- Northumberland National Park
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Northumberland National Park Protected Area 
View of Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland National ParkCountry United Kingdom Part England Counties Northumberland IUCN category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks. The park lies entirely within Northumberland, covering about a quarter of the county.
A hill in the Cheviots
The park covers several distinct areas. In the north are the Cheviots, a range of hills that mark the border between England and Scotland. Further south, the hills give way to areas of rolling moorland, some of which have been covered by forestry plantations to form Kielder Forest. The southernmost part of the park covers the dramatic central section of Hadrian's Wall.
The 10,000 year history of the region is explored through the many archaeological sites, ranging from prehistoric monuments and Roman remains to Pele towers, constructed as a defence against Border Reivers.
The Park's official symbol is the curlew.
Looking north down the valley
Hethpool Lake, north of Hethpool houseContents
Etymology
The Northumberland National Park takes its name from the English county of Northumberland. Northumberland means "country north of the River Humber and is related to the name "Northumbria" which refers to the old Anglo-Saxon kingdom which once covered much of Northern England. Since the national park lies totally within the boundaries of Northumberland, that is the name it took.
Geography
The Northumberland National Park covers a large area of Western Northumberland and borders the English county of Cumbria and the Scottish county of The Scottish borders. The national park encompasses much of the Cheviot hills and adjoins the Southern uplands of Scotland, of which the Cheviot hills are sometimes refereed as a part of. Kielder Forest lies within much of the park and in other areas forms a Forest Park. Kielder Forest is the largest man-made forest in Europe and surrounds Kielder Water.
Otterburn Training Area
The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom owns much of the land in the national park as the Otterburn Training Area. Some areas of this training area are off-limits, but others can be accessed only at certain times or with permission. The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park.
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In the South of the Park, timber-harvesting is a large part of Kielder Forest's main purpose
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Hadrian's Wall represents a part of the National Park's historical importance
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Sighty Cragg
External links
Media related to Northumberland National Park at Wikimedia Commons- Homepage for Northumberland National Park Authority
- Homepage for Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team
- English Tourist Board website
England Dartmoor • Exmoor • Lake District • New Forest • Northumberland • North York Moors • Peak District • South Downs • Yorkshire Dales • The Broads‡Wales Scotland Northern Ireland An area with ‡ has similar status to a UK National Park. Areas marked † are proposed. Categories:- National parks in England
- Parks and open spaces in Northumberland
- Protected areas established in 1956
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