Before this trip, I knew little of Northumberland. The very name brought images of cold and dreary wild places where bloody conflicts waged for centuries between Romans and Picts and Caledonians; Anglo-Saxons and Vikings and Normans; Scots and English. The Romans built Hadrian's wall to try to control the border; The Normans built castles to try to control the defeated Anglo-Saxons. Therefore, I had mixed emotions when I read that Northumberland was finally becoming a popular English holiday location (pleased I had chosen wisely, but hoping it wasn't crowded--it wasn't).
I found mostly blue skies, friendly people, beautiful rugged seascapes seen from the train, and peaceful sheep grazing on verdant hills. Part of the the Cheviot Hills are in Northumberland, and the prevalence of Cheviot sheep reminded me of my brief Cheviot sheep tending days in town when I raised Elsa Marie and her twins William Lloyd and Juliette for spinning wool.
But this post is really about a town and a city on the way to Northumberland. I had intended to stop at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne only to secure my luggage at a "left luggage" room at the train station, so I could travel unencumbered to Durham before making my way to Hexham for the night. I had landed here decades before after taking a ferry from Norway during my family's European summer, but we quickly left this industrial city for places "more interesting." However, I was low on cash which ended up taking me on a hurried walking tour up and down the hilly streets, discovering a pleasant city, but no exchange or bank willing to help a non-customer. Finally, I found a friendly and compassionate Bank of Scotland manager.
Returning to the station, I found myself drawn to the remnants of a castle by the Tyne River, even though most guidebooks pass it over and recommend Newcastle for its museums and wild night life. William the Conqueror's eldest son built a "new castle" there in 1080 over Roman and Saxon ruins. In England, "new" is a relative term. In 1172, King Henry II rebuilt, and later his son, King John, remodeled this "new castle" which was critical to the defense of the Tyne. The remaining keep has been heavily restored, but it was still easy to imagine the knights and ladies in the great hall, the king and queen in their chambers, each with a separate toilet area, and servants scurrying through the stone hallways to pull water from the interior well. There was a great view of the city and its many bridges from the tower. I was a little sad, though, that this former bastion of the kings was now largely forgotten and obscured by a busy railway station.
I caught the train for the half hour trip to Durham, walked the long and steep road to the medieval town square, and followed the crowds up the hill to the famous Durham Cathedral and the university housed in the old castle. The Norman-Romanesque cathedral was started by Norman Benedictines in 1093 and is considered among the most beautiful churches in England. It contains the remains of both St. Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede (first English historian). The Galilee chapel is reported to imitate the lighting in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain (which I love). I say reported, because I saw little of the remarkable interior, as it turned out to be graduation day for the university, and they were holding the convocation in the cathedral. 
However, I enjoyed watching graduates in robes (very English); walking through the "Hogwarts" cloisters; and admiring the cellars and treasures which were free for the day. Being too tired to walk back up to the station, I waited a long time with a friendly English lady at the old town square, talking about her granddaughter in America until the local bus showed up which was not running on its usual schedule. Not much that day had run on my planned schedule, but I finally got back to Newcastle, picked up my luggage, and made the train to Hexham, exhausted from a day of delightful surprises.Click link for slideshow:
Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Durham
Music: Clarke, Trumpet Aire, Spirit of England--Land of Hope and Glory
More information:http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/
http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/NewcastleuponTyne.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Cathedral
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