Northumberland is an area that's spent a very long time trying to keep invaders at bay. The Romans were among the first to try to keep people out, building the mighty Hadrian's Wall to hold off the Scottish. Later on, the Vikings managed to invade by sea and centuries later, the Scots were still being repelled by a collection of armoured farm houses, castles, earthworks and city walls.
The hostility has mostly settled now, but the legacy of nearly 2000 years of bickering is all too plain to see. Families can enjoy Alnwick Castle and also the adjacent Alnwick Garden, where the worlds of Harry Potter and horticulture collide. The market town of Berwick is still enfolded by imposing walls and further down the coast, the ransacked priory at Lindisfarne stands as a defiant reminder of the areas importance to the development of the English church.
Another great feature of the Northumbrian landscape is the vast, rippling expanse of the Kielder Water reservoir. Built to supply the burgeoning industry of the Tyne Valley, the reservoir now presents opportunities for cycling, walking and watersports, whether you are a seasoned enthusiast or as green as the surrounding pine forest that encloses it. The hordes are still streaming into Northumberland, but today they are welcomed with open arms. So if you want outdoor thrills, or traditional family days out, and don't fancy the Lake District's perennial crowds, this most northerly part of England is well worth invading.

SEE ALSO IN THE DEC 2006 ISSUE OF PRACTICAL CARAVAN
The Great Outdoors, Holiday Hints, Nature Notes, Contacts, History and Culture, Foodies' Corner, Holiday Souvenirs, Family Fun, Festivals & Events

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