Northumberland

Lore & Background

Much of the county's history has been defined by its position on a border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of Hadrian's Wall, and the region was contested between England and Scotland into the Early Modern era, leading to the construction of many castles, peel towers and bastle houses, and the early modern fortifications at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Northumberland is also associated with Celtic Christianity, particularly the tidal island of Lindisfarne. During the Industrial Revolution the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries. The name of Northumberland is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as norð hẏmbra land, meaning 'the land north of the Humber'. The land has long been an English frontier zone. Northumberland has a rich prehistory with many instances of rock art, hillforts such as Yeavering Bell, and stone circles such as the Goatstones and Duddo Five Stones. Most of the area was occupied by the Brythonic-Celtic Votadini people, with another large tribe, the Brigantes, to the south. During the Roman occupation of Britain, most of the present county lay north of Hadrian's Wall. It was controlled by Rome only for the brief period of its extension of power north to the Antonine Wall. The Roman road Dere Street crosses the county from Corbridge over high moorland west of the Cheviot Hills to Melrose, Scottish Borders. As evidence of its border position through medieval times, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, including prominent ones at Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, and Warkworth. Nearly 2,000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017. Present-day Northumberland formed the core of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia from about 547. It was united with Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century. The boundaries of Northumbria under King Edwin stretched from the Humber in the south to the Forth in the north. Northumberland is often called the 'cradle of Christianity' in England because Christianity flourished on Lindisfarne after King Oswald of Northumbria invited monks from Iona to come to convert the English. The monastery at Lindisfarne was the centre of production of the Lindisfarne Gospels. It became the home of St Cuthbert, who is buried in Durham Cathedral. The Kingdom of Northumbria fragmented following the Viking invasion. After the bat

Reader's Guide

The west of Northumberland contains part of the Cheviot Hills and North Pennines, while to the east the land becomes flatter before reaching the coast. The Cheviot (815 m), after which the range of hills is named, is the county's highest point. The county contains the source of the River North Tyne and much of the South Tyne; near Hexham they combine to form the Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north, the Blyth, Wansbeck, Coquet, Aln and Tweed, the last of which forms part of the Scottish border. The county contains Northumberland National Park and two national landscapes: the Northumberland Coast and part of the North Pennines. Northumberland remains largely rural, and is the least densely populated county in England. In recent years, the county has had considerable growth in tourism. Visitors are attracted both to its scenic beauty and to its historical sites.

Did You Know?

• Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, including prominent ones at Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, and Warkworth.
• The name Northumberland means 'the land north of the Humber'.
• The Cheviot, at 815 m, is the county's highest point.
• Nearly 2,000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017.