Northumberland National Park

England meets Scotland on the north-west border of this national park, which has been described as England’s most remote. Its popular claim to fame is Hadrian’s Wall but anyone who has walked the Cheviot and Simonside Hills and the Whin Sill and marvelled at the views, will challenge this. The park has some of the best preserved sections of Hadrian’s Wall, including Housesteads Fort, and the National Trail running alongside gives walkers improved access to this World Heritage Site. The Pennine Way crosses the park, part of almost 700 miles of walking routes. The fine landscapes are complemented by the lack of human intrusion, making them even more attractive to those seeking rugged tranquillity. Ancient woodland, forest, bog and heather are home to curlew and red squirrel. Villages that show off the park’s special qualities include Alwinton, with stone houses on the green, and Elsdon and its defensive works harking back to the area’s turbulent past. There are fortified towers and Iron Age forts, including Yeavering Bell, at Kirknewtown. Visitors can also enjoy rock climbing, canoeing and riding.