Pristine Shores: Northumberland’s Beautiful Beaches
Northumberland (England’s coldest county!) is home to some of the most stunning beaches in the country, with wide sand overlooked by ancient castles. Here you’ll also find a lot of marine wildlife from puffins to seals and sometimes even whales. So it’s so important to keep our beaches litter-free.
Keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel). Join the campaign to ban flying rings, to help local seals.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is just a few miles from the Scottish border, it even has its own tweed, due to having changed hands many times in history. This is England’s most northerly town, on the mouth of the River Tweed. It has Elizabethan town walls and the ruins of a castle, three bridges and a beautiful coast.
The Northumberland Coast Path runs for 62 miles from Creswell to Berwick-upon-Tweed near the Scottish Border (you can just walk part, if you want). If you do take the whole walk, most people take four to six days, which gives time for weather changes, stopping off and bus links.
Interestingly, the county has one of England’s largest populations of endangered red squirrels. This is because it houses pine forests (red squirrels need natural habitats for good immunity against Squirrelpox – read more on how to help both red and grey squirrels)
As the park with the lowest population, this is also England’s quietest National Park, the highest point being The Cheviot Hills. It also has five of the cleanest of England’s rivers (over 6000 of them), presumably as there are less people to drop litter and other pollutants in them.
Alongside the river, you’ll find ancient oak, birch and alder trees, providing a glimpse into the historic landscape. Keep conkers away from dogs (oak trees are great for jays, but unsafe near pets, barnyard friend and horses).
How to upright an overturned sheep
With more sheep than people, it’s likely that in Northumberland you’ll come across more than one!
Pregnant sheep (and sometimes due to wool waterlogged from rain) can sometimes roll over onto their backs, and can’t get back upright, due to having four stomach chambers (so will die if not turned back upright).
If you see a sheep on its back, just firmly right it back, then stay with it, until rain has drained off, so it won’t happen again. Then inform your local farmer.
Lindisfarne (a holy island – check the tide times!)
Lindisfarne is a small island ( 3 by 1.5 miles) off Northumberland’s coast, with just 200 residents, but 650,000 yearly tourists. The island is surrounded by a nature reserve, home to birds and native seals.
It’s known for being the home of hermit saints in the past including St. Cuthbert (who campaigned for eider ducks, and otters would dry his fur after a swim in the chilly North Sea!) And St. Aidan.
You can take an ancient pilgrimage on the Northern Saints Trails. These six routes cover County Durham and Northumberland (including the island of Lindisfarne). England used to be a Roman Catholic country until the Reformation when Henry VIII banned it, so he could divorce. Many monks and nuns were killed.
Always check the tide times, as it cuts off twice a day by the North Sea, and many people don’t look at warning signs, and have to be rescued. Avoid poor weather/dusk (most people use the bus!)
