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Your Guide to the Northumberland National Park

Northumberland National Park is perhaps England's most tranquil place, with it's dramatic hills and sheltered valleys which stretch from Hadrian's Wall to the Scottish border. Northumberland is a massive National Park covering about 400 square miles, making it really difficult to pin point the best places to visit.

There are many distinct characteristics within the landscape of the National Park.

• To the north there are the breathtaking rolling moors and grasslands of the Cheviot Hills, with their ancient hill forts and pure rivers.
• In the centre is the Upper Coquet Valley with the landmark Simonside Hills and the beautiful villages of Harbottle and Holystone. To the west are the valleys of the North Tyne and Redesdale, wild, inspiring and once home of the Border Reivers and still inhabited by red squirrels.
• In the south is the iconic ridge of the Whin Sill with Hadrian's Wall striding along its crest.

The Cheviot Hills

The Cheviot Hills mark the border with Scotland; here you will discover a a wild, romantic landscape of rounded hills and valleys, this is the perfect place to enjoy a paddle in the Breamish valley or the Harthope valley is a traditional day out trip. You can share the shallow, clean rivers with dippers and otters, and other amazing british wildlife or even park your car and sit close by on the riverbank and enjoy the river bank.

The National Park Centre at Ingram, is where you can learn more about the are and see finds from archaeological digs of valleys hill forts, and discover more about when the Cheviot Hills themselves which are an extinct volcano, and the areas distinctive pink rocks are its cooled lava. The hills are crisscrossed with bridle ways which allow mountain bikers to follow the routes of ancient cattle drovers. Linhope Spout, an amazing waterfall is worth a visit for walkers as is the ascent to the highest point in Northumberland, Cheviot summit, here the Pennine Way snakes along the border ridge.

North Tyne and Rede Valleys

Discover the charm of the countryside in the North Tyne and Rede valleys. Meander along the winding rivers, quiet woodlands and majestic hills, discover for yourself the community spirit celebrating the wonderful quality of life in these twinned valleys. Scattered through the wild landscape, which was once the stamping ground of the notorious Border clans 'the Reivers, are the historic remains of castles and bastles. Discover the ruins of a Roman fort at High Rochester and the Percy Cross at Otterburn. The large forests provide the rare red squirrel with a secure home along with otters, which can be seen along the rivers and burns.

Bellingham is a historic market town on the Pennine Way National Trail. Close by is Hareshaw Linn waterfall, which is a great place for family walks.

Simonside Hills and the Coquet Valley

Take in the majesty of the Simonside Hills or the intimacy of the Coquet valley where you will find a heritage of music, castles and historic churches to enjoy, not forgettting the seasonal agricultural shows and folk music festivals

The beautiful Coquet Valley is stunning all year round, with breathtaking views. At Barrowburn, some of the very best hay meadows can easily be seen from the road or nearby footpaths. If you go for a stroll in Holystone you will find the tranquil Lady's Well dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Rothbury, a traditional market town is crammed with interesting and distinctive shops, and home to another National Park centre here pick up a map and enjoy walks in the Simonside Hills and Lordenshaws, where you can see the famous prehistoric 'cup and ring' markings on the stones.

Hadrians Wall

No visit to Northumberland is complete without exploring Hadrian's Wall, this World Heritage Site is Britain's longest monument stretching for 73 miles across the north of England, with the Hadrian's Wall Trail, you can walk it end-to-end for the first time in 1400 years! If you would prefer to cycle - Hadrian's Cycleway runs the length of Hadrian's Wall between Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Maryport on the Cumbrian Coast. This exciting route passes through lively cities, picturesque market towns and villages as well as historic Roman forts and castles along the way.

The Wall itself can be seen at various locations, but the most spectacular stretch is between Birdoswald in Cumbria and Housesteads within Northumberland National Park. Archaeologists are continousuly making discoveries and every aspect of Roman life on and around the Wall is on display in museums and forts along the length of the Wall.