Tranquil Northumberland
England is a small country, but there’s one corner in the North that defies the odds when it comes to space. This county takes up a small corner of the land yet offers acres of unspoilt countryside, a long and beautiful coastline, miles of rugged hills and great, wide open skies.
This county is Northumberland, officially the most tranquil county in England and also one of the least populated. It’s a delightful mix of hills, sheltered valleys, spectacular coast, fast rivers and softly folding fields. It’s fair to say that Northumberland is our Big Sky country, a place to get away from it all where you can walk for miles without seeing another soul. Here you can find space to breathe and contemplate.
But it’s not only big, it’s beautiful. Its grasslands are multiple shades of green, forming a rich tapestry edged with rugged hills and coast. It’s a coastline considered by many to be one of the finest in the country and is in fact classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. But there is one more Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northumberland; The North Pennines, home to deep valleys, rolling moorland and unrivalled birdlife.
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Further inland the Northumberland National Park provides undulating moors and valleys with beautiful grassy fields and idyllic rivers. Here there are many perfect picnic spots and places where you can stop and breathe pure, clean air and enjoy wonderful views. The National Park is close to Kielder Forest and Water Park, a rich mix of water and trees and an ideal spot to discover the outdoors. Further north the land rises to create the Cheviots, the top of the great backbone of the Pennines that joins England’s East and West and finishes at the border with Scotland.
Travel south to Hadrian’s Wall country and you’ll discover more contrast as the landscape becomes softer but no less awe-inspiring. The wall itself, a UNESCO World Heritage site, rises and falls like across the hills and gives visitors great views of Scotland in the north and County Durham to the south.
Northumberland is beautiful at any time of the year. Whether the sky is blue, grey, or a striking mix of shades in between, it’s a hauntingly atmospheric place that both stirs and refreshes the soul.
For more information about the Northumberland countryside, including what to see and do, visit www.visitnorthumberland.com
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