You won’t find identical towns here. Rather, each community has its own character and sense of place. Pretty well every village and town boasts some of the best scenery in the UK and offers access to top walking trails, cycling and other activities. Haltwhistle an annual celebration of walking, Hexham a growing book event, Morpeth the Northumbrian gathering and Allendale the famous New Year’s Eve Tar Barrell parade, to name a few.

History, too, has played a significant role in shaping these northern towns and villages. Even without too much reading you can learn a lot from the local architecture, with each building or structure telling a story and often revealing a lot about a area’s history and character. Explore the Berwick Walls, see Admiral Collingwood’s home in Morpeth, discover Lindisfarne Castle, modified by Edward Lutyens, walk around Floors Castle and Kelso Abbey and see Mary, Queen of Scot’s house in Jedburgh.

The main streets do carry some high street brand names, but have a good mix of local businesses that make shopping exciting and interesting. For example, Morpeth is home to Rutherfords, one of the few surviving family run department stores left, which has been at the heart of the town since 1846. Hexham offers an old-world charm and has many interesting cafes and shops, including Cogito book shop. Not far from Hexham is Corbridge, one of the best shopping locations in Northumberland. Here you will discover some impressive art galleries and an array of independent shops.