Northumberland is England 's most northern county and the least populated of all. North Northumberland borders Scotland to the North and the North Sea to the East and is an area of outstanding beauty, both along the coast and inland through the Cheviot Hills.

It has a rich and turbulent history, with many castles and fortified houses that have witnessed centuries of conflict between the English and the Scots. Hill forts of 5,000 years old can still be clearly seen and recently the oldest house ever discovered in the whole of Britain was uncovered here.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which is only accessible across a tidal causeway, was the birthplace of Christianity in England and a large part of the priory still remains, where monks were killed by Viking invaders.

Putting the wars, conflicts and turbulence of man aside, the area has arguably the most diverse and interesting landscape and environment in England. Inland, for instance at Ingram Valley, College Valley and the Cheviot Hills, there are massive tracts of land through which you can walk without meeting another human being. The same also applies to many of the golden beaches along the coast.

The Northumberland Coast is a Hugely productive area, producing very high quality wheat for breadmaking and barley for brewing, as well as top quality beef and lamb. The area has a unique climate to aid in food production.