RegionUsable guide

Northumberland

County of England

Photo: matthew Hunt, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Northumberland is a rural county in North East England, on the England-Scotland border. It contains one of the most picturesque and untouched stretches of coastline in the United Kingdom and contains rolling hills and low mountains in the sparsely populated interior. Northumberland feels a world away from London and the south of England in terms of its ruggedness, sense of remoteness, its culture and its geography. It has a distinctly more Scottish feel to it than English and at its closest point is a mere 45 minutes from the Scottish capital.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By train
The London-Edinburgh main line runs up the coastal strip, with stations at Newcastle, Cramlington, Morpeth, Alnmouth (for Alnwick) and Berwick.
By road
The principal highways are A1 from London to Newcastle, Berwick and Edinburgh, and A69 coast to coast between Newcastle and Carlisle.

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Getting around

You generally need a vehicle to get about Northumberland as it's a large rural county, some sights have sparse public transport, and distances are a bit far for cycling.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Newcastle International Airport

Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear · International · NCL

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Read before you go to Northumberland

Articles and travel topics about Northumberland and United Kingdom.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

TownsMost of Northumberland's settlements are in the lowland strip between the coast and the A1, with the main railway line snaking through.

UnderstandCoastal Northumberland is a plain of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks including coal seams, overlain by glacial deposits. It's good farming country and makes for easy transport.

Get inNewcastle Airport (NCL) is the closest, in Ponteland northwest of the city. Take the Metro to city centre for trains and buses north.

Get aroundYou generally need a vehicle to get about Northumberland as it's a large rural county, some sights have sparse public transport, and distances are a bit far for cycling.

See

EatLots of eating places with trad fare in the towns, no stand-out.

DrinkThis is beer-drinking country. All the towns and villages have pubs, usually open daily and serving decent meals.

Stay safeBeware traffic, safeguard valuables, and swerve clear of aggressive drunks, same as anywhere else.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Northumberland" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Northumberland", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: matthew Hunt, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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