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Northumberland: England's Last Wilderness
The good life in a wonderful green corner of England, north of The Wall.
OverviewNorthumberland is often referred to as 'England's Last Wilderness' and, on this holiday, you'll find out why. We'll walk along the deserted high moorland of the Pennine Way and through the tranquil North Tyne Valley where red squirrels, otters and buzzards thrive.
Steeped in history; this is the land of Early Christianity, of Romans and Celts, ancient settlements and stone circles and places where the ground still bears the scars of battles between the Scots and the English. Remains of castles and defences are everywhere.
This part of the country is home to some of the most dramatic parts of Hadrian's Wall. The 2000-year old Wall is England's largest World Heritage Site and was originally built to 'separate the Romans from the Barbarians'!
Holiday Information SheetAll Holiday Information sheets are in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader or a similar program to view these. To download Acrobat Reader visit get.adobe.com/reader.
Highlights- Magnificent wild country.
- Comfort, hospitality and good food.
- A green hotel - ask to do 'the tour' of how it all works.
MealsAccommodation is half board with breakfast and dinner being taken at the country inn. Picnic lunches can be purchased from the hotel if required.
AccommodationBattlesteads Hotel, Wark, Nr Hexham Battlesteads is a four-star, silver award country inn and restaurant with 17 en-suite bedrooms. All are comfortably furnished with colour television and broadband access. The building dates back to 1747 and boasts a lovely conservatory and walled garden. The inn is noted for the warm welcome that its owners Dee and Richard give to guests and for the amazing cuisine. Start your day with a full English breakfast to set you up for the walks and return to a delicious evening meal made from home-grown and locally sourced ingredients. Environmental issues are important to everyone at Battlesteads and its 'Green Policy' has helped gain a prestigious award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. It's so dark at night at Wark, you can gaze at the stars in the beautifully clear Northumberland skies.
TravelTransportation to and from the trailheads, if necessary, is included. Nearest railway and bus stations: Hexham (11 miles).
MapClick here to see this holiday on Google Maps.
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I started leading for Countrywide Holidays in 1970 and spent summers at their guest houses in Snowdonia, the Lake District and Scotland. I went on to act as a guide for the Austrian Alpine Club. My career and family commitments took me away from leading but when the opportunity arose I started again in the late 1990s.
