A DRIVE INTO HISTORY

Ancient Northumberland offers Sue Greenwood an intriguing tour through history, and views across to the North Sea`

A SHORT BREAK touring Northumberland seemed an excellent way to make good use of a week’s holiday in mid-summer.

We decided on one campsite in the south of the county and another further north, so we could visit parts of this beautiful region that we had not previously seen.

Our first stop was Well House, a Caravan and Motorhome Club CL at Colwell, near Hexham. Although this site is tucked away, it makes a great base for exploring the area, and provides really amazing views over the countryside. Late afternoons were spent watching the swifts swooping and flying over the fields right in front of us.

We drove to Hexham on the Saturday morning. This fine old market town dates all the way back to Anglo-Saxon times and is rich in fascinating history.

As always, whenever you visit a busy place, there are the practicalities of parking to deal with. We found a spot in the Wentworth Car Park and began our explorations by venturing up Hallstile Bank, a steep but mercifully short walk leading directly into the Market Place.

There was a bustling Farmers’ Market on the go here and local producers were displaying a huge range of foodstuffs on stalls around the market square, known as The Shambles, which dates back to the 18th century.

Our eyes were soon drawn to Hexham Abbey, alongside the marketplace. Sadly, scaffolding was covering the front of the building when we visited, but this did not diminish its imposing presence.

Historic Hexham Abbey