The beach at Sandham on Lindisfarne
where the distant past has such a tangible impact on the
landscape as it does in Northumberland. Stepping out
into the atmospheric border country inevitably means
stepping back in time and brushing shoulders with our
ancestors. From cliff-top castles and the Hadrian’s
Wall World Heritage Site to long-abandoned prehistoric
settlements hidden in the hills and enigmatic ‘cup
and ring-marked’ rocks, there’s always something
interesting just around the next corner.
The magic of walking here also has a lot to do with
the landscape itself. Stop for a minute and conjure up in
your mind some of the most iconic of Northumberland
scenes. What do you see? Hadrian’s Wall clinging to
the apex of the roller-coaster whin sill ridge? Maybe
you picture Lindisfarne Castle, sitting atop that same
dolerite intrusion on St Cuthbert’s holy island? Or are
you looking along a long, empty expanse of beach to
Bamburgh Castle? If you’re a hill-walker, you might
see the smooth-sided, rounded tops of the Cheviots and
the high, heathery ridge that forms the border between
England and Scotland.
What makes Northumberland special? It undoubtedly
has something to do with the wildlife too – from the
upland birds that are sometimes the walkers’ sole
companions to the wildflowers, insects and reptiles that
inhabit the coastal dunes. There are species here that
are found in few other parts of England, including red
squirrel, black grouse and the hen harrier. There have
even been confirmed sightings of pine marten in Kielder
Forest this year.
It’s surely related as well to those big northern
skies, largely free of pollution, unfettered by man-
made constructions and allowing views that lead
on into the distance for miles and miles and miles...
There are wide, open spaces here like no others found
south of the border. This is England’s most sparsely
populated county – with just 62 people per square
kilometre. To put that into perspective, it compares
with 73 in neighbouring Cumbria with its large areas of
uninhabited fell and moorland, or, at the other extreme,
3142 in the West Midlands and 5521 in Greater London.
According to one outdoor magazine, Northumberland’s
sprawling Kielder Forest is also home to England’s
‘remotest’ spot (the furthest point from a public road).
Want to ‘escape from it all’? This is clearly the place to
come.
For me, the magic lives on. Walking in
Northumberland was published only earlier this year, but
I’m already looking forward to being able to update it
and maybe even add to it.
What the judges said...
‘An eminently competent and trustworthy
companion, a good introduction to walking in
Northumberland and a welcome new addition to a
competitive field.’
Judges Mark Whitley, editor at The Countryman
Magazine; former Guild member, editor and writer
Chris Bagshaw
The Guide Book Award
is sponsored by Aquapac,
manufacturer of 100%
waterproof cases, bags
and pouches. Aquapac
is British company
headquartered in London,
and sells all over the
world.
Walking the Border Ridge between England and Scotland
About Vivienne...
Vivienne Crow is a freelance writer and
photographer specialising in the outdoors.
A journalist since 1990, she abandoned the
constraints of a desk job on regional newspapers
in 2001 to go travelling. On her return in 2002, she
headed outdoors... Since then, Vivienne has written
and contributed to more than two dozen walking
and travel guides covering the whole of the UK.
She also writes for magazines and newspapers,
and does copywriting and interpretation work for
conservation and tourism bodies.
www.viviennecrow.co.uk
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winter 2018 | Outdoor focus 15
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