Wild Northumbria
Including Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands
It has the country's least-visited National Park, the World Heritage site of Hadrian's Wall, miles of empty beaches - and wonderful wildlife. For centuries Northumberland was the battleground between English and Scottish kings and the magnificent castles of Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Warkworth bear testimony to that turbulent period. Today this north-eastern-most county of England remains a stronghold - for wildlife. It's the last bastion of the English Red Squirrel, home to some of England's last remaining Black Grouse and the only UK nesting ground of that elegant seabird, the Roseate Tern.
Our tour will take us from the secret valleys of the Cheviot Hills to Northumberland's magnificent coastline and then offshore to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the teeming seabird colonies of the Farne Islands.
The early Christian site of Holy Island was where the illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels were crafted in tribute to St Cuthbert by his fellow monks in 700 AD. St Cuthbert was arguably the first conservationist. He ordered that no-one should harm the Eider Ducks that nested around his hermitage on Inner Farne. 'Cuddy Ducks' still nest there, alongside tens of thousands of Puffins and four species of tern.
We will head offshore not once, not twice but three times! Coquet Island, one mile off Amble, is an RSPB reserve with no public access. But we can sail up to the quay to see the Puffins and the UK's only nesting Roseate Terns, which use specially constructed nesting shelters with 'patios' outside! Holy Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that's flooded by the incoming tide. There are miles of sand dunes, St Cuthbert's ruined Priory and the castle refurbished by Sir Edwin Lutyens. And then there are the Farne Islands, a wildlife spectacle that can claim to be England's Serengeti. Here we'll find seabirds in profusion and Eiders nesting beneath the benches outside Cuthbert's hermitage. Beware the divebombing Arctic Terns that nest along the paths!
The ancient kingdom of Northumbria stretched from the Humber to the Firth of Forth. We will restrict our exploration to the modern-day county of Northumberland but this week in 'Wild Northumbria' will provide more than enough scenery, history and wildlife to satisfy our needs!
We have chosen a delightful small country house hotel at Longframlington as our base. Embleton Hall is a wonderfully happy and relaxing house with lovely grounds and excellent food which will enrich our holiday experience by its warm hospitality.
Download detailed itinerary