Northumberland Travel Tips
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Bamburgh
Bamburgh Beach ? - Some of the best walking in Britain. Worth a visit to the town for this alone - rene warren
Berwick upon Tweed
The most northerly town in England, Berwick-upon-Tweed, formerly the county town of Berwickshire, is just over 2 miles south of the Scottish border on the east coast, at the mouth of the river Tweed, in Northumberland.
A traditional market town, Berwick has lain in England since 1482 after three hundred years of border wars and skirmishes but lying geographical as north as Glasgow, still retains it close ties and cultural links with Scotland.
The origin of town’s name is presumed to be Anglo Saxon or Norse, the term originating from ‘baer’ meaning barley or ‘bar’ meaning headland, the second part probably ‘wic’ meaning settlement.
It’s position close to the boirders meant that centuries of war between the two nations led to a succession of raids, sieges and take-overs with the town changing hands no fewer than thirteen times. One of the most brutal attacks was by King Edward I of England in 1296, which set the precedent for the bitter border conflicts in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Under Scottish rule, the town had a mint producing Scottish coinage contrasting with English rule where it was first and foremost a garrison town and secondly a port. It was made one of Scotland’s four royal burgh’s under Kind David I which allowed the town’s freemen a number of rights and privileges.
- Denise
Slap bang on the english/scottish border Berwick has seen its fair share of strife over the years. Today it is a bustling market town and a great short break destination. Although in England its team plays in the Scottish Football League - Nick
Berwick upon Tweed Town Details
Greenhead
for walking Hadrian's Wall its best to start in the west and have the wind on your back don't plan too long a day some parts are very strenuous and you wont have time to explore the excavations and forts + museums . the Hadrian's Wall bus runs until the end of October so its possible to stay in one place and not have to carry your bags and keep unpacking its still possible to explore most of the wall by bus after that as there is a bus from Carlisle to Housesteads Fort and museum twice a day all through the year the best starting point to see the central section of Hadrian's Wall (the bit with all the excavations and museums ) is The Roman Army Museum at Greenhead.
Haltwhistle
for walking Hadrian's Wall its best to start in the west and have the wind on your back don't plan too long a day some parts are very strenuous and you wont have time to explore the excavations and forts + museums . the Hadrian's Wall bus runs until the end of October so its possible to stay in one place and not have to carry your bags and keep unpacking its still possible to explore most of the wall by bus after that as there is a bus from Carlisle to Housesteads Fort and museum twice a day all through the year the best starting point to see the central section of Hadrian's Wall (the bit with all the excavations and museums ) is The Roman Army Museum at Greenhead.
Hexham
I would just like to say how fantastic the service for finding accommodation via the TIC's in Hexham and Whitby is. I don't know what the service by Lincoln TIC would have been as the centre was so badly signposted I missed it after driving round Lincoln twice. I would need to know my way round Lincoln to be able to find it.....not nreally the point of TICs! - Peggy
Holy Island
The Holy Island is accessible by road only twice each day so it is essential to check tide times before attempting a crossing. The causeway is completely submerged at high and the tides come in very quickly. The drive across the causeway to the island takes only a short while and there is a large car park in the village in which you are encouraged to park. From there, you can walk around the village, explore the ruins of the church and monastery and then walk up to the castle and lime kilns easily within 2 or three hours but to explore the whole island needs an entire day. Plan your trip to cross as soon as the tide goes out to give yourself maximum time on the island before your return crossing. Be aware there is no warning or sound when the tide comes in – if you don’t give yourself sufficient time for the drive back to the mainland and leave it too late, you’ll be stuck there for 8 hours until the next low tide. Worse still, if you get half way back when those tides come in you’ll be well and truly stuck – in a watery grave! - Denise
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