Counties: The Tees Valley, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear.
Principal towns: Alnwick, Bamburgh, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Gateshead, Newcastle. Sunderland, Washington, Whitley Bay.

The Northumberland National Park is an undiscovered jewel! Most Brits by-pass Northumbia on the way up to or down from Scotland, unaware of what they are missing.

This is an area of great natural beauty, with wild empty hills, rugged coastline and the largest man made lake in Europe, Kielder Water.

It is also an area of historical significance. Remains of Hadrian's wall, built around AD 120, the farthermost boundary of the Roman Empire, can still be seen. Castles, originally built to keep the Vikings at bay, litter the coastline.

Durham, a city built on a big rock, is home to Britain's third oldest university, a castle and a magnificent cathedral.