Northumberland
Covering an area of some 1,942 square miles Northumberland has a population
of 310,000.
This is not to say that Northumberland is anything but a naturally lovely,
if at times wild, county.
Other main towns in the county are Berwick-upon-Tweed, which has changed
hands between England and Scotland numerous times over the centuries and has
it's local football team playing in the Scottish League, and Hexham.
Among the physical feature Northumberland has to offer are the Cheviot
Hills, the rivers Tweed and upper Tyne of Northumberland National Park, Holy
Island and part of Hadrian's Wall. Northumberland, due to it's location, has
the distinction of having the greatest number of castles of any of the
British counties. The original kingdom of Northumbria was heavily influenced
by the raiders from Scandinavia in the Dark Ages.
Today's Northumberland lists Sheep farming as it's highest earning
productive source.
Once part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, Northumberland found
itself torn into Northumberland and Tyne and Wear thanks to the government
redrawing of county boundaries in 1974. The new county obviously deriving
its name from the two major rivers of the region.
Tyne and Wear is centred on the cities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland
with the town of Morpeth being awarded the honour of being the
administration centre for the 'new' Northumberland.
Hence the county now covers some 1943 square miles nestled quite comfortably
south of the Anglo-Scottish border.
Although nearly nine times larger than the newer county of Tyne and Wear it
has a population of just under a quarter of that of the metropolitan cousin.
Places to Visit
Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh, Northumberland
Belsay Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland
Chillingham Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland
Eshott Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland
Chesters Roman Fort, NR Hexham, Northumberland
Cragside, Morpeth, Northumberland
Warkworth Castle
Alnwick Castle
Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton
Housesteads, Nr Bardon |
