Northumberland is a steeped area with a rich and fascinating history, its people take pride in celebrating their unique heritage. The county is located in the North East of England. Its flower is the Bloody Cranesbill.

Holy Island, Northumberland

The visitors can observe towns and villages, a treasure trove of well-preserved homes and public buildings, many of them built by United Empire Loyalists during the early years of the 19th century, when a stage coach route linked communities along the north shore of Lake Ontario.

Due to its strategic location between Scotland and England, Northumberland has been the site of many battles. The county is noted for its undeveloped landscape of high moorland, favorite by painters and largely protected as a National Park. Once part of the Roman Empire, Northumberland has a long and violent history; there are more castles than anywhere else in England, including Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Warkworth castles.

Northumberland is often called the “cradle of Christianity” in England, because it was on Lindisfarne (Holy Island), a tidal island north of Bamburgh where Christianity flourished when monks from Iona were sent to convert the English. Also Lindisfarme was the home of the Lindisfarne Gospels and Saint Cuthbert, who is buried in Durham Cathedral. During the industrial revolution, Northumberland played a key role; the region’s coalfields fuelled industrial expansion in other areas of the country, and the need to transport the coal led to the development of the first railways. Other important industries were shipbuilding and armaments manufacture.

Today, Northumberland is the least populated county in England, it commands much less influence in British affairs than in times past. But in recent years it has had considerable growth in tourism due to its scenic beauty and the abundant evidence of its history.