Northumberland Travel Guide

Northumberland National Park - © Keith Edkins

Overview and Attractions

The Northumberland Travel Guide highlights local attractions, places of interest and offers tourist information for visitors to Northumberland and the Tyne and Wear area in North of England. The area guide features travel information on local transport and travel, entertainment, events, facts & figures, maps and accommodation.

The county has a relatively low profile as a tourist destination compared to some of the better known counties. The limited number of visitors has meant a beautiful and unspoilt coastline among the best in the UK.

There is actually plenty to do and experience in the county and surrounding areas leaving the discerning tourist with lots to enjoy.

There are a number of islands located off the Northumbrian coast, the best known are Lindisfarne (Holy Island), and the Farne Islands, best known for the sea-bird colonies.

There are seaside resorts and traditional fishing villages to explore here set in beautiful countryside and scenic coastline. History buffs will find a huge range of castles in the county all with their own unique historical stories to tell and make for a fascinating day out.

To the south of this area is Tyne & Wear, which enjoys a much higher profile as a tourist destination, indeed it is among the most visited tourist destinations in the UK. There are many attractions and activities in the area, ranging from history to outdoor pursuits and family days out.

Morpeth is located in the south east of Northumberland, 25 miles from Newcastle. Morpeth is located on the River Wansbeck that flows through the town; the county town of Northumberland is also the administrative centre of the area. The bustling market town is a popular place for visitors to base themselves when exploring the area.

Local attractions include the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum housed inside a historic 13th century building. Carlisle Park and William Turn Garden are located in the heart of the town, there are formal gardens, an aviary, play and picnic areas offering a place to enjoy a relaxing stroll in scenic surroundings.

Close by to Morpeth are historic country estates and gardens including Belsay Hall that includes a castle and gardens and Wallington House.

Morpeth has a regular farmers market that takes place in the historic market place on the first Saturday of each month and a regular market that takes place on Wednesdays. Visitors can find the best in local produce including food and drinks, household items and much more.

Berwick-upon-Tweed is located just under 50 miles north of Morpeth close to the border with Scotland.

The market town is one of the most dramatic walled towns in England, the Elizabethan town walls dating back to the 16th century are the only surviving Elizabethan town walls in England, they are among the most prominent architectural features in the town.

Local attractions include the Maltings Theatre and Arts Centre and Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks & Main Guard; visitors can find an exhibition on the life of British infantrymen, King's Own Scottish Borderers Museum and the Berwick Borough Museum. There are regular market days on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the town.

Alnwick is located 20 miles north of Morpeth, historically the town was a medieval market town, evidence of this can be seen today with its cobbled streets, stone buildings and narrow alleys.

The town retains much of its charm and character with regular market days on Thursdays and Saturdays. The town is well known for Alnwick Castle, home to the Duke of Northumberland and one of the largest inhabited castles in Europe.

Visitors can see the castle including the impressive state rooms and art collections, there is also Alnwick Gardens that includes 4,000 plant varieties. Bailiffgate Museum showcases the life and times of the people of north Northumberland with a number of history and art based exhibitions.

The main areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland border the two main rivers the Tyne and the Wear, where the region has its name.

The two rivers have had a major role in the development of the area; the Romans used using the rivers as a form of defence when building forts as part of Hadrian’s Wall.

The Northumberland coast has been described as the best feature of the county with its un-crowded, long sandy beaches and great scenery. Visitors can take some time to visit the many attractive fishing villages, little seaside resorts and castles on the coast.

The 40 mile stretch of coast from Amble to Berwick-upon-Tweed has been recognised as a Heritage Coast and also as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and efforts are thus made to conserve both of this national treasure for the benefit of the country and future generations.

There are plenty of attractions around the Heritage Coas including Amble Marina, Warkworth Castle, the resort of Alnmouth famous for the red roofs, Craster village and Dunstanburgh Castle, the attractive resort of Seahouses, to name but a few.

The southern part of the Northumberland coast has its own attractions such as South Beach Blyth and the harbour at Seaton Sluice and Druridge Bay which also has its own Country Park. At Berwick the Tweed estuary is contains one of the largest colonies of mute swans in Britain.

At Berwick town visitors can enjoy a journey through history. The town has a long history of changing hands between the English and Scots who vied for control of the border region.

The village of Low Newton-by-the-Sea is looked after by the National Trust. The Heritage Coast offers a great place to go exploring and relax in this sparely populated region.

For a long time Northumberland has been among the better kept secrets in UK. The profile of the area is growing and with it are tourist numbers who are discovering the delights of the region. Tyne and Wear has a higher profile and has benefited from the large regeneration projects that have helped to modernise and transform the area.

Many visitors are attracted to the region and the relativity close proximity to the border with Scotland mean trips there are possible too whilst based in the North East of England.

There are transport links serving UK tourists via road, rail and air and international airports for overseas visitors. The region has a nice mix of cities and countryside with a great coastline making it a notable place to visit.



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