Northumberland

Northumberland is England's wild frontier. The most northerly and most sparsely populated county in the country, it offers motorhome travellers something increasingly rare in modern Britain: genuine space, silence, and solitude. From Hadrian's Wall in the south to the Scottish border in the north, from the Cheviot Hills in the west to the magnificent Heritage Coast in the east, Northumberland is a landscape of castles, empty beaches, dark skies, and deep history. The drive from our Pontefract depot takes around two and a half hours via the A1(M), making it comfortably achievable in a morning.

Hadrian's Wall is the county's most iconic attraction and one of the most important Roman monuments in Europe. Built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian in AD 122, the wall stretches 73 miles from coast to coast across the narrowest point of England. The best-preserved sections run through the dramatic landscape of the Whin Sill — a natural ridge of volcanic rock that gives the wall its spectacular setting. Housesteads Roman Fort, perched high on the ridge with views stretching for miles in every direction, is the most complete Roman fort in Britain. The nearby Roman Vindolanda, still being excavated, has yielded extraordinary finds including the Vindolanda tablets — the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.

The Northumberland coast is consistently rated among the finest in England, yet it remains remarkably uncrowded. Bamburgh Castle, one of the largest inhabited castles in the country, dominates the coastline from its rocky outcrop above a wide, sandy beach. The castle has been restored and is open to visitors, with its state rooms, armoury, and aviation museum offering a full day's exploration. The views from the ramparts, looking north toward Holy Island and south along the coast, are unforgettable.

Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne, is reached by a tidal causeway that is covered by the sea twice a day. This small island, the cradle of English Christianity, is home to the ruins of the medieval priory founded in AD 635 and the atmospheric Lindisfarne Castle, restored by Edwin Lutyens in the early twentieth century. Timing your visit around the tides adds a sense of pilgrimage to the experience, and the island's peace and isolation are palpable. Motorhome parking is available on the island, but you must check tide times carefully before crossing.

The Farne Islands, visible from Seahouses harbour, are one of the most important seabird colonies in England. Boat trips from Seahouses take you among the islands, where you can see puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and grey seals at remarkably close quarters. The breeding season from May to July is the most spectacular time to visit. Seahouses itself has excellent fish and chip shops and a no-nonsense fishing port atmosphere that contrasts pleasantly with more polished coastal resorts.

Alnwick, the county town, is dominated by Alnwick Castle — seat of the Duke of Northumberland and familiar to millions as a filming location for the Harry Potter films. The castle grounds host a range of activities, and the adjacent Alnwick Garden, created by the Duchess of Northumberland, features the Grand Cascade, a poison garden, and one of the largest treehouses in Europe. Barter Books, housed in the old Alnwick railway station, is one of the finest second-hand bookshops in the country and well worth an afternoon's browsing.

Northumberland National Park and the Kielder Water and Forest Park occupy the county's western reaches. Kielder Forest is the largest man-made woodland in England, and Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe by capacity. Together they form one of the quietest and most remote landscapes in the country. Kielder Observatory, built in this designated International Dark Sky Park, offers stargazing events throughout the year, and the quality of the night sky here is genuinely breathtaking — on a clear night, the Milky Way arches overhead with a brilliance that is impossible to find further south.

For motorhome campsites, Northumberland is well served. Waren Caravan and Camping Park near Bamburgh offers pitches with views of the castle and the Farne Islands. Beadnell Bay Camping and Caravanning Club site sits directly behind one of the finest beaches on the coast. Hadrian's Wall Camping and Caravanning Club site at Haltwhistle provides a base for exploring the central section of the wall. All offer motorhome-friendly facilities including electric hook-ups and waste disposal.

The Cheviot Hills, rising to 815 metres at The Cheviot itself, offer serious walking in a landscape that feels genuinely remote. The College Valley, accessible only by permit, is one of the most beautiful and least-visited valleys in England. The market towns of Wooler and Rothbury serve as gateways to the hills, with Cragside near Rothbury — the first house in the world lit by hydroelectric power — being a remarkable National Trust property set in 1,000 acres of grounds.

From Pontefract, the A1(M) carries you north through County Durham and into Northumberland in around two and a half hours. The sense of space grows as you travel north, and by the time you reach Alnwick or the coast, the world feels a long way from the motorways. Northumberland is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you do not visit more often — and a motorhome gives you the freedom to linger as long as the landscape demands.