Unspoilt Northumberland

First time visitors to Northumberland are astonished at the space, the grandeur and the unspoilt nature of our landscape. It’s a land of huge skies, pristine sandy beaches, punctuated by mediaeval castles and small fishing villages, with a special quality of light which draws landscape artists and photographers from afar.

In the North East of the county, and close to Westfield Cottage, the mighty Cheviot Hills, encompassed within the Northumberland National Park, rise to the Scottish border. Each season has its own unique charms and some of the finest walking can be enjoyed during the winter months.

Those of us who live here know how privileged we are and are truly proud of our county and of its rich culture and heritage.

A view of the Cheviots looking from Ross Castle

England’s second largest county, Northumberland is sparsely populated and welcomes and absorbs its visitors with ease, even in the busiest times.

Drivers – and cyclists - will delight in our quiet, uncrowded roads giving easy and pleasurable journeys to all that the county has to offer – from the richly varied military architecture of Hadrian’s Wall, Warkworth and Bamburgh castles, legacy of a harsh border history, to peaceful monastic ruins buried deep in the valleys of the Coquet and the Aln or standing proudly by the sea at Holy Island and Tynemouth.

Distinctive smaller towns include Alnwick, dominated by its magnificent castle and new, hugely popular garden; Hexham, with its fine priory and Berwick-upon-tweed, ringed with exceptionally complete sixteenth-century walls.

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What shall we do?

Alastair and Kate, your hosts, have lived in the area for over thirty years and Alastair grew up in Hexham. They are both keen walkers and cyclists and have an intimate knowledge of Northumberland and the Scottish Border country and are full of advice.

The cottage has an extensive range of local maps and walking and cycling books as well as a comprehensive range of tourist information and guide books. There is also a very helpful National Park/ Tourist Information Centre in Rothbury.

There is fishing available two miles away at the well-stocked Caistron Trout Fishery and excellent horse riding and trekking available locally at The Redesdale Riding Centre. They will even deliver to your door! Rothbury Golf Club welcomes visitors to its newly extended 18-hole course.

Sailors can head for Kielder Water where dinghies can be hired. Walkers will delight in exploring the rolling summits of the ancient Cheviots and the craggy Simonside Hills, as well as the more intimate possibilities of the valleys and the forest trails at Kielder.

Those interested in an informative guided walk could do no better than try www.shepherdswalks.co.uk or check the National Park events programme. National Trust properties at Cragside House and Grounds – Lord Armstrong’s magnificent and innovative Victorian mansion – and Wallington Hall – home to the Trevelyan family and boasting an outstanding walled garden are a short drive away.

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Other major local attraction, all easy day trips, include:

Hadrians Wall – northern-most boundary of the Roman Empire , but now in South Northumberland (not, as many think, the Scottish border!). A dramatic and atmospheric visit.

Farne Islands – an unforgeteable excursion from Seahouses to these unique bird reserves and seal sanctuary.

Barter Books, Alnwick – one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Britain

Scottish Borders – border abbeys and castles at Kelso, Jedburgh and Melrose.

Coastal castles at Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Holy Island.

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Alnwick and Alnwick Castle, ancestral home of The Duke of Northumberland and featuring in numerous films, most recently Harry Potter.

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Chillingham Castle and wild white cattle.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead with their dramatic riverside developments and regenerated city centre.

Durham Cathedral – in our opinion England’s finest building!

Edinburgh

Kielder Water and Forest

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Gardens

Garden-lovers are in for many delights. Our favourites include Howick Hall Gardens and Chesters Walled Garden, near Hexham as well as those at Wallington Hall, Belsay Castle, Herterton, Alnwick and Monteviot House, near Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders. Plant buyers should try to visit Chipchase Castle Nursery. There is also an extensive programme of private ‘open gardens’ throughout the Summer.

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Music and Art

Northumberland has a strong musical tradition, still very much alive, the most popular instruments being the unique, gentle-sounding ‘small pipes’, the fiddle and the accordion. These may be heard in pub sessions, at country dances or at more formal concert evenings. Music festivals, or ‘gatherings’ are held at Morpeth (March), Rothbury (July) and Alnwick (November) with competitions, ceilidhs and dancing www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/music.html. Rothbury has its own ‘Rothbury Roots’ which puts on a regular programme of roots music in The Queens Hotel.

There are performing arts centres in Alnwick, www.alnwickplayhouse.co.uk, at Hexham, www.queenshall.co.uk and at Berwick upon Tweed, www.maltingsberwick.co.uk. On Tyneside, the recent opening of the dramatic Sage Gateshead has had a huge impact on music in the region and hosts a varied and extensive programme of performances throughout the year.

There is a flourishing community of artists and craftsmen living and working in the area.

The artists organisation ‘NETWORK’ runs an extensive programme of ‘open studio’ events in June, July and November. The Biscuit Factory, in Newcastle, is Europes largest centre for original art and, also on Tyneside, The Baltic hosts a changing programme of contemporary exhibitions in the vast spaces created inside the old flour mill.

Local Shows

Local shows, combining agriculture ,horticulture, home-baking, handicrafts, athletics, pony sports and sheep dog trials start in July and culminate in the great Border Shepherds Shows at Alwinton and Yetholm on the first and second Saturdays in October.

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