Northumberland
Northumberland, in the North East, is one of the largest counties in England, and is in fact the Northernmost of English counties, sharing a border with Scotland.
It consists of a large chunk of the old Kingdom of Northumbria, the Kingdom of those living North of the Humber, which stretched from the Humber to the Forth.
There is some beautiful countryside, a glorious coastline and considerable amounts of industry around the River Tyne.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a large city which grew up as a centre for export of the many commodities made or mined in the area, in particular coal and shipping. In the 1830s, much elegant architecture was created in the city, which now has a distinctly stylish cachet.
Alnwick is a fine old town, dominated by the impressive Alnwick Castle, which now has a famous garden.
Bamburgh was the ancient capital of Northumbria, and has a strong mediaeval castle.
Berwick-on-Tweed is on the Scottish side of the Tweed, but is now in England, having been fought over for centuries, and changing hands many times.
Hexham is a another fine town, where Hexham Priory retains the Anglo-Saxon crypt built by St. Wilfrid.
Lindisfarne, otherwise known as Holy Island, can only be visited by road along its causeway at low tide. The monastery was the cradle of Christianity in England.
Wallsend was, as the name implies, the seaward end of Hadrian's Wall.
Whitley Bay is a popular seaside resort, much frequented by the citizens of Newcastle.
Hadrian's Wall, built to mark the limit of the Roman Empire, can be seen at various locations in the county.
Hills and mountains include the Pennines, the backbone of England, and the Cheviots along the border with Scotland.
Rivers include the Tyne and the Aln.