England (Northumberland & Cumbria)

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Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland

© Copyright Graham Robson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

 

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 and that is precisely the reason why I also included Northumberland and Cumbria. The whole area was very debateable!

Underneath you'll find a small number of places of historical interest immediately along The Wall. Ever thought about walking Hadrian's Wall Path? No, it's not as long as the Camino to Compostella and probably the weather is.....different, but it is an adventure!

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.

My very personal selection:

Location: Thorngrafton / Pluscode: 2M79+9J3 Haltwhistle

Location: Branxton / Pluscode: JRHC+MMR Cornhill-on-Tweed

Location: Gilsland / Pluscode: X9RX+423 Brampton

Location: Chollerford / Pluscode: 2VG6+M2C Chollerford, Hexham

Location: Corbridge / Pluscode: XXHF+M38 Corbridge

Location: Greenhead / Pluscode: XFPH+9M Brampton

Location: Thorngrafton / Pluscode: XJRV+J6R Haltwhistle

And than there are.......

Location: Greenhead / Pluscode: XFQ8+PCV Brampton

Location: Longtown / Pluscode: X2XJ+32W Carlisle