Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers more than 1,050 square kilometers (410 square miles) and is located between the Scottish border in the north and just south of Hadrian's Wall. The park is entirely within the county of Northumberland and covers about one-fourth of the county’s area.

Of the thirteen national parks in England and Wales, Northumberland is farthest from large cities, has the fewest people living in it, and is visited by the fewest people.

The park includes several different areas. In the north are the Cheviot Hills, a range of hills that form the border between England and Scotland. Further south, the hills change into rolling moorland, some of which have been planted with trees to create Kielder Forest. The southern part of the park includes a section of Hadrian's Wall, a historic structure built during the time of the Roman Empire.

The area has been home to people for about 10,000 years. This history is shown through many archaeological sites, including prehistoric monuments, remains from the Roman period, and Pele towers, which were built to protect against attacks from Scots and Border Reivers.

The official symbol of the park is the curlew.

Etymology

The Northumberland National Park is named after the English county of Northumberland. The word "Northumberland" means "country north of the River Humber" and is connected to the name "Northumbria," which refers to an ancient kingdom ruled by the Anglo-Saxons that once covered parts of northern England. The national park is completely inside the boundaries of Northumberland.

Geography

Northumberland National Park covers a large area in Western Northumberland and borders the English county of Cumbria and the Scottish council area of The Scottish Borders. The park includes much of the Cheviot Hills and is next to the Southern Uplands of Scotland, which are sometimes considered part of the same region. The Pennine Way passes through the national park, so the Cheviot Hills are also considered part of the northern Pennines, even though they are separated from the Pennines by the Tyne Gap, which is partly located in the southern part of the park. A portion of Kielder Forest is within the park, and in other areas, it forms a forest park. Kielder Forest is the largest man-made forest in Europe and is located around Kielder Water.

Otterburn Training Area

The UK Ministry of Defence owns a large part of the land in the Northumberland National Park, known as the Otterburn Training Area. Some areas of this training site are not open to the public, while others can only be visited at specific times or with special permission. The Otterburn Training Area covers 23% of the entire Northumberland National Park.

Dark Sky Park status

In December 2013, the International Dark Sky Association gave Dark Sky Park status to an area that includes Northumberland National Park and Kielder. This is the largest protected Dark Sky Park in Europe.

• In the southern part of the park, cutting trees is an important part of managing Kielder Forest.
• Hadrian's Wall is historically important and contributes to the National Park's value.
• Sighty Cragg
• Shillhope Law