Northumberland

Northumberland is a paradise for those walkers who seek unspoilt and untamed landsacape, space, solitude and that exhilarating sense of freedom that dramatic hill country can provide. Northumberland National Park and the Cheviot Hills provide spectacular scenery with vast straw coloured areas of open wilderness moorland and opportunities to see great wildlife including redshank and golden plover. Stretching from the north of the county down the western side to the South Tyne valley the Park offers a range of scenic facets and walking possibilities. Of particular interest are the Breamish Valley, the beautiful Coquetdale and the Simonside Hills south of Rothbury which offer splendid views over much of Northumberland. On the west side of the National Park Kielder Forest Park offers quiet dark pine woods and the blue expanse of Kielder Water.

Crossing the county from the western border just south of the National Park to Newcastle Upon Tyne in the east is Hadrian's Wall, northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. Here the more gently undulating landscape retains the impression of space and walking the wall with nothing but the sound of the wind and the cries of the Curlew is an enjoyable experience. It's a facinating one too, exploring the Roman forts and milecastles and marvelling at the scale of this civil engineering project and picturing the lives of the legionaires who were stationed along it.

South of Hadrian's Wall the land rises once more into the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is an area not to be missed, once again with remote moorland, but tempered with contrasting attractive villages such as Allendale and Blanchland near the Derwent Reservoir. This stunning area continues southwards into County Durham and the upper Tees.

Much of Northumberland's coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed south to Alnmouth is an Area of outstanding Natural Beauty and a walk along part of this coast is yet another 'A' list project. The cliffs and beaches are superb and have the added advantage of being relatively free of people. The bracing climate and particularly the very common sea mist make the beaches unattractive to sun worshippers and so there has been little demand to develop the coast. This in turn, has ensured that wildlife has remained and walkers will be impressed with the variety of sea birds including terns, comorants, fulmars, kittywakes and many others. There are also two of Northumberland's many castles stunningly sited on the coast, Bamburgh and the ruined Dunstanburgh (NT), near Craster.

	Guide Books: [Click for further information or to purchase]
	Walking in Northumberland by: Alan Hall. Excellent introduction to the area followed by 35 diverse walks. Locations include: Hethpool, Old Yeavering; College Valley; Humbleton Hill, Tom Tallon's Crag and Commonburn; Harthope Burn, Cairn Hill, Cheviot and Scald Hill; Harthope Valley and Hedgehope Hill; Ingram, Linhope, High Cantle and Salter's Road; River Alwin, Kidland Forest; Coquet Valley, Barrow Law, Windy Gyle; Ros Castle and Hepburn Moor; Thrunton Woods; The Drake Stone and Harbottle Lough; Holystone and Dove Crag; Simonside Crags; Kielder Castle and Peel Fell; Kielder Water; Black Middens; Fontburn Reservoir; Scot's Gap; Bolam Lake; Haltwhistle Burn and Walltown; Allen Banks; Featherstone Castle; Blanchland; Berwick-upon-Tweed; Tweedmouth, Cocklawburn, Cheswick Sands to Lindisfarne; Bamburgh to Seahouses; Dunstanburgh to Craster; Alnmouth to Warkworth.
	100 Walks in Northumberland by: Charlie Emett. Locations include: Budle; Wooler Common; Hareshaw Linn; Walltown; Keenley; Holystone; Featherstone; Harthorpe Valley; High Humbleton; Cawfields; Vindolanda; Haydon Bridge; Sinderhope; Hepple; Coquetdale; Allendale; Rothbury; Harsondale; Alnmouth; Doddington Moor; Swinhope Valley; Steel Rigg; Blawearie; kirknewton; Happy Valley; Dunstan Steads; Hartside; Low Prudhoe; Elsdonburn; Ingram; Wooler; Weetwood Moor; Alwinton; Clennell; Wylam; Fowberry Moor; Once Brewed; Craster; Hartside; Bewick Moor; Shillmoor; Blanchland; Housesteads; Tom Tallon's Crag; Windy Gyle; Salters Road; The Schil.
	Walks in the Secret Kingdom by Edward Baker. This guide covers the area between the River Coquet to the south and the Scottish border to the north and from the Cheviot hills in the west to the north sea coast. There are almost 40 routes in this book, catering for all tastes and abilities. The walks are packed with features of interest and suggestions of places to visit. The walk locations include: Bamburgh to Budle Bay; Belford to St Cuthbert's Cave; Berwick; Cocklawburn; College Valley to Commonburn; Craster; Dunstanburgh; Howick; Crookham; Doddington; Eglingham; Hepburn Woods; Hethpool; Holy Island; Holystone; Dove Crag; Ilderton; Kirknewton; Low Steads; Milfield; Mounthooly to Dunsdale; Norham; Rothbury; Simonside Crags; Thrunton Woods; Wooler.
	Best Pub Walks in Northumbria by Stephen Rickerby. This guide presents 30 circular walks through the attractive and varied landscapes of Northumberland and Durham. The walks are based on real ale country pubs covering the whole of Northumbria from the Cheviot Hills and the Northumberland coast to spectacular Teesdale in the south. Locations include: Etal; Chatton; Seahouses and Bamburgh; Ellingham; Eglingham; Craster; Thropton; Holystone; Warkworth; West Woodburn; Kielder Water; North Shields and Tynemouth; Chollerford; Dipton Mill; Catton; Allenheads; Hedley on the Hill; No Place; Brecon Hill; Blanchland; Carterway Heads; Durham City; Castle Eden; North Bitchburn; Holwick and High Force; Cotherstone; Romaldkirk; Summerhouse; Greta Bridge; Housesteads.
	Northumberland, the Borders and Hadrian's Wall compiled by John Brooks & Brian Conduit. 28 routes all tried and tested by seasoned walkers and varying from extended strolls to exhilarating hikes. The guide introduces you to the area and highlights the most scenic walks. Details are included for useful organisations, refreshment stops and places to leave your car. OS Explorer mapping is included, with the route clearly outlined in yellow. The walking routes include Rothbury, Arnton Fell, Harthope Valley, Cauldshiels Loch, Coldingham Bay and St. Abb's Head, Craster, Doddington Moor, Hethpool, Grey Mare's Tail and Loch Skeen, Hadrian's Wall, Steel Rigg and Housesteads, Kelso, Roxburgh, Kielder Water, Kirk Yetholm and the Halterburn Valley, Melrose and the Elidon Hills, Peebles, St. Mary's Loch, Simonside, Windy Gyle and Blindburn Bridge.
	Northumbria Church Walks by: Peter Donaghy and John Laidler. 30 circular walks from 3 to 10 miles, set in a landscape of hills, dales and magnificent coastlines. The walk locations are: Norham, Lindisfarne, Ford and Etal, Bamburgh, Embleton and Craster, Eglingham and Old Bewick, Ingram and Alnham, Edlingham and Bolton, Warkworth, Rothbury, Corsenside and West Woodburn, Bolam and Hartburn, Bellingham, Whalton and Meldon, Simonburn, Heavenfield and Wall, Corbridge and Halton, Beltingham, Bywell, Ovingham, St. John Lee and Hexham, Blanchland, Roker and Whitburn, Edmundbyers and Muggleswick, Durham, Trimdon, Escomb, Romaldkirk and Cotherstone, Staindrop, Barnard Castle, Egglestone Abbey and Whorlton.
	Walking in the North Pennines by: Paddy Dillon. This guide comprehensively covers the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, providing exhilarating walking in the area between the Yorkshire Dales and Hadrian's Wall. Wild moorland, beautiful riverside walks, woodlands, rich in heritage, this uncrowded area has much to recommend it. There is a useful introduction to the region which includes much of County Durham, Northumberland and eastern Cumbria. The walks, from 4 to 13 miles, are mostly circular, although there are a few linear routes. The book contains 42 walks divided into 12 sections including Geltdale; South Tyneside; East Fellside; Warcop Range; Lower Tees; Upper Tees; Derwentdale; Allendale; Daleheads

Useful links:
	This useful website has a selection of routes devised and written by a Northumbrian hill shepherd who knows this area intimately. The walks can be purchased on-line. www.shepherdswalks.co.uk