Gorgeous Countryside

[Hadrian's Wall] Newcastle lies on the edges of one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the country. There's lots to see and do, most of it easy to get to by car, rail or bus.

If it's history that you're after, Northumberland has more than most. The Romans started it - there's plenty of evidence of their occupation lying around including Hadrian's Wall and a sequence of forts (Chesters, Housesteads to name a few). There are castles galore, the most famous of which are Alnwick, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Warkworth, overlooking the windswept North Sea coast. If you keep your eyes open at the cinema you'll see some of them in starring roles in films like Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Elizabeth, and the Harry Potter films (watch out for Alnwick Castle doubling as Hogwarts!).

[Kielder Forest] Wildlife and outdoors enthusiasts are also catered for. There's the Northumberland National Park, lots of wildlife reserves, a fantastic coastline including Holy Island and the Farne Islands, and inland the Cheviots and the man-made Kielder Forest and Kielder Water.

Want to explore more?