Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park
Home to England’s cleanest rivers, clearest air, the darkest skies and The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre.
Covering an area of more than 410 square miles between the Scottish border in the north to just south of Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage site, Northumberland is the least populated of all of the UK’s 15 National Parks.
The least populated of all of the UK’s 15 National Parks, the diverse landscape of Northumberland attracts visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy the heritage, history and culture of this ancient, unspoilt place.
Key activities
The Sill , Activity
Nestled within the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage site, The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre is your gateway to a National Park experience.
Dark Skies , Activity
England’s darkest skies are the perfect place to stargaze. Discover our many dark sky sites where you can see millions of stars, far away from light pollution.
Hiking , Activity
Our walking routes are some of the best ways to uncover our wide skies, dramatic landscapes and glorious history.
Special qualities
10 reasons why Northumberland National Park is a special place
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1,050 square kilometres (410 sq mi) between the Scottish border in the north to just south of Hadrian’s Wall, and it is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks.
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre is situated at Once Brewed next to the most iconic stretches of Hadrian’s Wall. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Sill was one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by an English National Park. Its aim – to help more people access and learn about the park landscapes, geography and habitats – is enjoyed by around 140,000 each year and features a fully accessible Whin Sill Grassland roof walk and rich programme of activities, events and exhibitions.
In December 2013 the International Dark Sky Association conferred Dark Sky Park status on an area including Northumberland National Park; it is the largest protected Dark Sky Park in Europe. Dark Sky viewing platforms can be found across the National Park including Walltown and Cawfields on Hadrian’s Wall.
From prehistoric rock art and hill forts to the ruins of medieval castles and bastles, or fortified farmhouses and UNESCO World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall, the 10,000 year history of human habitation in our historic landscape reflects its frontier past. A third of North East England’s 1,389 scheduled monuments are found in the park, which also has 229 listed buildings and structures.
The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom owns much of the land in the national park as the Otterburn Training Area. Some parts of this training area are off-limits; others can be accessed only at certain times or with permission. The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park. There are 75 Scheduled Monuments within the Otterburn Training Area, England’s second largest military training area established in 1911.
Four out of the five of the cleanest rivers in Britain are sourced in Northumberland National Park. All these rivers tumble down from the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland National Park. They are home to migrating salmon and sea trout, which swim upstream from the sea to lay their eggs, and to otters and other wildlife such as dippers and the water crow-foot, a floating member of the buttercup family.
Northumberland is the most remote and least populated of all England’s national parks, with a population of only around 2,000. This equates to just 0.02 persons per hectare – 10 times less dense than any other national park. It is also officially the most tranquil National Park.
The variety of landscapes mean that almost a third of the park (32,758 hectares) is made up of priority habitats, which are recognised for their national and international environmental importance and wildlife, while 10,000 hectares are sites of special scientific interest.
Not surprisingly, walking is the top activity for visitors, with 72% of the park classed as open access land and there are more than 1,140km of public rights of way. Hugely popular are walks around Hadrian’s Wall and in the stunning scenery and solitude of the Cheviot Hills. With everything from waterfalls to woodland, you can’t fail to find the most beautiful backdrop to your adventures in the countryside.
Around 70 per cent of Northumberland National Park is open moorland covered with grasses that feed sheep and cattle from more than 200 farms located within the Park. In areas like Simonside and Cheviot Hills, where sheep grazing has been restricted, purple heather cover abounds, a habitat found few other places in the world. The curlew, Britain’s biggest wading bird, breeds on the wet edges of the moors in spring.
Did You Know?
Overview
Come to the land of the far horizons for breathtaking landscape, intriguing history and a warm welcome in England’s most tranquil corner. We have more than 400 square miles of scenery in which to escape from the everyday.
The iconic ridge of the Whin Sill with Hadrian’s Wall striding along its crest stretches along our southern boundary. To the west lies the beguiling valley of North Tyne with hay meadows and waterfalls. It neighbours the wild valley of Redesdale, site of ancient battles and defiant moorland.
In our centre is Coquetdale, with the landmark Simonside Hills and the beautiful villages of Harbottle and Holystone. To the north towards the border with Scotland, the landscape changes again. Here are the rolling moors and grasslands of the Cheviot Hills, with their ancient hillforts and pristine rivers.
Hadrian’s Wall
The most iconic stretches of Hadrian’s Wall can be explored by a short walk or drive from The Sill. Walk to Steel Rigg and Sycamore Gap, following the wall as it snakes through the Whin Sill landscape. Travelling west you can visit Cawfields and Walltown where you will find toilets, picnic sites and dark sky viewing platforms.
Simonside Hills
Walk along the top of Simonside where you have a 360 degree view of the Cheviot Hills and Northumberland coastline. This distinctive ridge, with its craggy profile, teems with wildlife such as the curlew, red grouse, wild goats, and red squirrels. Ancient cairns mark the summit of the ridge and below the ridge lies Lordenshaws hillfort.
The Cheviots
The Cheviots are a range of rolling hills straddling the Anglo-Scottish border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. Check out the dramatic waterfall of Linhope Spout or tucked-away ponds of Wooler Common and for those seeking adventure you can walk to the summit of Cheviot, Northumberland’s highest point.
National Parks are places where animals make their homes, people catch up over coffee, and we pause to marvel at the dark skies above.
Places to connect, discover and look a little closer.
We’d love to see your images of autumn in action in a National Park. Tag us or use the hashtag #AutumnInAction 🧡
#NationalParks #Autumn
What if Middle-earth’s Rangers had more in common with National Park Rangers than we might think?
Of course, our National Park Rangers have a little less to worry about than Aragorn and his fellow Rangers.
But they do both know their landscapes well, protect the places they love and guide others to find their way.
Across the UK’s 15 National Parks, our Rangers are taking action every day. They may not be defending the Shire from the forces of darkness, but they certainly do an incredibly important job. 💚
#MiddleEarth #Rangers #NationalParksUK
15 National Parks. One shared challenge. Our climate is changing, and with it comes an increased risk of wildfire across our landscapes.
That’s why we’ve committed to taking action through our new Wildfire Management Position Statement. Together, the National Parks will work to support nature recovery to help manage wildfire risk, plan for and strengthen wildfire response and coordination, improve risk management and preparedness, and share clear, consistent public messaging.
But we can’t do it alone.
Communities, organisations, land managers and visitors all have a role to play in reducing wildfire risk. By working together, we can help protect our National Parks and prepare for a future where hotter, drier weather may increase the risk of wildfire.
Read the full statement by clicking on the link in our bio 🔗
Photos:
Slide 1 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Ed Smith. Slide 2 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith. Slide 3 - View across Loch Morlich during Glenmore wildfire, July 2026, © Brenna Jessie. Slide 4 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith. Slide 5 - View from the cab of a tractor aiding in fighting the wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, CPNA. Slide 5 - Firefighting vehicles at the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith.
#Wildfires #NationalParksUK
It’s not every day you get to see one of our National Parks in biscuit form on @britishbakeoff!
Last night, The Great British Bake Off contestant @itsdoctoryan created a beautiful biscuit mosaic inspired by the Broads National Park, perfectly capturing the view at St Benet’s Mill, Thurne.
And it wasn’t just a feast for the eyes as the mosaic was made using treacle and ginger, honey and lemon, cocoa and malted milk, and pistachio biscuits.
Two great things combined: a beautiful National Park view and delicious biscuits. What could be better than that? 💚
Photo: Channel 4
#GBBO #BakeOff #NorfolkBroads @broadsnationalpark
You’ve likely heard of one - but what does it actually do?
Our 15 Parks wouldn’t be able to function without the authorities working behind the scenes to keep them running.
And each authority relies on people. People within the community, volunteers, staff and members. People that run businesses, or partner as organisations. People that are skilled and knowledgeable in a variety of areas from wildlife to accessibility.
Our National Parks are full of people and action, and it’s the Authorities that bring them all together.
💚
#NationalParksUK #NationalParkAuthorities
The Yorkshire Dales has one of the highest concentrations of caves and caverns of any of our 15 National Parks - a whole landscape hiding beneath the ground.
Our National Parks don’t just protect and preserve the landscapes we see every day. They also help care for historic and unique places discovered by our ancestors, like Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill, both of which were shrouded in myth and legend until they were explored by Victorians in the 1800s.
There’s so much more to our National Parks than meets the eye and sometimes, quite literally beneath the surface 👀
#YorkshireDales #GapingGill #Ingleborough
A week on from National Parks UK’s Big Volunteer Weekend, we’re still celebrating the people who make a difference across our National Parks.
Last weekend, hundreds of people came together across all 15 National Parks to give their time, share their skills and support our landscapes.
But volunteering in our National Parks doesn’t happen just one weekend a year. All year round, volunteers play an incredible variety of roles – from leading guided walks and supporting education, to conservation, planting and caring for our landscapes.
Every volunteer makes a valuable contribution to protecting our natural and cultural heritage. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you. 💚
So, to all our volunteers: thank you for your time, energy, enthusiasm and everything you bring to our National Parks.
If you know someone who volunteers in a National Park, help us spread the thanks by sharing this post. 🌿
#Volunteers #NationalParks #NationalParksUK
Mae’r Bele yn un o famaliaid prinnaf Cymru, ond mae eu niferoedd yn tyfu yn raddol. Mae hynny’n newyddion da i’n coetiroedd ac i’r Parciau Cenedlaethol, sy’n darparu rhai o’r cynefinoedd pwysicaf ar gyfer bywyd gwyllt ledled Cymru a Phrydain.
Ym Mannau Brycheiniog, mae’r prosiect adfer wedi gosod blychau nythu yn y coed, ac mae gwaith monitro wedi nodi presenoldeb y Bele, gan gynnwys grwpiau teuluol. Mae’r ffilm arbennig hon yn dangos un ohonynt ar waith. 🐾
Mae’n atgof hyfryd o’r hyn sy’n bosibl pan ddaw coetiroedd iach a gwaith cadwraeth arbenigol at ei gilydd i roi’r gofod sydd ei angen ar rywogaethau prin i wella.
Pine Martens are one of Wales’ rarest mammals, but they’re slowly making a comeback. That’s good news for our woodlands, and for National Parks, which provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife across Wales and Britain.
In Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), the recovery project has installed treetop den boxes, with monitoring identifying pine martens, including family groups. This special footage shows one in action. 🐾
It’s a lovely reminder of what can happen when healthy woodlands and specialist conservation work come together to give rare species the space they need to recover.
#BreconBeacons #BannauBrycheiniog #PineMartins #Wales
