of Northumberland
Historic market town where for centuries the sheep and cattle farmers of Northumberland gathered for the Tuesday market beside...
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Holy Island in the county of Northumberland
Holy Island or Lindisfarne, has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It is said that the corpse of St.Cuthbert was found...
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Thropton in the county of Northumberland
This pretty village straggles the banks of the sparkling River Coquet. It is a lively invigorating place, lying amidst the...
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Warkworth in the county of Northumberland
Sparkling in high summer and tinged with frosty thin ice in winter, the River Coquet makes its final loop before entering the sea...
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All towns in Northumberland
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