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PREVIOUS PAGES: a clifftop, Inner Farne; Farne; Inner a clifftop, FROM LEFT: with a beakful of sand sand of abeakful with Dunstanburgh Castle eels, Farne Islands Farne eels, Puffins on Puffins Puffin Puffin

IMAGES: ROBERT HARDING; SUPERSTOCK NORTHUMBERLAND December 2018December 101 102 natgeotraveller.co.uk 102 NORTHUMBERLAND

IMAGES: ROBERT HARDING; ALAMY Farne Islands Farne common seals, Islands; Farne Rock, Longstone Lighthouse, FROM LEFT: CURIOUS LABRADORS CURIOUS ONCE THE SEALS ARE ARE SEALS THE ONCE CLUMSY. HEADS POP POP CLUMSY. HEADS IN THE WATER, THE IN CUTE THEN, SCOPING OUT OUT SCOPING THEN, UP EVERY NOW AND NOW AND EVERY UP AROUND THEM LIKE LIKE THEM AROUND WHAT’S GOING ON ON GOING WHAT’S TAKES OVER FROM TAKES OVER FROM Longstone Longstone

curious Labradors. curious like them around on going what’s out scoping then, now and every up pop Heads clumsy. from over takes cute water, the in Once edge. the off splosh finally can it until away heaving along, body its drags then flippers, front its on down weight its It pushes process. graceful a not is This water. the into down shuffle to attempts one blanket, laminate grey-blue atemporary providing rocks, the onto washes consistent, unstinting entertainers. As the sea such They’re seals. ofwatching tire to difficult It’s home. call seals grey Atlantic of lot awful an that island an Wamses, South to round boat the wrangles Bobby carpet. guano white giant a by covered entirely almost are cliffs some why understand can you that, know you once And time. one atany it on guillemots 5,000 to up have can face rock One astounding. are islands the on spots good the for jostling birds cliff. the from offaith leap fly-or-die massive a take to has then ’un little The jumpling. their to encouragement call and below feet of hundreds sea, the in wait will birds parent the fledge, to ready are chicks When services. social from visit aswift in result would world, human the in that, ofparenting sort the in indulge meanwhile, Guillemots, migration. annual each during 49,000 miles and 25,000 between cover example, for terns, Arctic Farnes. ofthe residents feathered other the It’s not just about the birds, though. though. birds, the about just not It’s of numbers sheer the season, breeding In

can taste plenty of it. The darker version, version, darker The ofit. plenty taste can you and island the on Winery Aidan’s St of mead. quantities prodigious make to prayer break only who monks by inhabited and Enya Of Best Very The by soundtracked permanently place, mist-shrouded spiritual, adeeply be will that expectation an there’s island, ofthe history the and ofthis, aresult As times. safe published the outside causeway the cross to attempts who anyone befall could tragedies what home hammering signs warning countless with tides, the by determined is Access isolation. relative its from stems that Lindisfarne Christianity in . of cradle — the ambitiously —more and Island Holy as known also Lindisfarne, base? His land. the throughout Christianity spread to ofNorthumbria King Oswald, by of Iona island Scottish the from summoned was he 634, In role. pioneering the played who Aidan, Saint predecessor, his was it But relics. his see to Cathedral Durham to flock still — pilgrims celebrity the quite became Cuthbert century. seventh the in island the on abase up set to monks hermit first ofthe one Cuthbert, ofSaint honour in named It’s chapel. stone old agorgeous to home is based, are rangers Trust National the where island main covered nettle- the Farne, Inner though. wildlife, the to Islands Farne the left just haven’t Humans MONKS, MEAD & MONARCHS Well, the mead part’s true. Rock up to to up Rock true. part’s mead the Well, about romance acertain There’s NORTHUMBERLAND December 2018December 103 104 natgeotraveller.co.uk 104 village towards the fishing boats marooned marooned boats fishing the towards village the from away walking exhibits, history Centre’s Lindisfarne the through mooching Priory, the to next hub Heritage English the heavens. the for reach columns ornate elegant, them, above while lawns grassy through peep stones Foundation roofs. vaulted the claimed that oftime ravages the fight windows Arched one. evocative mighty a but now aruin, is priory The created. ever books beautiful most ofthe one as regarded masterpiece eighth-century —an Gospels Lindisfarne the created artists unknown and monastery initial the up set Aidan Saint where site the on located it’s but century, 12th the to back dates version current The Priory. Lindisfarne atthe doses adequate normal. very… all It’s village. the to entrance atthe park car giant the near stalls ramshackle from sold are sandwiches meat crab and veg fruit, while trade, roaring a do to seem B&Bs and hotels cafes, — pubs, either available, ofwork shortage no There’s tides. ofthe mercy atthe are lives everyday people’s where avillage there’s that fact the than surprising less is island the on community monastic no there’s that fact the But monasteries. ofthe dissolution 16th-century the with that to saw VIII Henry though. monks, by made not It’s incarnation. sickly-sweet less the is Tweed, River of the banks the on hives from honey with made NORTHUMBERLAND Slowly exploring Lindisfarne — browsing —browsing Lindisfarne exploring Slowly find will ofEnyaness search in Those

beyond the Wall. Wall. the beyond zone wild uninhabited largely the being to back went Northumbria that England northern depopulated systematically and arrived Conqueror the William when only It was king. ofthe sight in and action, the of centre the to close pretty was it because there based was —he remote was it because Castle. at lived king the —and Humber’ ofthe north ‘land means basically name —the county current the than larger much akingdom was Northumberland century, seventh the in back But ofAlnwick. town market honey-coloured the crowns and films Potter Harry the in Hogwarts as doubled that behemoth packed art- alavish, Castle, atAlnwick seat its has Castle. isNorthumberland, Bamburgh alone let world, the in anywhere see you’ll beaches finest ofthe one above standing and, islets by created channels through rapids river like flows tide retreating the Here, truth. else? anywhere from away far awkwardly so aren’t that space brain monastic such provide that places are there surely but sense faith? Christian ofthe launch product exciting the for springboard the as chosen be place aremote such would earth on Why away. nagging been that’s apuzzle to answers give to —starts mudflats harbour the on Aidan wasn’t based at Lindisfarne atLindisfarne based wasn’t Aidan ofNorthumberland Duchy the Nowadays, the reveals harbour the from view The makes thing peace-and-solitude The Cottage, Low Newton; Newton; Low Cottage, FROM LEFT : LEFT FROM Lookout

IMAGES: ALAMY NORTHUMBERLAND December 2018December 105 IMAGE: ALAMY Water & Forest Park &Forest Water Kielder Cabin, Freya’s National Park National Northumberland Valley, Ingram the down looking Law Brough FOLLOWING PAGE:FOLLOWING ABOVE: NORTHUMBERLAND AS AS NORTHUMBERLAND CHRONOLOGICAL. THE WALLS AND NATIONAL CUT THECUT WORLD OFF BOUNDARIES DON’T DON’T BOUNDARIES MUCH AS THE LACK LACK THE AS MUCH The view from from view The PHYSICAL, THEY’RE THEY’RE PHYSICAL, FROM TRULY WILD THE KEY BORDERS BORDERS KEY THE RECORD DOES

HERE AREN’T AREN’T HERE OF WRITTEN OF WRITTEN

ancient Britons who built it. it. built who Britons ancient the about little puzzlingly —weold know years 2,300 around be to thought is fort Law Brough —the age estimated an from aside But cairns. burial be to thought of stones piles are there along further and cultivated, and sculpted clearly are hillsides of the Some roundhouses. oftimber remains the probably are ground the on circles faint while boundaries, marking gullies and dykes with territory, own its in sit to seems Each more. out make about just can you and hills other to over Look valley. the in ofseveral one is Law Brough The meddling. been has man or shape, aring into all them organise to contrived has nature Either of rocks. number asuspicious are hill windy exposed, ofthe top the At themselves. to valley the had always haven’t sheep the that discover to line ridge the to tracks grassy along panting ofhand. out too isn’t bracken the wherever around saunter sheep grazing while ambitious, more something be to game their up or rolling gently for settle to going they’re whether decide quite can’t hills The park. anational as off cordoned be well as may it thus and there, houses building to around got really has one no fact the by defined largely it’s Otherwise, border. Scottish the with heads butts which Park, National Northumberland sprawling the inside rests largely Valley Breamish The DAZZLING DARK SKIES DARK DAZZLING It doesn’t take too much puffing and and puffing much too take It doesn’t Very, very dark. Very, very dark. goes all it down, goes sun the once But greys. invading ofthe march onward relentless the against bastions last of their one in thriving observed, be can squirrels red where hides to lead tracks Walking boats. little in around putter fishermen Trout trees. Christmas ofsupersized groves by shrouded are savagery ofvarying trails bike Mountain hidden. well is Machiavellianism this but exist, Forest Kielder the and Water Kielder why be may money-making necessityindustrial. Infrastructural and it’s spot, weirdly beauty family-friendly a become that’s For somewhere timber. for down chopped then managed, grown, is of which much forest, spruce Sitka packed tightly by surrounded It’s England. Northern for provider hydroelectric and reservoir agiant as 1970s the in created was it UK, the in lake man-made largest The landscape. local the to addition does. record written of lack the as much as Northumberland wild truly from off world the cut don’t boundaries national and walls The chronological. —they’re physical aren’t here borders key The answers. than questions more up throws cattle, Limousin grandstanding from looks dirty getting and turns wrong many Lindisfarne. Continuing the walk, taking The place is a great, big playground. playground. big agreat, is place The recent more afar Water is Kielder than mysterious more far feels place This NORTHUMBERLAND December 2018December 107 NORTHUMBERLAND

ESSENTIALS

FARNE ISLANDS BAMBURGH Seahouses CASTLE Newton-by-the-Sea BREAMISH DUNSTANBURGH VALLEY CASTLE

NORTHUMBERLAND North KIELDER Morpeth WATER Sea

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

10 Miles

Getting there & around East coast mainline train services to Edinburgh stop at Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Local bus services can deliver you to most places of interest. jplanner.travelinenortheast.info

When to go The summer months bring average highs of 18C and longer daylight hours, but also crowded car parks near the coastal highlights. The area is part of the 572sq-mile is the furthest man has ever been from Earth. Northumberland International Dark Sky Take that flight path, and it would still fit Places mentioned Park, an honour bestowed because the three and a half times within the Sun.” Newton Pool and Dunstanburgh Castle. lack of development means there’s hardly What follows is an expansive, awe- nationaltrust.co.uk any artificial light from street lights provoking journey into distances and The Ship Inn, Low Newton by-the-Sea. and buildings to get in the way. For the temperatures that seem unfathomable set shipinnnewton.co.uk astronomers at the Kielder Observatory, against the average human experience. The Billy Shiel’s Farne Island Boat Tours. farne-islands.com this is marvellous news. The hillside monumental ferocity of the Sun seems a far, . alnwickcastle.com observatory, which opened in 2008, looks far cry from the horizon-prettying effects it . bamburghcastle.com like a Bond villain lair designed by an ardent can have far, far away. The talk has a jolting, Lindisfarne. lindisfarne.org.uk environmentalist. It’s slender, elevated and perception-altering effect. Leaving the lindisfarne-centre.com made almost entirely out of wood. On the warm room for a shivering huddle next to Kielder Water & Forest Park. deck are telescopes trained on the Moon, the telescopes to look at the night sky, the visitkielder.com showing it off in all its pockmarked glory. darkness is accompanied by silence. Each Kielder Observatory. kielderobservatory.org The evening stargazing sessions here are of us is lost in galloping thought, our brains Visit Northumberland. complemented by presentations; during my whirring like they’ve not whirred for years. visitnorthumberland.com visit, a chap called Hayden Goodfellow talks Then, looking up, the whole Dark Sky Park about the Northern Lights, which, if you advantage reveals itself — there’s a canopy Where to stay get really lucky, can be seen from Kielder. of stars, thousands in view, and many Greycroft, Alnwick. He starts off with some bad news — aurora billions beyond. greycroftalnwick.co.uk borealis events can only be predicted a couple The scale and complexity of the night Riverdale Hall Hotel, Bellingham. of days in advance, and most photos of vivid sky is overwhelming, and the thought that riverdalehallhotel.co.uk green lights have been heavily Photoshopped. we’re alone in the universe suddenly seems How to do it Oh, and don’t expect to see the lights with absolutely absurd. Out there, among the the naked eye. But then the talk morphs into loose band of zodiac signs, there’s almost HF HOLIDAYS offers a seven-day Northumberland tour, taking in something more wide-ranging, explaining certainly someone throwing his tennis ball Lindisfarne, the coast, Hadrian’s Wall how the light show starts with solar winds into the sea for whatever the Cassiopeian and the Northumberland National Park, ejected from spots on the Sun. equivalent of an excitable Jack Russell is. for £890 per person. Accommodation is “The Sun is 109 times the diameter of the And he too will be revelling in the moment of in the harbour town of Alnmouth.

Earth,” says Hayden. “The Apollo 13 mission utterly blissful simplicity. hfholidays.co.uk IMAGE: ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

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