Blacksmiths Cottage
Accommodation in Alnham Northumberland
Northumberland National Park, the land of the far horizons a landscape of limitless beauty from Hadrian's Wall to the Cheviot Hills.
Spread over the hills and valleys at the very top of England, but right in the centre of Britain, Northumberland National Park has unspoilt treasures awaiting your discovery. Ancient prehistory and the rare red squirrel exist alongside traditional lifestyles with a thriving culture.
There are distinct characteristics within the landscape of the National Park. To the north there are the breathtaking rolling moors and grasslands of the Cheviot Hills, with their ancient hillforts and pure rivers.
In the centre is the Upper Coquet Valley with the landmark Simonside Hills and the beautiful villages of Harbottle and Holystone. To the west are the valleys of the North Tyne and Redesdale, wild, inspiring and once home of the Border Reivers and still inhabited by red squirrels.
In the south is the iconic ridge of the Whin Sill with Hadrian's Wall striding along its crest.
The Cheviot Hills
Situated in the north of the National Park less than an hour from Newcastle, the Cheviot Hills mark the border with Scotland; a wild, romantic landscape of rounded hills and valleys.
A picnic and a paddle in the Breamish valley or the Harthope valley is a traditional day out trip. You can share the shallow, clean rivers with dippers and otters, and even park your car and sit close by on the riverbank. The finds from the archaeological digs of the valley’s hillforts are on display at the National Park Centre, Ingram, where you can also get an ice cream and find out about other local attractions.
The distinctive rounded Cheviot Hills were formed when lava erupted from the earth’s core and flowed out over the area. The hills are crisscrossed with bridleways which allow mountain bikers to follow the routes of ancient cattle drovers. The dramatic waterfall of Linhope Spout is worth a visit for walkers as is the ascent to the highest point in Northumberland, Cheviot summit, from where the Pennine Way snakes along the border ridge. At the Cheviots’ northern edge, you can still trace the hut circles left within the pre-roman site of Yeavering Bell.
Rothbury & Coquetdale
The Coquet Valley is beautiful and inspiring all year round, with a variety of features to visit from source to sea. Much of its upper reaches flow through Northumberland National Park.
At Barrowburn in Upper Coquetdale, some of the very best ancient hay meadows can be seen from nearby footpaths, or the garden of the farm tea room that is open in season. Old drove roads such as Clennell Street provide a carfree green highway through the Cheviot Hills up to the breathtaking Border Ridge and back for a good meal at the Rose and Thistle pub at Alwinton. In the secret valleys from side to side are the remains of old whisky stills from the days of the illicit trade by colourful characters such as Black Rory.
Downstream, children love to climb up to the ruins of the oncevital royal stronghold of Harbottle Castle, or on the opposite side of the valley to the great glacial Drakestone – both spectacular viewpoints above the village where refreshments are available at The Star pub and village shop.
Further down the valley, a stroll through Holystone reveals the tranquil Lady’s Well dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the 17th Century Woodhouses Bastle alongside the fine country house on a loop in the river. Holystone common forest is an intoxicating walk during the heather blaze.
Eastwards is the distinctive profile of Simonside – the great sandstone ridge and Special Area of Conservation that offers another memorable walk through 10,000 years of visible history with 360 views from coast to hills. Below nestles the picturesque traditional market town of Rothbury with its pubs, cafes, shops and galleries and a traditional welcome in its pleasant guesthouses.
