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The ancient kingdom of Northumbria has taken many different sizes and shapes over the centuries. It originated in 604, when it was created by Ethelfrid (a local baron) but it went through a very turbulent time for the next three hundred and fifty years before it was incorporated into England in 954 by King Edred. At that time, the area spanned from the River Forth to the River Humber. An area more than twice the size of the one covered here. As you will see, however, the warlike nature of the local clans and the regular invasion by forces from overseas made it unlikely that the borders could remain unchanged. The history of the area is tied up in the turbulent history of the British Isles and is instrumental the the shaping of the country as we know it today.

The most notable images conjured up when you think of Northumbria are perhaps Durham Cathedral, Geordie coal miners, Holy island and the Lindisfarne Gospels, the bare slopes of the Cheviots, Hadrian's wall, and the many fortified castles (such as Bamburgh or Alnwick). In a way, this list provides a key to the major historic occurrences of the area. The wall represents the Romans, who annexed all of this area at one time or another and found that the warlike nature of its northerly neighbours gave them nothing but grief. Holy Island represents the Anglo-Saxon Northumbrians who followed them, and the island's priory and intricate illuminated manuscripts represent the Celtic people who predate both invasions, and who returned to the island bringing the Christian religion with them - only to be evicted by the Vikings. Durham Cathedral also stands for Christianity - it is the burial place for St. Cuthbert, the patron saint of Northumbria - but in addition represents the power of the Prince Bishops; a virtually autonomous power in the north, who existed as a buffer between southern England and the Scots.

The castles exist because of the three centuries of continuous warfare which was fought along the line of the ever moving Scottish Border, while the bare Cheviots sum up the desolation in which these struggles occurred. Finally, the coal miner represents the coal mining industry, which underpinned the industrial strength of Northumbria during the 19th Century and generated the majority of the wealth which shaped its economy.

Probably the most important monument in Northumbria is Hadrian's Wall; a unique legacy of the Roman conquest, and a structure so robust that it has become a part of the landscape.