England (Northumberland & Cumbria) / Regions & The Weather (!)

England (Northumberland & Cumbria)

Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland

The north of England and the Scottish Borders have been a battleground for a very, very long time.

The Roman Empire battled the northern savages, the Scots from Dál Riata clashed with the Picts, who in turn fought off the Saxons.

Later the English tried, with very limited succes, to convince the Scots of their rightful overlordship, a claim that culminated in the Wars of Independence.

Although the Debateable Lands was in reality a small border area north of Gretna, the term could easily have applied for all the lands south and north of Tweed. That is precisely the reason why I also included Northumberland and Cumbria.

Underneath you'll find a small number of places of historical interest immediately along The Wall. Ever thought about walking Hadrian's Wall Path?

On the map

Site rating:

Although the featured attractions, sites and landmarks are always chosen by me, I have made a serious effort to differentiate 4 levels:

(***) This is, for whatever reason, a very personal favourite! Will definitely be on my itinerary! Could possibly be disappointing for someone else though.
(**) A major must-see tourist attraction that you can find in many a brochure.
(*) Worth seeing and possibly interesting if you happen to be in the vicinity.
(-) A hefty dollop of imagination is a must, but it might be interesting if you know the background.