Boasting over 400 square miles of picturesque scenery, Northumberland National Park is known for its excellent walking trails, impressive Roman heritage and stargazing opportunities. Our three-day itinerary takes you to some of the park’s top attractions including fascinating prehistoric hillforts, cascading waterfalls and iconic Hadrian’s Wall. As the UK’s least populous national park, this is an excellent location for those looking for a peaceful retreat and if you’re looking for where to stay and eat during your trip, we’ve got plenty of suggestions. Northumberland is home to beautiful coastal castles and charming villages, so we’ve also got lots of ideas for extending your trip beyond the national park’s boundaries.
Start your exploration of Northumberland National Park in the small village of Ingram. This pretty spot sits alongside the River Breamish surrounded by rolling hills and is home to a small café, a church with 11th century origins and the main parking spot for exploring the Breamish Valley. You can also park slightly further along the valley at Bulby’s Wood.
From Ingram, you can hike a circular route up to the five prehistoric hill forts of Brough Law, Middle Dean, Cochrane Pike, Wether Hill and Ingram Hill. Along the way, keep an eye out for the cultivation terraces, which people would have used to grow crops in the past and enjoy the outstanding views over the surrounding landscape. Each hillfort has its own unique ruins, including evidence of ramparts, huts and roundhouses. Be sure to wear suitable footwear and clothing for the weather conditions. A shorter route is also available taking in two of the hill forts and Turf Knowe.
While walking the hillfort trail, be sure to stop and explore Turf Knowe, a Bronze Age burial cairn. Excavations here revealed food vessels, cremation pots and evidence of burials dating back more than 4000 years. When you’ve finished exploring the ancient sites of the hillfort trail, return to Ingram village where the banks of the River Breamish are a great spot for a picnic.
From Ingram, drive further along Breamish Valley until you reach Hartside, where verge parking is available. From here follow the waymarked path up to the eighteen-metre-high tumbling waterfall of Linhope Spout, where wild swimmers are often enticed by the plunge pool at the waterfall’s base. Be sure to look out for red squirrels, known to frequent the area as well as views over to Hedgehope Hill, where you can continue onto if you’d like to extend your hike.
For those who enjoy hiking, there’s the option to continue from Linhope Spout into the hills beyond. Hedgehope Hill is the second highest hill in Northumberland National Park, standing at 714 metres above sea level and only dwarfed by its neighbour, the Cheviot at 815 metres above sea level. On a clear day, you can see as far as Northumberland’s charming coastline with its golden beaches and picturesque castles as well as an array of local birdlife. The route can be steep and boggy at times, so appropriate footwear is essential.
Return to Ingram and enjoy a different way of learning about the valley and its history with an Ingram Valley Farm Safari. Travel off-road with your knowledgeable driver, learning about the animals who call this valley home as well as the history of this unique landscape.
Discover the rare flora of this Site of Special Scientific Interest as you wander the enchanting trail over bridges and through ancient woodland to Hareshaw Linn Waterfall. On your way, you might spot red squirrels, a variety of birdlife and the rare ferns and lichen the area is famous for.
Travel from Hareshaw Linn into the heart of the national park, stopping at Kielder Water. On the shores of this manmade lake, you’ll find Tower Knowe Visitor Centre. You can learn about Kielder Water and Forest Park in the Explore Centre, grab a coffee with a view at the café or head off on an adventure by ferry, bike or on foot. For those looking for a spot of retail therapy, there’s also a shop selling gifts and homewares.
Having learnt about the area at the visitor centre, spend some time exploring England’s largest forest and the vast man-made lake within. There’s a lakeside walk extending 26 miles in total, the Birds of Prey Centre, the Kielder Salmon Centre as well as an impressive array of cycling trails. There are other family-friendly activities available at Kielder Waterside including segway tours, paddle boarding sessions, archery and miniature golf.
For those looking for an adrenaline rush, there’s plenty on offer at Calvert Kielder. Zoom along the zip wire or put your nerves to the test on the King Swing. You’ll also find climbing walls and high ropes courses along with opportunities to get out on the water with canoeing and sailing packages.
The former hunting lodge known as Kielder Castle may still be closed for redevelopment but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to explore at the north-western end of Kielder Water. Follow the story-themed trail, ideal for families, then head to the minotaur maze or join part of the Lakeside Way. Be sure to keep an eye out for red squirrels and roe deer.
From Kielder Castle, you can drive the beautiful 12-mile forest route to Blakehopeburnhaugh. On your way, be sure to stop at the Blakehope Nick viewpoint and enjoy the breathtaking scenery as well as the unique art installation, the Nick, built by a group of Newcastle University students. The structure is part of the park’s art and architecture programme. Please note that the forest drive is a toll road.
Finish your visit to Kielder Water and Forest Park with a mesmerising trip to Kielder Observatory. Open in the evening for designated events, this is a chance to learn about the night sky in this vast Dark Sky Park. Nearby you can also spot the Kielder Skyspace sculpture, which illuminates at night. Please note that the observatory is only open during events (although these are frequent) and tickets should be booked in advance.
Today has you exploring the remarkable Roman heritage in the south of Northumberland National Park. Start at the Sill, a visitor centre packed with exhibitions and facilities including a rooftop walk, café and shop. The centre’s permanent exhibition is a chance to learn about the area’s unique history and geology, while the temporary exhibition space hosts a variety of fascinating displays. The Sill is also a great starting point for a variety of walking trails.
Hadrian’s Wall is among Britain’s most famous Roman heritage sites. It was a vast stone wall built across the width of Britain during the Roman Empire marking the border with unconquered territory to the north. Discover part of the wall on a walk from the Sill, taking in the impressive viewpoint at Steel Rigg. Continue on to the spot known as Sycamore Gap. This was once home to a large sycamore tree, which was more than 100 years old and had been planted picturesquely in a natural dip in the landscape. The tree was a famous photo stop for visitors to the area and also featured in 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Today only the stump remains after the tree was felled in an act of vandalism in 2023.
Along Hadrian’s Wall are numerous forts and milecastles and among these is the impressively well preserved Housesteads Roman Fort. Here you’ll find the stone foundations of barrack blocks and a hospital along with some surprisingly intact communal toilets. There’s also a museum, which provides a fascinating introduction to life at the fort. As well as the ruins, the site boasts impressive views over the surrounding landscape.
A visit to the Temple of Mithras at Brocolita is an opportunity to gain greater understanding of Roman religious beliefs before Christianity. The religion of Mithraism was popular among soldiers and it is thought that the soldiers garrisoned at nearby Carrawburgh Roman Fort built this temple. The temple’s design served to remind worshippers of the legend wherein the god Mithras slayed a sacred bull in a cave. With the rise of Christianity in the empire, the temple at Brocolita became one of the many Mithraic temples which were destroyed. Nearby you’ll also find a Celtic well dedicated to the water goddess Coventina.
Vindolanda’s origins actually predate Hadrian’s Wall, although its importance grew with the construction of the wall, and it remained an important feature in the community up until the 9th century. The vast site includes excavated remains of bath houses, barracks, a mausoleum, a church and much more. The comprehensive museum features the Vindolanda Tablets, the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain, which are carefully displayed to protect these wooden items from damage by oxygen or moisture. Excavations are ongoing with new findings added to the museum each year.
There are small forts, known as milecastles, dotted along the length of Hadrian’s Wall with one approximately every Roman mile. Milecastle 42 occupies a steep hillside position and can be accessed from the Cawfields car park. Look out for what remains of the quarry, now a popular picnic spot, before climbing up Cawfields Crags and enjoying impressive views of the wall and Milecastle 42.
There are two designated Dark Sky Discovery Sites in this part of the national park, one at Cawfields car park and the other at Walltown Country Park. The commitment by these areas to limit light pollution means the views of the night sky can be truly spectacular.
The national park itself is home to two 18-hole courses at Bellingham and Rothbury. Both boast beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Beyond the national park’s boundaries, Northumberland has more than 40 golf clubs including the coastal courses at Bamburgh Castle and Goswick near Berwick-upon-Tweed and inland options at Hexham and Slaley Hall.
Northumberland National Park sits between a number of popular racecourses. Hexham Racecourse is a scenic choice and the only course in Northumberland. Meanwhile Newcastle Racecourse in High Gosforth Park hosts more than 60 fixtures each year. To the west, you’ll find Carlisle Racecourse while over the border in Scotland, Kelso Racecourse boasts a grandstand that dates back to the 19th century.
Northumberland National Park offers plenty of opportunities for children to explore, discover and let off steam with lots of family-friendly walks and trails. Enjoy learning about space together at one of the Dark Sky Discovery Sites or the Kielder Observatory. Roman sites such as Housesteads Roman Fort and Vindolanda or the Roman Army Museum can bring history to life for younger visitors. The Kielder Water and Forest Park is great for adventure seeking kids with activities including high ropes, kayaking, climbing walls, a zip wire, paddleboarding and archery to name a few. Beyond the national park’s boundaries you’ll find an outdoor swimming pool, complete with flume, open in the summer months at Haltwhistle, while there’s lots of fun to be had at the adventure play area and the Labyrinth maze at Cragside House and Gardens. Northumberland Zoo with its variety of animals is driving distance from the park. If you’re visiting Alnwick, the Alnwick Garden has the magical play village of Lilidorei, while Alnwick Castle is popular with Harry Potter fans.
Northumberland National Park is an all-year round destination, especially if you’re mainly planning to hike or cycle. Some of the attractions and visitor centres are only open from around April until October, so if you’re looking to make the most of all the attractions the park has to offer spring and autumn are generally the best time to visit Northumberland National Park. Spring is a particularly good time for wildlife and spring flowers, while autumn is ideal for stargazing. The summer months are a good time to visit weather-wise although they tend to be busier with visitors than the rest of the year.
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