The area known as Northumberland is one that is steeped in tradition and is one of the most historic spots in all of the United Kingdom. Previously known as Northumbria, the area is now much smaller than it used to be when it was a kingdom and is referred to as a county. In modern days it stretches from Tyneside through to the forests of Cheviot Hills. In fact, those hills are the most prevalent in UK and are known for forming the natural boundary that exists between Scotland and England.
In historic times, Northumbria was one of the biggest and most powerful kingdoms that existed within England. However, constant invasion from the Scottish and the Danish weakened the Kingdom as the North part of the Cheviots and Yorkshire were taken over. These earliers how become known as Northumberland and Durham respectively. Norman conquerors were responsible for dividing the Kingdom by taking over the southern parts of the earldom and leaving the northern parts in tact, which later became what we call Northumberland to this day.
Both Durham and Northumberland took very different roles after that even though they both helped to create an English border. Northumbria become isolated and became even more vulnerable to attacks from other nations while Durham became an independent state of its own. Durham was then left exempt from a number of Scottish attacks while districts of Northumbria were divided and shared after they were taken over.
As the border country it is not surprising that the area of Northumbria saw a number of battles throughout history. The major battles that are remembered to this day include the battle of Otterburn and the battle of Flodden Field. Aside from those battles, there were a number of other battles that took place here before the Union of 1603 between the Scottish and English Crowns.
After 1603 a lot of stability was brought into the area and from then on many of the border battles came to an end. In modern times the violence has left the area and Northumbria has become a county filled to the brim with folklore, heritage, a rich history, and lots of culture.
One of the more notable things about Northumbria’s past is all of the castles that were put up in the area when it was known as a Border region. Due to some of the battles that took place a lot of these castles are now ruins, but are still very memorable and exciting places for tourists and locals to visit. However, outside of Northumberland a lot of the castles are not known and that is why many people miss out on a visit to this eclectic and unforgettable county.
On top of all of the castles that one can visit, one of the other main attractions that speaks of the history of Northumbria is Hadrian’s wall. While the wall itself was never a boundary between England and Scotland it does have a lot of history behind it and is an attraction that tourists to the area should not miss out on.
