Northumberland

Northumberland is set in some of the wildest, most solitary and yet starkly beautiful countryside in northern England - this includes the North Pennine Range and the Cheviot Hills. It has a coastline of quite breathtaking beauty and splendour, dominated by a series of brooding medieval castles. Inland lies Kielder Water, the largest man-made lake in Europe sitting side-by-side with huge tracts of forest. The county is steeped in centuries of history with evidence of Stone Age and Iron Age man digging hill-top forts; the Roman Hadrian constructing his dramatic Wall to control entry to his most northern province; the fierce war-lords of the Middle Ages forever contesting the border lands with their Scottish counterparts, sallying forth from imposing castle strongholds.

In stark contrast there were men of God, St Aidan, St Cuthbert, St Godric and The Venerable Bede amongst them, representing the more thoughtful and spiritual side of the times.