Two Thousand Years of History

With two World Heritage Sites, Hadrian's Wall and Durham Cathedral and Castle, few places can boast a richer heritage than Northumbria. The remains of Hadrian's Wall still snake their way over the inland Whinsill Cliff and Roman forts at Housesteads, Vindolanda, Chesters and Corbridge each have their own distinctive museum of locally excavated artefacts. Northumbria is home to more castles and strongholds than any other area of England. Alnwick, Bamburgh, Chillingham, Durham and Raby Castles are all potent reminders of turbulent Border warfare between England and Scotland and fittingly, all were used as sets for the award-winning film 'Elizabeth.

 

Outdoor Activities

Wild and remote, the unspoilt Northumberland National Park covers an area of 400 square miles. The whole of the Northumbria region is popular throughout the year for outdoor activities with long distance cycle routes and great walks. At its edge is Kielder Water, a vast man-made lake in spectacular forest setting and a popular place for birdwatching, sailing, cycling and walking. The Durham Dales form part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with high moorland, wooded valleys, rivers and waterfalls. High Force, also in Teesdale, is England's largest waterfall.

 

Heritage Coast

Much of the coastline has been declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is punctuated with impressive castles, the most dramatic being at Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Bamburgh. From Seahouses, boats set sail regularly to visit the Farne Islands, a reserve for thousand of sea birds. The Jewel in the crown is Holy Island, where St Aidan founded Lindisfarne Monastery in AD635. Northumbria's Christian heritage can be traced from here to the breathtaking Durham Cathedral, perhaps the finest example of Norman church architecture, where Saint Cuthbert was finally laid to rest in AD995.

 

 

Birthplace of the Railways

Northumbria meets Cumbria high in the North Pennines, where the two regions once shared the riches of the lead mining industry. The life of the Northern lead miner is vividly recreated at England's highest tourist attraction, Kilhope Lead Mining Centre in upper Weardale. County Durham was the cradle of the world's railways, with the world's first passenger railwayng in 1825. Its 175th anniversary will be celebrated with a spectacular 40 steam engine cavalcade to Darlington in August 2000. Northern life in the early 19th and 20th centuries is vividly recreated at Beamish, The North of EnglandAir Museum, with its town, farms, colliery village and vintage steam railway.

 

 

A Day in the City

If you yearn for the bright lights, spend a day or two in the handsome city of Newcastle upon Tyne, for great shopping, hundreds of excellent restaurants, a stroll along the restored and bustling Quayside, and a look into the city's great museums and art galleries.

 

Attractions