The Centre of Britain Makes Its Mark

Earlier in the year, on an exceptionally sunny July day, I left the city of Glasgow behind and ventured south across the border to the small English town of Haltwhistle.

Haltwhistle – known as the “Centre of Britain” – is located in Northumberland, a county renowned for its sweeping moorlands, ancient castles, beautiful beaches, friendly pubs and, of course, Hadrian’s Wall. On arrival at my accommodation I was greeted not only by my lovely hosts, but with Eton mess and chilled prosecco! Very welcome treats that only set the tone for my delightful stay.

On the advice of my hosts, I decided to make the most of the afternoon sunshine and explore the local area. Haltwhistle really offers nature lovers a treat! Situated between the North Pennines and Northumberland National Park, the town has over 20 easily accessible country walks. I took myself on a short two-mile walk from my B&B through the town centre. I made a brief pit stop in a local inn and enjoyed a refreshing pint of English cider and a hearty game stew. It would have been rude not to!

Enjoying a refreshing English cider

Later, I ventured onwards to one of Britain’s most famous landmarks – Hadrian’s Wall, the northern frontier of the Holy Roman Empire. The once 80-mile coast to coast structure was erected by 15,000 men in just six years – truly some extraordinary work! Although not so vast nowadays, many large parts of the wall have been beautifully conserved. Milecastle 42 is considered one of the most well-preserved areas and it is an impressive sight to see. The once heavily guarded wall, now an unguarded world heritage site, transports you back two millennia in a matter of moments. I can easily imagine the soldiers and their enemies on the other side, bustling about their days entirely unaware that many years later, their lives would be mused over by tourists from all over the world. I made myself a promise to return again to visit the Roman army fort and the Vindolanda to learn more about this fascinating time in history.

Strolling back through the village later in the evening I was distracted by the smell of deep-fried deliciousness wafting from the local chip shop. It didn’t take much to tempt me inside! There is something wonderfully British and nostalgic about sitting on a bench on a cool summer’s night, a ‘poke’ of fresh chips in hand. A lovely end to an enjoyable day in the “Centre of Britain”.

Some fresh chips in Haltwhistle

McKinlay Kidd offer a variety of holidays to Northumberland, from self-drives across Northern England to dark sky experiences and journeys through beautiful scenery by train. For more information, simply get in touch with our award-winning team, who will be delighted to help.

Hamish uncovers some home truths in York

Before my recent weekend trip to York, I am ashamed to say that the only thing I thought I knew about it was that William Wallace sacked the city during his rampage into the North of England, as depicted in the film Braveheart (a film not known for its historical accuracy, but on this part, I was willing to trust it).

I soon discovered that I should have known better. Five minutes into a walking tour of the city with the Association of Volunteer Guides of York, our guide was describing the history of St Mary’s Abbey and happened to mention something about pesky Scots. “Aha”, I thought, here’s my chance to impress the group with my historical knowledge and proceeded to ask, “William Wallace being the peskiest of the lot I presume?” Inevitably, the answer came back that William Wallace came nowhere near the city and that it is pure Hollywood fiction. Curse you Mel Gibson!

Fortunately, this embarrassing faux pas did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the rest of the excellent walking tour in which I learnt so much about the history of this fascinating city. Taking in 4th Century Roman fortifications, a medieval Abbey from which King Henry VIII stole stone to build his Kings Manor, the ancient city walls and the city’s oldest street “The Shambles”, amongst several other highlights.

Spring has finally sprung in the UK and I was treated to glorious sunshine over the course of the whole May weekend. This enhanced the total experience and revealed one particularly beautiful aspect.

Described as York’s jewel in the crown, the Minster really is an amazing sight. The first version was the size of a small house and built of wood, the current “modern” version is made of limestone and its central tower is large enough to fit the leaning tower of Pisa comfortably inside. However, as impressive as it is from the outside, the real treat is when you walk inside. Stained glass windows three storeys high glistened with the sun pouring through them and when combined with the resident organist practicing for that evening’s service, it made for quite a spiritual experience.

The great thing I found about York is that so many of its sights are within short walking distance of each other. It reminded me of Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh in that way. On my last morning, with a 2.30pm cross country train back to Glasgow to catch, I climbed up Clifford’s Tower, which is an absolute must if you want the best 360° view of the city, followed by a couple of hours in the National Railway Museum, without even breaking a sweat.

On the food front, I have to say, the city mightily impressed me. Yorkshire is famous for its love of tea and this meant there is an abundance of excellent tearooms… which, of course, also means plenty of cake! When the sun goes down, the bustling Walmgate area has a number of excellent restaurants. I’d advise booking well in advance.

With my first recce trip to Northern England done, I am looking forward to helping McKinlay Kidd clients see this unique city differently in the months ahead.

By Hamish @ McKinlay Kidd

(Featured photo taken at York Minster)