England page 2-13
Northumbria
England's Border Country
Northumbria with its peaceful dales, dramatic hills and golden
beaches, Northumbria has some of the finest natural
scenery in Britain.
A region which is distinguished by its castles,country
houses and early Christian and Roman sites.
Northumbria was once an ancient kingdom, but now
comprises four areas: Durham, Tyne & Wear,
Northumberlandand the Tees Valley. Each has its own
unique identity, making Northumbria one of the most
diverse regions in England.
Due to Northumbria's position next to
Scotland, it was well fortified by many
castles. Some of them have fallen into
ruin, and it is only their remains that can
still be explored. One of these is
Dunstanburgh Castle, still looking impressive on the coast.
Other castles have been continuously
updated by the residents.
Alnwick Castle was originally a Norman
fortress, and was inherited by the Percy family the
Dukes of Northumberland. in 1309. The Percys
always used the best; Robert Adam refurbished the
inside of the house in the 18th century, and Capability
Brown was responsible for the layout of the grounds. The
castle also contains paintings by Titian, Canaletto, and
Van Dyck.
There are many others Castles in the area
including Durham Castle, Raby Castle, Barnard Castle,
Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens.
The 60 mile Northumberland coast has long, clean sandy beaches
punctuated by
magnificent castles, pretty fishing villages and
the historic Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Tyne and Wear
This metropolitan area which includes the two
cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland and their
surrounding areas.
Newcastle is a vibrant, exciting city, with
widely acclaimed museums and galleries,
Sunderland, bisected by the River Wear, has a rich heritage,
the earliest example of this being the 7th century Saxon
church of St Peter.
Next to the Scottish border, this land was
fought over for centuries - the nationality of
Berwick upon Tweed was fought over and
changed hands between the Scots and
English several times. Twelve miles away
from Berwick on the coast is Holy Island, or Lindisfarne,
the site of a medieval monastery. If you are going to Holy Island
make sure and check the tides, as the island is cut off from
the mainland for several hours a day.
The variety of the countryside here is
remarkable. There are the uplands of
Northumberland National Park, the
heather clad hills of the North Pennines, the
forests and lakes of Kielder and the Heritage
coast in the east;
Hadrian's Wall
Designated a World Heritage Site, this is one of the most
important Roman monuments in Britain. It was originally
built just under 2,000 years ago by the Emperor Hadrian in
order to mark the northern boundary of his Empire.
Stretching 73 miles from coast to
coast,there are many sites along the wall
worth exploring. Housesteads Fort is
probably the best preserved site, where you
can see the remains of a commanding
officer's house and a hospital.
Tees Valley
This area includes the major towns of Middlesbrough,
Stockton, Darlington, and Hartlepool,the seaside resorts of
Redcar and Saltburn and the historic market town of Guisborough.
The Tees Valley is a remarkable blend of unspoilt natural
beauty, friendly market towns,dynamic urban centres and
historic coastline. It also has a renowned maritime and
railway heritage; George Stephenson's Locomotion made
its first run from Darlington and can now be seen in the
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. In Middlesbrough
is the place where Captain Cook was born. It is
now the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum and tells the story
of his life and work.
County Durham
Known as the Land of the Prince Bishops
this area is a superb mixture of rich heritage
and unspoilt landscape. The Durham Dales
are part of the North Pennines which offer
some of the country's finest scenery with
rugged upland, gentle river valleys, meadows and drystone
walls.
The city of Durham is dominated by the 900-year old castle and
cathedral, which have both been designated as World
Heritage Sites. History is brought alive at Beamish, the
North of England Open Air Museum, where staff in period
costume invite visitors to experience life in an 1800s and
early 1900s village.
History
Three centuries of warfare between the English and Scots have
left this most northerly corner of England scattered with castles
and fortified houses.
The Landscape
To the west, the Simonside and Cheviot hills
form a spectacular backdrop to remote towns
and villages. The eastern flank is bounded by
the beaches, dunes and dramatic cliffscapes
of the Heritage Coast.
Hadrian's Roman Wall
Northumberland's border history has left many legacies. The most
famous is Hadrian's Wall which once stretched from coast to coast,
and its four main Roman forts at
Housesteads, Vindolanda, Chesters and Corbridge.
Majestic Castles
There many historic castles in Northumbia include those at Alnwick,
Bamburgh, Lindisfarne and Chillingham. Dramatic ruins include
those at Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Etal.
Ashington
Ashington in the south eastern corner of
Northumberland. Although once known for its dependence on
coal, today little remains of the industry.
Woodhorn Colliery Museum a fascinating museum in original colliery
buildings at Woodhorn Colliery illustrates the old way of life and culture of the area
through models, pictures and machines.
Woodhorn Church
The church at Woodhorn is said to be the oldest on the
Northumbrian coast.
Bedlington
Bedlington is best known for its links with the small
Bedlington Terrier, and also played an important part
in the pioneering days of railways.
County Durham
Land of Prince Bishops
County Durham rich in fascinating heritage and
outstanding scenery. Explore historic Durham City, the unspoilt
scenery of the Durham Dales and Beamish.
Durham City
Durham City, with its World Heritage Site of
Durham Cathedral,and castles is one of the
most exciting visual and architectural'
Barnard, Durham, Auckland and Raby Castles are impressive
reminders of the turbulent past, when the Prince Bishops of
Durham ruled like Kings.
The Durham Dales
The Durham Dales are part of the North
Pennines, one of England's largest Areas of
Outstanding Natural Beauty with waterfalls,
river valleys and wildflower meadows.
Famous people and connections
George Washington
One of the ancestral homes of George Washington is
located in Washington, five miles from Sunderland. The
house, known as Old Hall, is filled with memorabilia of
the first president of the USA.
Catherine Cookson
Born in South Shields, Catherine Cookson has also
based many of her novels in the area where she grew
up. Westoe Village was the setting for many of her books,
including the first, Katie Mulholland. The South Shields
Museum has a Catherine Cookson Gallery, which
includes a reconstruction of her birthplace, 10 William
Black Street.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens found inspiration for
several of his novels while visiting
Northumbria. It was when staying at the
King's Head in Barnard Castle,that he
investigated disreputable boarding
schools, and it is believed that he based 'Dotheboys Hall'
in Nicholas Nickleby on a school in Bowes.
The Venerable Bede
Born in 673, Bede made his home at Jarrow monastery,
where he is remembered by history as writing amongst
other works the Historia Ecclesiastica, in which he
charted the ecclesiastical history of the English
people.Bede's World, near to the site of the monastery
where Bede lived, not only explores Bede's life and work,
but also life in early medieval Northumbria. There is also
an Anglo-Saxon farm,which has been built and is farmed
using only the methods which would have been used in
Bede's time.
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