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| England
> Northumbria (Northumberland) |
The ancient kingdom of Northumbria is England's most northerly region, with huge expanses of
untouched countryside marked by castles set on rocky coastal outcrops, the rugged moorlands of the
North Pennines and the line of Hadrian's Wall, built by command of the Roman Emperor Hadrian to
keep the warlike Picts and Scots at bay. Northumbria's capital is Viking-founded Newcastle.
The countryside ranges from the wild & spectacular Northumberland National Park surrounded by the
brooding Cheviot Hills, to the picture postcard perfect towns and small villages of the Durham Dales.
Lively Victorian resorts give way to the bird
life of the Farne Islands. Northumberland National Park offers
400 square miles of wooded valleys and rolling hills, plus Europe's
largest man-made lake, Kielder Water. Much of the coastline
has been declared an area of outstanding natural beauty, and
you can see why - and it's all unspoiled. Northumbria is also
perfect for bicycling with many hundreds of miles of bicycle
tracks and paths, as well as a great network of quiet "bicycle
friendly" roads.
Durham and the Tees Valley is a region rich in heritage and history. After the arrival of William
the Conqueror, the Bishops of Durham were granted the right to rule as Prince Bishops, which
allowed them to mint their own coins, raise their own armies and run their own courts.
County Durham was the cradle of the world's railways, with the world's first passenger railway
opening there in 1825. In August 2000, the 175th anniversary will be celebrated with a Millennium
Cavalcade of Steam. If you've never seen 40 steam engines all at once, this is your chance.
The great Norman masterpiece of Durham Cathedral stands on the site of an earlier Saxon cathedral.
Its vast nave (completed in 1128) was the first to use pointed arches in England. Durham Castle has
been much altered by various residents over the centuries (since being erected in medieval times),
but is worth a visit.
Barnard Castle is a town as well as a (ruined) castle. The castle adds dramatic appearance but the
main attraction in Barnard Castle (the town) is the Bowes Museum, a treasure house of painting and
decorative arts assembled in the 19th century by local businessman John Bowes and his French wife
Josephine. El Grecos, Canalettos and Goyas are all here, if you hunt. An 18th century mechanical
swan in the lobby performs twice daily.
The open-air Beamish Museum, about 10 miles north of Durham, recreates a colliery village in 1913
and a 1920s North Country town. It's most convincing and holds your attention for longer than you
might think. There's a vintage steam railway as well. Hartlepool, an old seafaring and shipbuilding
town, recently opened Hartlepool Historic Quay and Museum. It recreates the sights, sounds and smells of an
18th century seaport at the time of Nelson and Trafalgar. Adding to the atmosphere is HMS Trincomalee, the oldest
warship afloat in Europe.
Newcastle Upon Tyne was founded by Vikings and built upon coal. Newcastle was a big coal-exporting
port in the 19th century. The Romans built the first bridge here across the Tyne River
(Hadrian's wall begins not far away) and the original New Castle (Castle Garth) was commenced in
1080 AD - which adds a fresh dimension to the word "new". Newcastle's inhabitants are called
Geordies. The local accent is fascinating and rather impenetrable - it's considered to owe quite a
bit to the Vikings. Some Geordies still look rather like Vikings. Newcastle United is the local
football team, and there's a lot of pride in it. Since the Romans built the first bridge, others
have sprung up. There are now six, the best known being the Tyne Bridge, built in 1925-28.
Visitors from Australia may feel an odd sense of d�j� vu when they view this one. The Tyne Bridge
is similar to, but smaller than, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was modeled
on it and opened several years later.
Emperor Hadrian started his wall near Newcastle at Segendunum, Wallsend. (The International Ferry
Terminal is close by, but Hadrian didn't let that put him off.) A working Roman bathhouse and a
visitor centre are due to open this year at Segendunum. Nearby, you can see Tynemouth Priory
perched above the North Sea.
As Hadrian's Wall marches west, it passes near the market towns and villages of Corbridge, Hexham,
Haltwhistle and Brampton, all of which hold local markets and fairs. Jarrow, five miles east of
Newcastle, was the home of The Venerable Bede (673-735 AD), England's first historian and one of
Europe's finest scholars. Bede's World recreates the era, with exhibitions and a working
Anglo-Saxon farm (with buildings and animals) on a single site. You gain insights into day-to-day
life in medieval Northumbria. Heatherlaw Corn Mill at Berwick on Tweed is a 19th century
working water mill by the River Till, on the Ford and Etal Estates. It's signposted from the
A1 and A697 and it includes guided tours, art gallery and gift shop.
The National Glass Centre at Liberty Way, Sunderland, presents demonstrations of glass blowing and
the best of British glass, housed (aptly enough) in a glass building.
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