The Northeast: Places to Explore

Dominated by a grand castle, the little market town of Alnwick (pronounced ahn-ick) is the best base from which to explore the dramatic coast and countryside of northern Northumberland.... Read more

Tiny Bamburgh has a splendid castle, and several beaches are a few minutes' walk away.... Read more

The handsome market town of Barnard Castle has sights of its own and can also serve as a base for venturing into the Teesdale Valley to the northwest. Its unusual butter-market hall (known locally as Market... Read more

Although Berwick-upon-Tweed now lies just inside the border of England, historians estimate that it has changed hands between the Scots and the English 14 times. An interesting quirk of history relating... Read more

For 700 years, between the 12th and 19th century, the powerful prince-bishops of Durham had their country residence in Auckland Castle, in the town of Bishop Auckland. When finally deprived of their powers... Read more

The great medieval city of Durham, seat of County Durham, stands dramatically on a rocky spur, overlooking the countryside. Its cathedral and castle, a World Heritage Site, rise together on a wooded peninsula... Read more

Tiny Greenhead has the Roman Army Museum, an informative Hadrian's Wall site. Other important sites are nearby, too.... Read more

The area around the busy market town of Hexham is a popular base for visiting Hadrian's Wall. Just a few miles from the most significant remains, it's a bustling working town, but it has enough historic... Read more

Cradle of northern England's Christianity and home of St. Cuthbert, Lindisfarne (or Holy Island) has a religious history that dates from AD 635, when St. Aidan established a monastery here. Under its greatest... Read more

Durham may have the glories of its castle, cathedral, and university, but the liveliest city of the Northeast is Newcastle, currently reinventing itself as a regional center for culture and modern architecture... Read more

The small market town of Rothbury, surrounded by stunning countryside, originally developed as a Victorian resort, attracting the gentry who roamed its hills and glades. Cragside, a notable country house... Read more

The little town of Washington has a direct link to the history of the United States.... Read more