Northumberland

Northumberland is England’s most northerly county and, per square mile, one of its least populated. The combination of the Northumberland National Park in the west, the dramatic castle coast in the east and Hadrian’s Wall running between them gives the county a heritage and landscape density that is hard to match anywhere in England.

Hadrian’s Wall stretches 73 miles across the county from the Solway Firth to the Tyne, and the central section between Housesteads and Vindolanda is the most impressive – the wall here follows the Whin Sill escarpment and the views north across the moors to Scotland are as they have been since the Romans built it. Housesteads fort, Chesters fort and Vindolanda excavations are all worth several hours each.

The Northumberland coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Amble is one of the least developed in England – wide sandy beaches, the vast dune systems of Druridge Bay, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles on their clifftop and rocky promontory sites, and the Farne Islands bird and grey seal colonies offshore. Holy Island (Lindisfarne) is accessible at low tide by causeway and has the ruins of a priory and a well-preserved castle worth visiting.

The Northumberland National Park in the west contains the largest area of dark sky in England and some of the most genuinely remote moorland walking in the country. The Cheviot Hills along the Scottish border and the Simonside Hills near Rothbury are both excellent. Overnight options throughout the county are well-spread and the coast in particular has good van-friendly stops.