Northumberland Accommodation:
Acomb
Allendale
Alnmouth
Alnwick
Amble
Ashington
Bamburgh
Bardon Mill
Barrasford
Beadnell
Belford
Bellingham
Belsay
Berwick Upon Tweed
Blanchland
Blyth
Chathill
Chatton
Chollerford
Choppington
Consett
Corbridge
Cornhill On Tweed
Cramlington
Craster
Embleton
Eshott
Fenwick
Gilsland
Greenhead
Haltwhistle
Haydon Bridge
Hexham
Holy Island
Holystone
Kielder
Kielder Water
Kirkwhelpington
Longframlington
Longhorsley
Lowick
Morpeth
Newbiggin By The Sea
Newton By The Sea
Otterburn
Ponteland
Powburn
Prudhoe
Rochester
Rothbury
Seahouses
Simonburn
Spittal
Tweedmouth
Wark
Warkworth
Wooler

Northumberland

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The River Derwent The River Derwent

Information

County Town: Morpeth
Population: 310,400
Area: 1941 Sq miles 5026 Sq k
Northumberland Jobs
Northumberland Tips Page
County Reviews
Rather interesting Northumberland facts
Northumberland weather
Visitor reports
Your opinion of Northumberland
Famous Dates
Famous People
Food Legends:Lindisfarne Mead
Singin Hinnies
Northumberland Pan Haggerty
Alnwick Stew
Craster Kippers
Baltic Cheese
Folk Customs:
Allendale Tar Barrel Carrying
Northumberland Clog Dancing
Shrovetide Football at Alnwick
Haunted Britain:
Bamburgh Castle’s Creepy Crowd
Bellister’s Mauled Minstrel
Blanchland’s Waiting Jacobite
St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne
Cultural Britain:
Lowrys Berwick
Lore & legend:
The Duergar Dwarves of Northumberland
Natural Britain:
Allen Banks
Cheviot Hills
Farne islands
Lindisfarne
North Pennines
River Aln
River Tweed
River Tyne
The River Derwent

Events

March
Easter Extravaganza

April
Ellington Easter Fayre
Haltwhistle Spring Walking Festival
Northumbria Gathering
The Best of Hadrian's Wall weekend treck

May
Bird Day at Paxton House
Kielder Vintage and Classic Vehicle Show
May Day
Riding the Bounds
The Flora of Paxton House

June
Morpeth Fair Day
Ovingham Goose Fair
Paxton House Vintage Rally
Seahouses Festival
Tynedale Beer Festival

July
Brinkburn Music Festival
Classic Cars in Corbridge
Felton & Thirston Village Fair
Haltwhistle Town Carnival & Garden Party
Music at Paxton Festival
Tweedmouth Salmon Feast

August
Falstone Border Shepherds Show
Glendale Show
Great North Bike Ride
Great North Bike Ride
Kielder Forest Festival
Newbiggin Fair
Paxton Ted’s Super Funday’s
Slaley Show
Victorian Friday’s
Warkworth Flower Show
Whittingham Show

September
Annual Fungus Foray
Harbottle Show
Heritage Open Days
Hexham Abbey Festival

October
Alwinton Border Shepherds Show
Hexham Abbey Festival
Holistic Harmony Festival
Northumberland Music Festival

November
Alnwick Christmas Lights
Christmas Fair
Northumberland Music Festival

December
Allendale Tar Barrel Ceremony
Christmas at Belsay Hall
Christmas Market
Kielder Winter Wonderland
The Big Winter Adventure

Northumberland - 285 places to stay

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Principal towns: Alnwick Berwick-upon-Tweed Hexham Morpeth

Northumberland is a county in North East England with nearly eighty miles of coastline and a largely undeveloped landscape of high moorland, making it a favourite amongst painters and artists as well as walkers, backpackers and lovers of the great outdoors. The county borders at one time included the former county town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tynemouth and other settlements north of the Tyne but changes in local government acts during the 1970’s reduced the size of the county, excluding Tyneside and today, both of the towns Morpeth and Alnwick claim the title of county town.

Originally the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, it was formed at the beginning of the 7th century in Anglo-Saxon times when Athelfrith, a king of Bernicia in the north who conquered Deira (now Yorkshire) in 604AD, unified the two independent kingdoms. When Athelfrith was defeated and killed in 616, Edwin, son of Aella, a former king of Deira, was installed as king. Edwin accepted Christianity in 627 and went on to become the most powerful king in England, creating one large kingdom which stretched from the river Humber to the river Forth and across to the river Mersey, with some evidence that it may have been even larger. After Edwin’s death, Oswald became king, expanding the territory further incorporating much of Cumbria and south-east Scotland and re-introduced Christianity. After many subsequent battles, during the Viking invasion the southern part (Diera) was lost to Danelaw and whilst the northern kingdom (Bernicia) at first retained its status as a kingdom, it then was reduced to an earldom, a status retained when England was later reunited after the re-conquest of Danelaw.. Scottish invasions reduced the size of the territory further so that this earldom stretched from the River Tweed in the north to the river Tees in the south and was still heavily debated between England and Scotland, but was eventually recognized as part of England by the Anglo-Scottish Treaty of York in 1237.

When St.Aidan was sent from Iona by king Oswald to convert the English, it was on Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, that a monastery was established and Celtic Christianity introduced, the area becoming known as the ‘Cradle of Cristianity’ in England, later becoming a centre for Catholicism and then Jacobite after the Restoration. Due to being largely rural and unpopulated, it became a wild county where outlaws could hide but after the union of Scotland and England under James VI the lawlessness largely subsided.

Once part of the Roman Empire, its location on the borders with Scotland the region has seen many historical battles and meant the Lords of Northumberland wielded great power, charged with protecting England from the Scots and so has a history of revolt and rebellion against the government, usually led by the then Dukes of Northumberland, the Percy family of whom Harry Hotspur is mentioned by Shakespeare . A number of historic castles can be found throughout the area such as the ‘royal’ castle of Bamburgh , from before the unification under one monarch. Alnwick, Warkworth and Dunstanburgh are others with historic significance.

The region saw development of the first railways during the industrial revolution, due to the coalmines being widespread and the need to transport the coals to Newcastle and to the Tyne in order to fuel the demand elsewhere in the country. Today, still largely rural, it is the least populated county in England, commanding far less power than in the past. Much of the county is protected as the Northumberland National Park, an area of outstanding landscapes stretching from the Scottish Borders and including Hadrian’s Wall, which has helped the county to enjoy considerable growth in tourism due to its historic significance and scenic beauty.

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Brit Quote:
As love without esteem is capricious and volatile; esteem without love is languid and cold. - Jonathan Swift
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On this day:
Tolpuddle Martyrs Sentenced - 1834, Argentine Forces land on South Georgia - 1982
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