There is so much to do during your stay at Whitelee Holiday Cottages that a week is just not long enough. Not only is it an ideal base to explore the many and varied attractions in Northumberland, but the Scottish Borders with their rich heritage are only a stone's throw away. Favourite places to visit are Hadrian's Wall, Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden, Lindisfarne, Bamburgh Castle, Kielder Forest and Water Park, the many National Trust properties, and the Scottish Border towns of Jedburgh, Melrose and Kelso with their romantic abbeys and castles. Edinburgh is only an hour and a quarter's drive away and there is an excellent park-and-ride which conveniently takes you into the centre without the hassle of parking.
Below are a few of the highlights.
HADRIAN'S WALL
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the UK's most iconic landmarks. Built under the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the wall snakes 73 miles between Wallsend in the east and Bowness on Solway in the west.
Northumberland is home to the majority of the remaining sections of Hadrian’s Wall and five of the eight excavated forts. Among them, Housesteads is the largest and best preserved Roman fortress; Vindolanda is a pre-Hadrian Roman fortress where, besides the ruins, there are reconstructions of the Wall and other Roman buildings; Chesters was a cavalry fort with a bath house, and a short walk away are the remains of a Roman bridge; the Roman Army Museum at Greenhead is full of fascinating artefacts, interactive displays and recreations of life for the legionaires. The county is also home to many miles of tracks along unbroken parts of the wall that dip and swerve over high ground. These paths often provide spectacular views over a landscape largely unchanged since the days of the Roman legions.
Whether you want to walk the wall, cycle the wall or simply admire the rolling hills, wide skies and rugged cliffs of Hadrian’s Wall country, this website will help you plan every last detail. Use the Hadrian's Wall map below to explore the very best of the remaining wall or visit the Roman Wall page of the site to discover which forts, museums and scenic sections of Hadrian’s Wall you want to visit.
www.hadrianswall-northumberland.com/hadrianswall/home
www.hadrianswall-northumberland.com/hadrianswall/roman-wall/scenic-sections-of-the-wall
ALNWICK CASTLE
A magnificent border fortress dating back to the 11th century, Alnwick Castle is the largest and probably the most spectacular of Northumberland's many castles. It contains one of the finest private art collections in the UK. It was also the stunning setting for Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter films. The Medieval castle and state apartments are open to the public along with the Castle's Hulne Park estate, landscaped in the 18th century by Capability Brown, and offering miles of woodland walks.
THE ALNWICK GARDEN
Set in the heart of Northumberland, this exciting new garden has a spectacular Grand Cascade as its centrepiece with tumbling water and fountains, an Ornamental Garden, Rose Garden, Water Sculpture Garden, Poison Garden, Serpent Garden, Bamboo Maze, Woodland Walks and Europe's largest Tree House constructed in a stand of giant lime trees.
NEW FOR 2009 : THE CHERRY ORCHARD, 350 Japanese Tai Haku Cherry trees should produce a riotous display of blossom in spring.
www.alnwickgarden.com
KIELDER WATER AND FOREST PARK
Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Europe surrounded by one of Britain's largest forest nature resorts. Miles of footpaths, cycle ways and bridle-paths allow you to explore the forest and lake shores and an off-road motor trail through the forest takes you from the A68 a few miles south of Whitelee Holiday Cottages to Kielder Village. There are picnic spots and walks all along this trail and hides where you can watch for deer and red squirrels.
Kielder is a haven for wildlife with roe deer, ospreys, red kites, red squirrels and otters, and a walking trail takes you to the Bakethin Wildlife Reserve. The lake has facilities for sailing and fishing, or, between March and October, you can take a short cruise aboard the little steamer Osprey. Other attractions are the Kielder Observatory, the Bird of Prey Centre, a sculpture park and there are visitor amenities at Tower Knowe, Leaplish and Kielder Castle Visitor Centre.
NEW FOR 2009 : THE NEW LAKESIDE WAY will be completed by spring creating a gentle, circular trail for walking, cycling and horse riding around Kielder Water's entire 27 miles of shoreline.
www.kielder.org
LINDISFARNE, HOLY ISLAND
Holy Island is a magical and spiritual place connected to the beautiful Northumbrian coast near Bamburgh by a tidal causeway and cut off from the mainland at high tide. It is rich in birdlife, particularly waders which come to feed in their hundreds on the mud flats left at low tide. It is one of the most picturesque places with its little harbour, curiously shaped castle and magnificent sea-scapes.
Lindisfarne Priory was the cradle of Christianity in the 7th century and is where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written. The original is in the British Library, but the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre has a 'virtual' copy as part of its 'Turning the Pages' exhibition.
Lindisfarne Castle dates from Tudor times, but was transformed by Sir Edward Lutyens into an Arts and Crafts country house with gardens by Gertrude Jekyll.
BAMBURGH CASTLE
This magnificent Medieval castle is in a stunning setting at one end of Bamburgh Village perched on the edge of the sea looking out over a wide sweep of coastline. Although still home to the Armstrong family, descendents of Lord Armstrong who built Cragside House, there are fourteen public rooms with a fascinating collection of artwork, porcelain, china and armour. The castle also houses a fine museum with displays of armour, the life of Lord William Armstrong, and the history of aviation along with interactive audio tours and childrens' archaeology digs. After enjoying the castle, there are wonderful walks along the beach, north to the Budle Bay Reserve and south to Seahouses with its busy harbour. In the village, the RNLI Grace Darling Museum has preserved the lifeboat in which she rescued nine sailors from a storm and many of her personal possessions.
BEAMISH
Britain's favourite open-air museum is a vast, 300 acre, living and working experience of life as it was in the north in the early 1800s and 1900s. Meet the costumed people in The Town, Colliery Village and the Working Farm. Ride on a steam locomotive and electric tramcars.