A Great Day Out In Northumberland

Susie White revisits some of her favourite castles – and gardens!

 

- Susie White

I came to Northumberland in my20s to work on an archaeological dig on Hadrian’s Wall and absolutely fell in love with the place. It’s a landscape of open skies and far views, wild uplands and sheltered valleys, hills and coast and more castles than any other county in England. Though I gave up one kind of digging for another, it’s no wonder I stayed!

Northumberland has a wealth of history from prehistoric sites and Roman forts to fortified pele towers and elegant 18th-century mansions. There’s exciting contemporary architecture at The Sill, the National Landscape Discovery Centre, a great place to learn about the Northumberland National Park. With its plentiful wildlife,

Northumberland has much for birdwatchers and walkers to enjoy. With luck, you might see red squirrels or glimpse a secretive otter. The nights are properly dark and you can marvel at the starry sky. Boat trips can take you to the Farne Islands to view seals and puffins while the uplands contain some of the best hay meadows in Europe. It’s an unspoilt county of incredible natural beauty.

I’ve gardened here for over 30 years, and wrote the book Gardens Of Northumberland And The Borders, so I know its many special places very well. David and I recently revisited some of our favourite gardens, starting at Howick Hall near the coast.

In the Earl Grey Tea House we had a pot of the famous tea, blended with bergamot by a Chinese mandarin for the second Earl Grey and created specially to suit the spring water at Howick.