Northumberland

The far north-east county of Northumberland is host to wild, remote and expansive landscapes. It’s the sixth largest of England’s counties but the least densely populated. Its northern border is Scotland and its western border is the North Sea. Both its coastline and its inland regions have an array of walking delicacies on offer.

Northumberland’s North Sea coastline is almost 200 kilometres long and runs from Newcastle up to the Scottish border. This stretch of coast is characterised by long, wide beaches; rocky cliffs and headlands; abundant birdlife and salty fishing villages.

The Northumberland coast is also a magnet to those intrigued by ancient castles. Northumberland boasts more castles than any other county in England and many are located on the coast. In particular, each of the majestic castles of Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne inhabits a dramatic location overlooking the sea. And the magnificent Alnwick Castle, the setting for many Hogwarts scenes in the Harry Potter films, lies half way up the coast and a little inland.

Also inland is the Northumberland National Park. This Park contains the North Pennines and the best preserved stretches of Hadrian’s Wall. The North Pennines are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, featuring vast heather moors and plenty of birdlife including grouse and curlews.

Hadrian’s Wall dates back to the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian and the best preserved sections of this remarkable wall lie within the Northumberland National Park. Hadrian’s Wall now constitutes a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there are numerous fascinating archaeological sites and museums along the wall’s path.

Northumberland offers many day and multi-day walks and there are a number of tour operators offering a variety of walking trips.

The most well-known of the longer multi-day walks are:

• The Northumberland Coast Path that runs the length of Northumberland’s almost 200 kilometre coastline.

• Hadrian’s Wall Path, a National Trail that traces Hadrian’s Wall for approximately 135 kilometres.

However, there are innumerable shorter multi-day walks and the walking tour operators in the area have crafted many different walking itineraries. We can help you choose a walk and an operator that best suits your needs.

The Northumberland Coast Path and Hadrian’s Wall Path are just two of the Northumberland walks we can tell you about, and help you to plan and complete.