NORTHUMBRIA

At its peak, the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria stretched over much of southern Scotland and reached all the way down into the English midlands. For the purposes of this website, it consists of basically Yorkshire, South Lancashire, North Lancashire/Westmorland and the North-East.

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South/Central Lancashire

A redneck with taste. Marginally more likely than meeting an American tourist anywhere in this area, dominated by the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, and a whole host of intervening towns. This was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, and the area's never quite got over it. Liverpool has a strong Irish element, much community spirit, and a chip shop on every shoulder. Manchester is more modern and rather bland. In the north of this area, Blackpool is the traditional seaside resort, elevating 'tacky' to new heights (or depths) by the day. In direct contrast, the nearby Trough of Bowland is countryside at its wildest.

North Lancashire (Furness)/Westmorland

In 927 King Athelstan forced his Celtic neighbours to sign a treaty at Eamont Bridge, recognizing his new United State of England. He gained an area of moorland west of the Pennine Chain (mountain range running down the centre-north of England) into his new state, hence the name Westmorland. This, along with the Furness area of Lancashire, is the lower-left-hand bit of the Lake District. Many tourist traps, but some friendly people and, when it stops raining, some wonderful countryside. In 1974 the area was grouped with Celtic Cumberland into something called Cumbria, which is largely ignored by the locals (imagine grouping Maryland with Virginia). The area is easily reachable via the M6 motorway, and although Barrow-in-Furness is a bit depressing, the Lakes are breathtaking.

Yorkshire

The White Rose County, England's largest and home to a very individualistic people. They don't call it the People's Republic of Yorkshire for nothing. Like Lancashire it was heavily industrialized in the past, but being three times the size can squeeze in much more countryside, mainly the Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors. The Dales (long sparsely-settled valleys) are English scenery at its best, whilst the Moors are so wild you feel like you're on another planet. Like all northerners, they view anyone from south of Sheffield with suspicion, but will welcome foreign visitors, as they weigh up how much of your money they can prize off you before you get out of your car. William I ordered the wholesale destruction of life and property in the area in 1069, and the relationship between the county and London has been sour ever since.

The North-East

This falls into three sub-areas. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle-upon-Tyne are the Main Cities, interspersed with a host of smaller towns. If you must go there, Newcastle folk are called Geordies, and can talk with such an extreme accent even fellow northerners have to listen hard to understand them. County Durham escaped the ravaging that befell Yorkshire in 1069 by being given to the Church, and apart from the frequent Scottish raiders and too much industrialization, it's managed to preserve some countryside. Between Durham and Northumberland runs Hadrian's Wall; unfortunately there's not much left in many places as the Victorians kept using it for rockeries. Northumberland is England beyond the Wall and the best of the three; wild, cold, but stunning scenery and as with Westmorland, some of the friendlier people Up North. It is home to the stunning Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and the Farne Islands, both well worth a visit. One word of warning, however - the Northumberlanders have their own version of the bagpipes. If you've not heard these before, you are lucky. Think someone neutering a roomful of cats without anaesthetic, and you've got the idea.