Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks. The park lies entirely within Northumberland, covering about a quarter of the county. The Park's official symbol is the Curlew.
The park covers several distinct areas. In the North are the Cheviots, a range of hills that mark the border between England and Scotland. Further south, the hills give way to areas of rolling moorland, some of which have been covered by forestry plantations to form Kielder Forest. The southernmost part of the park covers the dramatic central section of Hadrian's Wall.
The 10,000 year history of the region is explored through the many archaeological sites, ranging from prehistoric monuments and Roman remains to Pele towers, constructed as a defence against Border Reivers.
Areas of Intrest
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills straddling the England/Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The Cheviot is the highest hill in the range at 2,674 ft (815 m). Other notable tops are Hedgehope Hill, Windy Gyle, Cushat Law and Bloodybush Edge. Of the hills mentioned, only Windy Gyle has its summit on the border. The rest are all within England.
The Cheviots are also the northernmost range on the Pennine Way. The final leg from Byrness to Kirk Yetholm is the longest, and most exposed, on the whole route. The Way follows the high level Border Ridge (literally the England/Scotland boundary fence) for nearly 30 miles (50 km) after the ascent to the ridge from Byrness. The terrain is boggy and remote, and two mountain refuge huts are situated on the Way for those too tired or weather-beaten to continue.
The hills consist largely of a Devonian granite outcrop with andesite lava flows either side. The surrounding lower ground lies on carboniferous limestone.
The topography of the hills leads to the summits generally having low relative height. Only three are Marilyns; The Cheviot itself, Shillhope Law and Housedon Hill, a small northern outlier. To the south-west the Cheviots merge into the Kielder Forest group of hills.
The hills were the site of a battle between English and Scottish forces in The Ballad of Chevy Chase.
Kielder Forest
Kielder Forest is a large forestry plantation. It is the largest forest in the UK, covering an area of 500 km. The forest is owned and managed by the United Kingdom Forestry Commission, who initiated the first plantings in the 1920s. During the 1930s, the Ministry of Labour supplied the men from among the unemployed in the country generally. Many came from the mining communities and shipyards of the North East of England. They were housed in one of a number of Instructional Centres created by the Ministry, most of them on Forestry Commission property; by 1938, the Ministry had 38 Instructional Centres across Britain.
Prior to the 1920s, the land was predominantly open moorland, managed for grouse shooting and sheep grazing with remnants of native upland woodland existing along streamsides and in isolated craggy areas. The Forestry Commission, funded from the public purse, purchased land across the country with the brief of establishing a strategic reserve of timber for the nation. This single objective held sway until the 1960s. Since that time, management principles have changed in order to reflect rising awareness of environmental needs and to provide recreational facilities whilst seeking to maintain a sustainable supply of timber. Kielder today remains state owned and its development from a single objective plantation to multi-purpose forest mirrors the development of plantation forestry across the United Kingdom.
Kielder Castle Visitor Centre is an 18th century hunting lodge built by the Duke of Northumberland, which has been converted into a visitor and information centre. It is located on the edge of Kielder Village at the head of the River Tyne valley. The Castle serves as a hub for the growing number of recreational facilities on offer, walking and cycling trails, picnic areas and a forest drive.
The forest contains a number of art and architectural installations including a Skyspace designed by James Turrell and Wave Chamber, a camera obscura in a stone cairn by Chris Drury.
The forest also contains Kielder Observatory and a large reservoir, Kielder Water at the heart of the forest.