View source for Northumberland

{{Short description|County of England}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{Distinguish|Northumbria}}
{{Other uses}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox English county
| official_name = Northumberland
| image_main = {{multiple images |border=infobox |perrow=1/2 |total_width=250px
 | image1 = Bamburgh_MMB_55_Bamburgh_Castle_(edited,_cropped).jpg
 | image2 = Morpeth Clock Tower July 2017 (cropped, edited).jpg
 | image3 = Blyth East Pier Lighthouse (48586306587).jpg
 }}
| image_caption = [[Bamburgh Castle]]; [[Morpeth Clock Tower]]; and the lighthouse on East Pier, [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]]
| locator_map = {{Switcher
| [[File:Northumberland UK locator map 2010.svg|250px]]<br />''Ceremonial Northumberland''<hr />
| Ceremonial Northumberland
| [[File:Northumberland - British Isles.svg|250px]]<br />Historic Northumberland <hr />
| Historic Northumberland
}}
| coordinates = {{coord|55|10|N|2|00|W|region:GB_type:adm1st|display=title, inline}}
| region = [[North East England|North East]]
| established_date = [[Historic counties of England|Ancient]]<br>12th century
| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland
| lord_lieutenant_name = [[Dr Caroline Pryer]]
| high_sheriff_office = High Sheriff of Northumberland
| high_sheriff_name = Lucia Bridgeman<ref>{{cite news |title=New High Sheriff of Northumberland appointed for 2024/25 |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/24215597.lucia-bridgeman-appointed-northumberlands-high-sheriff-2024-25/ |work=Hexham Courant |date=28 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref> (2024–25)
| unitary_council = [[Northumberland County Council]]
| admin_hq = [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]]
| ethnicity = {{Collapsible list
 | 97.6% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 1.1% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 0.8% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 0.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 | 0.2% [[Black British people|Black]]
 }}
| ethnicity_year = [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]
| ethnicity_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021 |id=E06000057 |title=Northumberland Local Authority |access-date=15 July 2024 }}</ref>
| iso_code = GB-NBL
| gss_code = E06000057
| nuts_code = TLC21
| MPs = {{Collapsible list | title = 4 MPs
 | [[David Smith (British Labour politician) | David Smith]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 | [[Ian Lavery]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 | [[Joe Morris (politician)| Joe Morris]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 | [[Emma Foody]] ([[Labour and Co-operative Party|L]])
 }}
| fire = [[Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service]]
| website = {{URL|www.northumberland.gov.uk}}
| largest_town = {{ubl|[[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]] (ceremonial) | [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] (historic)}}
| county_town = [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]]
}}
'''Northumberland''' ({{IPAc-en|n|ɔːr|ˈ|θ|ʌ|m|b|ər|l|ə|n|d}} {{respell|nor|THUM|bər|lənd}})<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northumberland definition and meaning – Collins English Dictionary |url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/northumberland |website=Collinsdictionary.com}}</ref> is a [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] in [[North East England]], on the [[Anglo-Scottish border|border with Scotland]]. It is bordered by the [[North Sea]] to the east, [[Tyne and Wear]] and [[County Durham]] to the south, [[Cumbria]] to the west, and the [[Scottish Borders]] council area to the north. The town of [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]] is the largest settlement. Northumberland is the northernmost county in England.

The county has an area of {{Convert|5013|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and had a population of {{English cerem counties|POP=Northumberland}} in {{English cerem counties|TXT=Year}}, making it the least-densely populated county in England. The south-east contains the largest towns: [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]], [[Cramlington]], [[Ashington]], [[Bedlington]], and [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]], the last of which is the administrative centre. The remainder of the county is rural, the largest towns being [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]] in the far north and [[Hexham]] in the south-west. For local government purposes Northumberland is a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] area. The county [[Historic counties of England|historically]] included the parts of Tyne and Wear north of the [[River Tyne]].

The west of Northumberland contains part of the [[Cheviot Hills]] and [[North Pennines]], while to the east the land becomes flatter before reaching the coast. [[The Cheviot]] ({{Convert|815|m|ft|abbr=on}}), after which the range of hills is named, is the county's highest point. The county contains the source of the River North Tyne and much of the South Tyne; near [[Hexham]] they combine to form the Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north, the [[River Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]], [[River Coquet|Coquet]], [[River Aln|Aln]], Wansbeck and [[River Tweed|Tweed]], the last of which forms part of the Scottish border. The county contains [[Northumberland National Park]] and two [[National Landscape|national landscapes]]: the [[Northumberland Coast National Landscape|Northumberland Coast]] and part of the [[North Pennines]].

Much of the county's history has been defined by its position on a border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of [[Hadrian's Wall]], and the region was contested between England and Scotland into the Early Modern era, leading to the construction of many castles, [[peel tower]]s and [[bastle house]]s, and the early modern fortifications at [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]]. Northumberland is also associated with [[Celtic Christianity]], particularly the tidal island of [[Lindisfarne]]. During the [[Industrial Revolution]] the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries.

==History==
{{main|History of Northumberland}}

===Name origin===
[[File:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - nord hymbra land.jpg|thumb|upright=1|An early mention of Northumberland as ''norð hẏmbra land'' "north of Humber land" in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'']]
The name of Northumberland is recorded in the [[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]] as ''norð hẏmbra land'', meaning "the land north of the [[Humber]]". The name of the kingdom of ''[[Northumbria]]'' derives from the Old English {{wikt-lang|ang|Norþanhymbre|Norþan-hymbre}} meaning  "the people or province north of the Humber",<ref>{{cite book
    |last=Bosworth
    |first=Joseph
    |title=An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary: Based on the Manuscript Collections of the Late Joseph Bosworth
    |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m_o3AQAAMAAJ
    |year=1898
    |publisher=Clarendon Press
    |pages=725
    }}</ref> as opposed to [[Southumbria]], south of the [[Humber|Humber Estuary]].

===Before the county===
[[File:Long Crag summit.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Long Crag]] summit]]
The land has long been an English frontier zone, and it is now bordered to the north by [[Scotland]]. Northumberland has a rich [[prehistory]] with many instances of [[rock art]], [[hillfort]]s such as [[Yeavering Bell]], and [[stone circle]]s such as [[the Goatstones]] and [[Duddo Five Stones]]. Most of the area was occupied by the [[Celtic Britons|Brythonic]]-[[Celts|Celtic]] [[Votadini]] people, with another large tribe, the [[Brigantes]], to the south.

During the [[Roman occupation of Britain]], most of the present county lay north of [[Hadrian's Wall]]. It was controlled by Rome only for the brief period of its extension of power north to the [[Antonine Wall]]. The Roman road [[Dere Street]] crosses the county from [[Corbridge]] over high moorland west of the [[Cheviot Hills]] to [[Melrose, Scottish Borders]] ({{langx|la|Trimontium}}). As evidence of its border position through medieval times, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England,<ref>{{cite book |last=Long |first=B. |date=1967 |title=Castles of Northumberland |location=Newcastle |publisher=Harold Hill}}</ref> including prominent ones at [[Alnwick Castle|Alnwick]], [[Bamburgh Castle|Bamburgh]], [[Dunstanburgh Castle|Dunstanburgh]], [[The Castle, Newcastle|Newcastle]], and [[Warkworth Castle|Warkworth]].

Nearly 2,000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at [[Vindolanda]] in 2017 by the Vindolanda Trust experts, led by [[Andrew Birley]]. Being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, those found at Vindolanda look like leather bands dating back to 120{{nbsp}}AD. It is suggested that, based on their difference from gladiator gloves, the gloves were not used in mortal combat, but rather in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alberge |first=Dalya |date=19 February 2018 |title=Rare Roman boxing gloves found near Hadrian's Wall |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/19/rare-roman-boxing-gloves-found-hadrians-wall |access-date=19 August 2019 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Present-day Northumberland formed the core of the [[Angles (tribe)|Anglian]] kingdom of [[Bernicia]] from about 547. It was united with [[Deira]] (south of the [[River Tees]]) to form the kingdom of [[Northumbria]] in the 7th century. The boundaries of Northumbria under King [[Edwin of Northumbria|Edwin]] (reigned 616–633) stretched from the [[Humber]] in the south to the [[River Forth|Forth]] in the north. Northumberland is often called the "cradle of Christianity" in England because Christianity flourished on [[Lindisfarne]]—a tidal island north of [[Bamburgh]], also called Holy Island—after King [[Oswald of Northumbria]] (r. 634–642) invited monks from [[Iona]] to come to convert the English. The monastery at Lindisfarne was the centre of production of the [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] (around 700). It became the home of [[Cuthbert of Lindisfarne|St Cuthbert]] ({{circa|634–687}}, abbot from {{circa|665}}), who is buried in [[Durham Cathedral]].

The Kingdom of Northumbria fragmented into a series of successor states following the Viking invasion. In the south, Viking settlers established the [[Kingdom of York]] between the Humber and Tees. However, Viking influence petered out at the Tees, with the river serving as the northern boundary of the Danelaw. Between the Tyne and Tees rivers, the Community of St. Cuthbert emerged as the successors to the Bishops of Lindisfarne; north of the Tyne, the earls of Bamburgh, who traced their lineage back to the Kings of Northumbria, continued to exercise authority and governance over this northern expanse. York was eventually integrated as a shire into the unified Kingdom of England by the House of Wessex. However, the West Saxon governmental structures were not extended beyond Tees, leaving the Earldom of Bamburgh and the Community of St. Cuthbert as contested buffer states with the emerging Kingdom of Scotland.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Harper-Bill |first1=Christopher |last2=Van Houts |first2=Elisabeth M. C. |title=A Companion to the Anglo-Norman World |date=2007 |publisher=Boydell & Brewer|location=Woodbridge |isbn=978-1-84383-341-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EeBxpPmDh9QC |access-date=24 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Aird |first1=William M. |title=St Cuthbert and the Normans: The Church of Durham, 1071–1153 |date=1998 |publisher=Boydell Press |location=Woodbridge |isbn=9780851156156 |edition=1. publ |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqFWcZvE9H8C |access-date=24 September 2023}}</ref>
After the battle of [[Nechtansmere]], Northumbrian influence north of the Tweed began to decline as the Picts gradually reclaimed the land previously invaded by the Anglian kingdom. In 1018, its northern part, the region between the [[River Tweed|Tweed]] and the Forth (including [[Lothian]], which includes present-day [[Edinburgh]]), was ceded to the Kingdom of Scotland.

===As a county===
The [[Earl of Northumbria|Earldom of Northumberland]] was briefly held by the Scottish royal family by marriage, between 1139–1157 and 1215–1217.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} Scotland relinquished all claims to the region as part of the [[Treaty of York]] (1237). The earls of Northumberland once wielded significant power in English affairs because, as powerful and militaristic lords in the [[Scottish Marches]], they had the task of protecting England from Scottish retaliation for English invasions.

Northumberland has a history of revolt and rebellion against the government, as seen in the [[Rising of the North]] (1569–1570) against [[Elizabeth I]]. These revolts were usually led by the earls of Northumberland, the Percy family. [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] makes one of the Percys, the dashing [[Harry Hotspur]] (1364–1403), the hero of his ''[[Henry IV, Part 1]]''. The Percys were often aided in conflict by other powerful Northern families, such as the [[House of Neville|Neville]]s and the Patchetts. The latter were stripped of all power and titles by the victorious Parliamentarians after the [[English Civil War]] of 1642–1651.

After the [[English Restoration|Restoration]] in 1660, the county was a centre for [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] in England, as well as a focus of [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] support. Northumberland was long a wild county, where outlaws and [[Border Reivers]] hid from the law. However, the frequent cross-border skirmishes and accompanying local lawlessness largely subsided after the [[Union of the Crowns]] of Scotland and England under [[James I of England|King James I and VI]] in 1603.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Sharon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nxQABQAAQBAJ&pg=PA39 |title=Scotland in the Age of Two Revolutions |last2=Goodare |first2=Julian |date=2014 |publisher=Boydell |isbn=9781843839392 |location=Woodbridge |pages=38–39}}</ref>

Northumberland played a key role in the [[Industrial Revolution]] from the 18th century on. Many [[Coal mining|coal mines]] operated in Northumberland until the [[UK miners' strike (1984–85)#Pit closures announced|widespread closures]] in the 1970s and 1980s. [[Collieries]] operated at [[Ashington]], Bedlington, [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]], Choppington, Netherton, [[Ellington, Northumberland|Ellington]], and [[Pegswood]]. The region's coalfields fuelled industrial expansion in other areas of Britain, and the need to transport the coal from the collieries to the Tyne led to the development of the first railways. [[Shipbuilding]] and [[armaments]] manufacture were other important industries before the deindustrialisation of the 1980s.

Northumberland remains largely rural, and is the least densely populated county in England. In recent years, the county has had considerable growth in tourism. Visitors are attracted both to its scenic beauty and to its historical sites.

==Geography==
[[File:ShepherdPhysical1926Northumberland.png|thumb|upright=1|Physical geography of Northumberland and surrounding areas]]
[[File:N NE England SRTM.png|thumb|upright=1]]

Northumberland has a diverse physical geography. It is low and flat near the [[North Sea]] coast and increasingly mountainous towards the northwest. Being in the far north of England, above 55° [[latitude]], and having many areas of high land, Northumberland is one of the coldest areas of the country. But as the county lies on the east coast, it has relatively low rainfall, with the highest amounts falling on the high land in the west.<ref name="met_rain">Met Office, 2000. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130828101108/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif Annual average rainfall for the United Kingdom]}}."</ref>

About a quarter of the county forms the [[Northumberland National Park]], an area of outstanding landscape that has largely been protected from development and agriculture. The park stretches south from the Scottish border and includes [[Hadrian's Wall]]. Most of the park is over {{Convert|240|m|abbr=off}} above sea level. The [[Northumberland Coast National Landscape|Northumberland Coast]] is also a designated [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB). A small part of the [[North Pennines]] AONB is also in the county.

There is a variety of nature reserves in Northumberland including [[Lindisfarne|Holy Island]] National Nature Reserve and Farne Islands National Nature Reserve. Moreover, 50% of England's [[red squirrel]] population lives in the Kielder Water and Forest Park.

[[Natural England]] recognises the following natural regions, or [[national character area]]s, that lie wholly or partially within Northumberland:<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Character Area profiles: data for local decision making |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-character-area-profiles-data-for-local-decision-making |access-date=14 December 2018 |website=Gov.uk}}</ref>

* [[North Northumberland Coastal Plain]]
* South East Northumberland Coastal Plain
* [[Cheviot Fringe]]
* [[Cheviot Hills]]
* [[Northumberland Sandstone Hills]]
* [[Mid Northumberland]]
* [[Tyne Gap]] and [[Hadrian's Wall]]
* [[Border Moors and Forests]]
* [[Tyne and Wear]] Lowlands

===Geology===
{{main|Geology of Northumberland}}
[[File:Rothbury, Northumberland.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[River Coquet]]]]
The [[Cheviot Hills]], in the northwest of the county, consist mainly of [[resistance (geology)|resistant]] [[Devonian]] [[granite]] and [[andesite]] [[lava]]. A second area of [[igneous]] rock underlies the [[Whin Sill]] (on which Hadrian's Wall runs), an intrusion of [[Carboniferous]] [[dolerite]]. Both ridges support a rather bare [[moorland]] landscape. Either side of the Whin Sill the county lies on [[Carboniferous Limestone]], giving some areas of [[Karst topography|karst landscape]].<ref name="geology">Northumberland National Park Authority, n.d. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110721180600/http://www.northumberland-national-park.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF0FC540-5616-45DF-A21D-084F492174D0/0/TopographyandClimate.pdf The topology and climate of Northumberland National Park]".</ref> Lying off the coast of Northumberland are the [[Farne Islands]], another dolerite outcrop, famous for their bird life.

The [[Northumberland Coalfield]] extends across the southeast corner of the county, from the River Tyne as far north as [[Shilbottle]]. There were smaller-scale workings for [[coal]] within the Tyne Limestone Formation as far north as [[Scremerston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Northumberland nIV.NW (includes: Ancroft; Ord; Tweedmouth.) |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/101027781 |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tyne Limestone Formation |url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TYLS |website=BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units |publisher=British Geological Survey |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Geoindex Onshore |url=https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/home.html |publisher=British Geological Survey |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> The term 'sea coal' likely originated from chunks of coal, found washed up on beaches, that wave action had broken from coastal outcroppings.

===Green belt===
{{further|North East Green Belt}}
[[File:Northumberland Hadrian's Wall Aerial 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Hadrian's Wall]]]]
Northumberland's [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belt]] is in the south of the county, surrounding Cramlington and other communities along the county border, to afford a protection from the [[Tyneside]] conurbation. The belt continues west along the border, past [[Darras Hall]], and on to Hexham, stopping before [[Haydon Bridge]]. Its border there is shared with the [[North Pennines]] AONB. There are also some separated belt areas, for example to the east of Morpeth. The green belt was first drawn up in the 1950s.

==Politics==
===County town===
[[File:Flying the flag for Northumberland, Hexham - geograph.org.uk - 6420559.jpg|thumb|[[Flag of Northumberland]] flown in [[Hexham]], 2020]]
The historic [[county town]] was [[Alnwick]]; [[assizes]] were mainly held in [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], with the [[county gaol]] in [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alnwick |url=http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/alnwick.htm |access-date=9 April 2022|publisher=Northumberland County Council}}<br/>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp345-350#s6|title=''Morpeth (St. Mary)'', ''A Topographical Dictionary of England'' (1848), pp. 345–350|publisher=British-history.ac.uk |date=22 June 2003 |access-date=9 April 2022}}<br/>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp433-439#s11|title=''Northiam – Nortoft'', ''A Topographical Dictionary of England'' (1848), pp. 433–439.|publisher=British-history.ac.uk |date=22 June 2003 |access-date=9 April 2022}}</ref> Newcastle became a city in 1400, with [[county corporate]] status, with both areas having joint assizes.

From the [[county council]]'s formation in 1889 until 1981 Newcastle was the [[county town]], being briefly the county town of two counties when the city became a part of the [[Tyne and Wear]] [[metropolitan county]] in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2009 |title=History of Newcastle upon Tyne |url=http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/legacy/libraries/HistoryofNewcastlemainbody.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015024741/http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/legacy/libraries/HistoryofNewcastlemainbody.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=8 October 2023 |website=Local Studies Factsheet No. 6 |publisher=Newcastle City Council |page=2}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The [[county council]] has been governed from [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]] since 1981. In 2009 the county council became a [[unitary authority]] when the county's districts were abolished and the county council took on their functions.

===Council===
{{main|Northumberland Council}}
[[File:County Hall, Morpeth (geograph 4464710).jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[County Hall, Morpeth|County Hall]], Morpeth]]
The [[unitary authority]] of [[Northumberland Council]] was [[2009 structural changes to local government in England|established in April 2009]]. Previously, the county had a two-tier council system for the [[non-metropolitan county|county]] and its six [[Non-metropolitan district|districts]], both responsible for different aspects of [[local government in the United Kingdom|local government]]. These districts were [[Blyth Valley]], [[Wansbeck District|Wansbeck]], [[Castle Morpeth]], [[Tynedale]], [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]] and [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]].

Elections for the unitary authority council first took place on 1 May 2008. The most recent elections, in 2021, had the following results:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="7" |County Council Election 2021: Northumberland
|-
!Conservatives
!Labour
!Liberal Democrats
!Independents
!UKIP
!Green
!''Turnout''
|-
|47,645
|31,038
|8,549
|9,063
|N/A
|5,285
|104,188
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="7" |Overall Council seats as of 2021
|-
!Conservative
!Labour
!Independents
!LibDem
!UKIP
!Green
!Total
|-
|34 ({{increase}}1)
|21 ({{decrease}}3)
|7 ({{increase}}0)
|3 ({{decrease}}0)
|0 ({{steady}})
|2 ({{steady}})
|67
|}

===Constituencies===
{{see also|List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland}}
Northumberland is divided into four parliamentary constituencies: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and Hexham. The 2019 general election produced the following total votes, with changes since previous election:

{| class="wikitable"
|+General Election 2019 : Northumberland
!  Liberal Democrats !!  Labour !! Conservative !! Christian Peoples Alliance !!  Green
! Brexit
!''Turnout''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 17,018<br>+855
| style="text-align:center;" | 57,567<br />−16,665
| style="text-align:center;" | 83,663<br />+6,764
| style="text-align:center;" | 178<br>''Did not stand in [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 election]]''
| style="text-align:center;" | 3,673<br />−3,167
|6535<br>''New party''
| ''103,677''
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Overall numbers of seats as of 2024
! Labour !! Conservative
|- 
|valign=top| 4<br>[[Ian Lavery]]<br>[[David Smith (British Labour politician)|David Smith]]<br>[[Joe Morris (politician) |Joe Morris]]<br>[[Emma Foody]]
| 0
|}

<gallery>
File:Official portrait of Ian Lavery MP crop 2, 2024.jpg|[[Ian Lavery]] [[List of Labour Party (UK) MPs|Labour MP]] [[Blyth and Ashington]]
File: Official portrait of David Smith MP crop 2.jpg|alt=alt language|[[David Smith (British Labour politician)|David Smith]] [[List of Labour Party (UK) MPs|Labour MP]]    [[North Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)|North Northumberland]]
File:Official portrait of Joe Morris MP crop 2.jpg|[[Joe Morris (politician) |Joe Morris]] [[List of Labour Party (UK) MPs|Labour MP]]   [[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|(Hexham)]]
Official portrait of Emma Foody MP crop 2.jpg|alt=alt language| [[Emma Foody]] [[List of Labour Party (UK) MPs|Labour MP]]      [[Cramlington and Killingworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Cramlington and Killingworth]]
</gallery>

===2016 European Union Referendum===
[[File:United Kingdom EU referendum 2016 area results (North East England).svg|thumb|upright=1|2016 results of the [[European Union]] referendum in [[North East England]]]]
On 23 June 2016 Northumberland took part in the UK-wide referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. In Northumberland a majority voted to leave the European Union. The only one of the four parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland to vote Remain was [[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|Hexham]].

{| class="wikitable"
|+EU Referendum 2016 : Northumberland
!Leave
!Remain
!Majority
!''Turnout''
|-
|96,699<br>54.11%
|82,022<br>45.89%
|14,677<br>8.22%
|''178,721''
|}

==Demography==
{{update section|date=September 2018}}
At the [[United Kingdom census, 2001|2001 UK Census]] Northumberland registered a population of 307,190,<ref name="2001_population">[[Office for National Statistics]], 2003. "[http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/drftp/5389.pdf Update on 2001 Census figures] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050913143336/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/drftp/5389.pdf |date=13 September 2005 }}."</ref> estimated to be 309,237 in 2003,<ref name="2003_population">[[Office of the Deputy Prime Minister]], 2003. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205074716/http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/0506/entitle/sc.pdf Local Government Finance Settlement 2005/06]". (PDF)</ref> The 2011 UK Census gave a population of 316,028.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Authority population 2011 |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6275191&c=Northumberland&d=13&e=62&g=6452726&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1435744821789&enc=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708045453/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6275191&c=Northumberland&d=13&e=62&g=6452726&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1435744821789&enc=1 |archive-date=8 July 2015 |access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref>

In 2001 there were 130,780 households, 10% of the population were retired, and one-third rented their homes. Northumberland has an ethnic minority population at 0.985% of the population, far lower compared to the average of 9.1% for England as a whole. In the [[United Kingdom census, 2001|2001 UK Census]], 81% of the population reported their religion as Christianity, 0.8% as "other religion", and 12% as having no religion.<ref name="2001_religion">Office for National Statistics, 2001. "[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=6563&More=Y KS07 Religion: Census 2001, Key Statistics for local Authorities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031221161936/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=6563&More=Y |date=21 December 2003 }}."</ref>

Being primarily rural with significant areas of upland, the population density of Northumberland is only 62 persons per square kilometre, giving it one of the [[List of English districts by population density|lowest population density in England]].

==Economy==
[[File:Housedon hill.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Housedon Hill]]]]
Northumberland's industry is dominated by some multinational corporations: [[Coca-Cola]], MSD, [[GE]] and [[Drägerwerk|Drager]] all have significant facilities in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The leading companies shaping Northumberland's business landscape |url=http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214051720/http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/ |archive-date=14 December 2012 |access-date=19 September 2013 |publisher=Arch}}</ref>

Tourism is a major source of employment and income in Northumberland. In the early 2000s the county annually received 1.1 million British visitors and 50,000 foreign tourists, who spent a total of £162 million.

[[History of coal mining|Coal mining]] in the county goes back to [[Tudor period|Tudor times]]. Coal mines continue to operate today; many of them are open-cast mines. Planning approval was given in January 2014 for an open-cast mine at [[Halton Lea Gate]] near [[Lambley, Northumberland|Lambley]].<ref>Hexham Courant 10 January 2014 'Villagers admit defeat after 15 years battling opencast'</ref>

A major employer in Northumberland is [[Hexham]]-based [[Egger (company)|Egger (UK) Limited]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major Hexham employer Egger UK |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/major-hexham-employer-egger-uk-14239794 |website=Chroniclelive.co.uk|date=4 February 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hexham employer Egger UK posts rise |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/egger-uk-hexham-posts-rise-12519075 |website=Chroniclelive.co.uk|date=27 January 2017 }}</ref>
{{clear left}}

===Pharmaceuticals, health care and biotechnology===
[[Pharmaceutical]], health care and emerging [[biotechnology]] companies form a very significant part of the county's economy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Invest in Northumberland: Key sectors |url=http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/key-sectors/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214051736/http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/key-sectors/ |archive-date=14 December 2012 |access-date=19 September 2013 |publisher=ARCH}}</ref> Many of these companies are part of the approximately 11,000-worker<ref>{{Cite book |title=NEPIC Directory 2013 Pharmaceuticals: Manufacturing Creates Value |date=May 2013 |publisher=Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster |page=33}}</ref> [[Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster]] (NEPIC) and include Aesica Pharmaceuticals,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farrows |title=CDMO for APIs & finished dosage forms |url=https://www.aesica-pharma.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121014059/https://www.aesica-pharma.com/ |archive-date=21 November 2018 |access-date=14 December 2018 |website=Aesica-pharma.com}}</ref> Arcinova, [[Merck Sharp and Dohme|MSD]], [[Piramal Healthcare]], [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Shire (pharmaceutical company)|Shire Plc]] (formerly SCM Pharma),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northumberland-based SCM Pharma's trading assets acquired |url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/northumberland-based-scm-pharmas-trading-assets-7604936 |website=Thejournal.co.uk |access-date=11 November 2018 |archive-date=12 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112101259/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/northumberland-based-scm-pharmas-trading-assets-7604936 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shasun Pharma Solutions,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sterling Pharma Solutions |url=http://www.shasun.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991128215431/http://shasun.com/ |archive-date=28 November 1999 |website=Shasun.com}}</ref> Specials Laboratory,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unlicensed Medicines Supplier – Specials Medicines Manufacturing |url=http://www.specialslab.co.uk/ |website=Specialslab.co.uk}}</ref> and [[Thermo Fisher Scientific]]. The cluster also includes Cambridge Bioresearch, GlaxoSmithKline, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotech, Leica Bio, Data Trial, High Force Research, Non-Linear Dynamics, and Immuno Diagnostic Systems (IDS).  The towns of Alnwick, Cramlington, Morpeth, Prudhoe all have significant pharmaceutical factories and laboratories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Invest in the Northumberland business landscape |url=http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214051720/http://www.archnorthumberland.co.uk/invest-in-northumberland/ |archive-date=14 December 2012 |access-date=19 September 2013 |website=Archnorthumberland.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Newcastle University]] and [[Northumbria University]] are the leading academic institutions nearby. The local industry includes commercial or academic activity in pre-clinical research and development, clinical research and development, pilot-scale manufacturing, full-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient/intermediate manufacturing, formulation, packaging, and distribution.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pharmaceuticals Brochure |url=http://www.nepic.co.uk/_assets/file/pharmaceuticals.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904064305/http://www.nepic.co.uk/_assets/file/pharmaceuticals.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 |access-date=19 September 2013 |publisher=Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster}}</ref>

===Media===
Having no large population centres, the county's mainstream media outlets are served from nearby [[Tyne and Wear]], including radio stations and [[television channel]]s (such as [[BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria)|BBC Look North]], [[BBC Radio Newcastle]], [[ITV Tyne Tees]] and [[Hits Radio North East]]), along with the majority of daily newspapers covering the area (''[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]]'', ''[[Evening Chronicle]]''). It is worth remembering however that although Northumberland, like many administrative areas in England, has been shorn of its geographical regional centre, that centre—Newcastle upon Tyne—remains an essential element within the entity we know as Northumberland. Newcastle's newspapers are as widely read in its Northumbrian hinterland as any of those of the wider county: the ''[[Northumberland Gazette]]'', ''[[Morpeth Herald]]'', ''[[Berwick Advertiser]]'', ''[[Hexham Courant]]'' and the ''[[News Post Leader]]''.

[[Lionheart Radio]], a [[community radio]] station based in [[Alnwick]], has been awarded a community broadcasting licence by [[Ofcom]].{{citation needed|date=August 2025}}

===Businesses===
Ashington has the former [[Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter]], next to the [[Lynemouth Power Station]]. [[Hammerite]] and Cuprinol are made in [[Prudhoe]] by [[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI Paints]]. A [[Procter & Gamble]] factory in [[Seaton Delaval]] makes [[Hugo Boss]] aftershave and [[Clairol]] and [[Nice 'n Easy (hair coloring)|Nice 'n Easy]] hair dye at a site formerly owned by Shultons, who originated [[Old Spice]] and were bought by P&G in 1990. [[McQuay International|McQuay]] UK makes air conditioning systems on the Bassington Industrial Estate at the A1068/A1172 junction in [[Cramlington]], and [[Avery Dennison]] UK make labels on the Nelson Industrial Estate off of the A192. Schweppes' [[Abbey Well]] mineral water is made by [[Coca-Cola Enterprises|Coca-Cola]] in the east of [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]]. The [[National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec)|National Renewable Energy Centre]] (Narec) is at Blyth.

==Settlements==
{{See also|List of places in Northumberland|List of settlements in Northumberland by population}}

{{OSM Location map
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| height           = 780
| title            = Major Settlements
| caption          = (Civil parishes used for population counts where possible, otherwise the source closest to the locality's boundaries.)<br />[[File:Red pog.svg|12px]] The five largest settlements currently in Northumberland, as of the 2021 UK census. &nbsp;– Red.<ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04012896-blyth |title=Blyth Civil Parish - Population 39,476 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04012006-cramlington |title=Cramlington Civil Parish - Population 30,080 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04012233-ashington |title=Ashington Civil Parish - Population 28,279 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04010773-east-bedlington |title=Bedlington Civil Parish 1 (East Bedlington) - Population 8,289 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04010880-west-bedlington |title=Bedlington Civil Parish 2 (West Bedlington) - Population 9,962 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04010834-morpeth |title=Morpeth Civil Parish - Population 14,376 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> <br />[[File:Purple pog.svg|12px]] A conurbation of suburban villages merged in a civil parish, which as of the 2021 UK census is larger than one of the above five towns (central settlement in the conurbation: [[Seaton Delaval]]).<ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04012897-seaton-valley |title=Seaton Valley Civil Parish - Population 15,532 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> &nbsp;– Purple. <br />[[File:Orange pog.svg|12px]] The five largest settlements which were historically in Northumberland, but now lie outside the modern county boundaries, as of the 2021 UK census.<ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e08000021-newcastle-upon-tyne |title=Newcastle upon Tyne Metropolitan District - Population 276,245 excluding Gosforth, Hazlerigg Village, Brunswick Village, Dinnington (see next sources) |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e02001712-south-gosforth |title=Gosforth Middle layer Super Output Area 1 (South Gosforth) - Population 9,336 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e02001709-north-gosforth |title=Gosforth Middle layer Super Output Area 2 (North Gosforth) - Population 10,345 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04000134-dinnington |title=Dinnington Civil Parish - Population 2,366 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04012143-hazlerigg |title=Hazlerigg Civil Parish - Population 476 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e04000133-brunswick |title=Brunswick Civil Parish - Population 1,357 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e63000076-wallsend |title=Wallsend Built Up Area - Population 48,703 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e63000073-tynemouth |title=North Shields (its area is covered under the "Tynemouth Built Up Area" also including Tynemouth and Cullercoats, see next sources for confirmation of the population count excluding them) - Population 44,587 excluding Tynemouth, Cullercoats |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e05001130-tynemouth |title=Tynemouth Electoral Ward - Population 10,256 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e05001120-cullercoats |title=Cullercoats Electoral Ward - Population 9,355 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e63000061-whitley-bay |title=Whitley Bay Built Up Area - Population 38,323 |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://censusdata.uk/e63000066-killingworth |title=Killingworth Built Up Area - Population 15,317 including the separate villages of Camperdown and Burradon, no population count without them taken at the last census |publisher=censusdata.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> &nbsp;– Orange. <br />[[File:Green pog.svg|12px]] Town which has been earmarked for a large scale planned population increase.<ref>{{cite web |author=Census Data UK |url=https://www.theambler.co.uk/2022/04/25/more-housing-proposed-in-amble-could-this-be-a-tipping-point/ |title=More housing proposed in Amble: could this be a tipping point? |publisher=theambler.co.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Tantallon Homes |url=https://tantallon-homes.co.uk/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI6_lJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHW8eO4m4dVHrzJC1R60QemtizTfXajzFIBnJZdOaVXtrEmNJ6Du-6Z4R2g_aem_q9QXyiRFLRIW1aV6TIo2Zg |title=Featured Development: Amble |publisher=tantallon-homes.co.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Northumberland Gazette |url=https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/planning-permission-granted-for-166-new-homes-in-amble-4914616?fbclid=IwY2xjawI6_j1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHa3fgJd-yis8U0-BOmFCMawG4uUPe8hYmo9bQlKxNSjCdaQzW7I5OYv1Ng_aem_cLfK5R278cOVG2CFU9Zh_A |title=Planning permission granted for 166 new homes in Amble |publisher=northumberlandgazette.co.uk |access-date=9 March 2025 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> &nbsp;– Green.
| auto-caption     = 14

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| label1           = Blyth
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| label2           = Cramlington
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| mark-title2      = [[Cramlington]]
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| mark-title3      = [[Ashington, Northumberland|Ashington]]
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| label4           = Bedlington
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| mark-title4      = [[Bedlington]]
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| label8           = Wallsend
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| mark-title8      = [[Wallsend]]
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===Parishes===
NOTE: New parishes have been added since 2001. These are missing from the list, see [[List of civil parishes in Northumberland]]. <!-- The reference I used didn't have Blyth Valley or Wansbeck parishes either. -->
{{table alignment}}
{| class="sortable wikitable col2right"
|+ Parishes of Northumberland<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neighbourhood Statistics |title=Office for National Statistics |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=8&containerAreaId=790203 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612115647/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=8&containerAreaId=790203 |archive-date=12 June 2011 |access-date=25 September 2010 |publisher=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
! Name !! Population<br>(2001) !! Former district/borough
|-
| [[Acklington]] || 467 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Acomb, Northumberland|Acomb]] || 1,184 || [[Tynedale]]
|-
| [[Adderstone with Lucker]] || 195 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Akeld]] || 82 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Allendale, Northumberland|Allendale]] || 2,120 || [[Tynedale]]
|-
| [[Alnham]] || 99 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Alnmouth]] || 562 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Alnwick]] || 7,767 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Alwinton]] || 71 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Amble]] || 6,044 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Ancroft]] || 885 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Bamburgh]] || 454 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Bardon Mill]] || 364 || [[Tynedale]]
|-
| [[Bavington]] || 99 || [[Tynedale]]
|-
| [[Beadnell]] || 528 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|- [[Bedlington]] || 18470 || 
| [[Belford, Northumberland|Belford]] || 1,055 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Belsay]] || 436 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Bewick, Northumberland|Bewick]] || 69 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Biddlestone]] || 88 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Bowsden]] || 157 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Branxton, Northumberland|Branxton]] || 121 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Brinkburn]] || 200 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Callaly]] || 150 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Capheaton]] || 160 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Carham]] || 347 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Cartington]] || 97 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Chatton]] || 438 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Choppington]] || ? || [[Castle Morpeth (district)|Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Cornhill-on-Tweed]] || 318 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Craster]] || 342 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Cresswell, Northumberland|Cresswell]] || 237 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Denwick]] || 266 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Doddington, Northumberland|Doddington]] || 146 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Earle, Northumberland|Earle]] || 89 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Easington, Northumberland|Easington]] || 139 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[East Chevington]] || 3,192 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Edlingham]] || 196 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Eglingham]] || 357 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Ellingham, Northumberland|Ellingham]] || 282 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Ellington and Linton]] || 2,678 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Elsdon, Northumberland|Elsdon]] || 205 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Embleton, Northumberland|Embleton]] || 699 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Ewart, Northumberland|Ewart]] || 72 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Felton, Northumberland|Felton]] || 958 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Ford, Northumberland|Ford]] || 487 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Glanton]] || 222 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Harbottle]] || 235 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Hartburn, Northumberland|Hartburn]] || 198 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Hauxley]] || 220 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Haydon, Northumberland|Haydon]] || 2,184 || [[Tynedale]]  
|-
| [[Hebron, Northumberland|Hebron]] || 679 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Heddon-on-the-Wall]] || 1,518 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Hedgeley]] || 322 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Hepple]] || 139 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Hepscott]] || 898 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Hesleyhurst]] || 30 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Hexham]] || 11,829 || [[Tynedale]]  
|-
| [[Hollinghill]] || 90 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Holy Island, Northumberland|Holy Island]] || 162 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Horncliffe]] || 374 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Ilderton, Northumberland|Ilderton]] || 94 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Ingram, Northumberland|Ingram]] || 148 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Kilham, Northumberland|Kilham]] || 131 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Kirknewton, Northumberland|Kirknewton]] || 108 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Kyloe]] || 323 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Lesbury]] || 871 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Lilburn, Northumberland|Lilburn]] || 106 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Longframlington]] || 979 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Longhirst]] || 446 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Longhorsley]] || 798 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Longhoughton, Northumberland|Longhoughton]] || 1,442 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Lowick, Northumberland|Lowick]] || 559 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Lynemouth]] || 1,832 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Matfen]] || 495 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Meldon, Northumberland|Meldon]] || 162 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Middleton, Northumberland|Middleton]] || 136 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Milfield]] || 243 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Mitford, Northumberland|Mitford]] || 431 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]] || 13,833 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Netherton, Northumberland|Netherton]] || 194 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Netherwitton]] || 272 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Newton-by-the-Sea]] || 242 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Newton on the Moor and Swarland]] || 822 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Norham]] || 536 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[North Sunderland]] || 1,803 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Nunnykirk]] || 138 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Ord, Northumberland]] || 1,365 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Pegswood]] || 3,174 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Ponteland]] || 10,871 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Prudhoe]] || 11,500 || [[Tynedale]]
|-
| [[Rennington]] || 305 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Roddam, Northumberland|Roddam]] || 77 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Rothbury]] || 1,740 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Rothley, Northumberland|Rothley]] || 136 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Shilbottle]] || 1,349 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Shoreswood]] || 163 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|-
| [[Snitter]] || 114 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Stamfordham, Northumberland|Stamfordham]] || 1,047 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Stannington, Northumberland|Stannington]] || 1,219 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Thirston]] || 510 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Thropton]] || 409 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Togston]] || 340 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Tritlington and West Chevington]] || 218 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Ulgham]] || 365 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Wallington Demesne]] || 361 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Warkworth, Northumberland|Warkworth]] || 1,493 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Whalton]] || 427 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Whittingham, Northumberland|Whittingham]] || 406 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Whitton and Tosson]] || 223 || [[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]]
|-
| [[Widdrington, Northumberland|Widdrington]] || 158 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Widdrington Station and Stobswood]] || 2,386 || [[Castle Morpeth]]
|-
| [[Wooler]] || 1,857 || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]
|}

Although not on this list, the population of Cramlington is estimated at 39,000.

===Historic areas===

Some settlements that are part historic county of Northumberland now fall under the county of [[Tyne and Wear]]:
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
*[[Killingworth]]
*[[Longbenton]] 
*[[Newcastle upon Tyne]] 
*[[North Shields]] 
*[[Tynemouth]] 
*[[Wallsend]] 
*[[Whitley Bay]]
}}
<!--==Transport==-->

==Sport==
[[File:The Cricket Pavilion, Bamburgh, Northumberland - geograph.org.uk - 1945900.jpg|thumb|upright=1|A cricket ground in [[Bamburgh]]]]

===Football===
A precursor of modern football is still seen in the region at some annual [[Shrove Tuesday]] games at [[Alnwick]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Hugh|last=Hornby|publisher=English Heritage|title=Uppies and Downies: The Extraordinary Football Games of Britain|isbn=9781905624645|year=2008}}</ref> In 1280 at [[Ulgham]] near [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]] Northumberland, records show that Henry of Ellington was killed playing football when David Le Keu's knife went into Henry's belly and killed him.<ref>{{cite web|first=Janet|last=Brown|title=Ulgham Genealogy|url=http://ulgham.tripod.com/ulgen/ulgenL.htm|access-date=16 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427021603/http://ulgham.tripod.com/ulgen/ulgenL.htm|archive-date=27 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Magoun>Francis Peabody Magoun, 1929, "Football in Medieval England and Middle-English literature" (''The American Historical Review'', v. 35, No. 1).</ref> Organised football teams as we know today did not appear until the 1870s. [[Newcastle United Football Club]] was formed in 1892 by uniting [[Newcastle West End F.C.|Newcastle West End FC]] with [[Newcastle East End F.C.|Newcastle East End]].<ref name="Hutchinson 1997">{{cite book|first=Roger|last=Hutchinson|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|title=The Toon: A complete History of Newcastle United Football Club|isbn=1851589562|year=1997}}</ref>

Newcastle United were first division champions three times in the early 20th century, reaching the FA Cup Final three times before winning it at the fourth attempt in 1910.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Simpson|title=Sport in the North East 1700 to 1999|url=http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sport.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209010448/http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sport.html|archive-date=9 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Today, top quality professional football remains in Northumberland. Since the 2017 – 18 season, Newcastle United is a [[Premier League]] team. [[St James' Park]] in Newcastle is a first class football venue, often used for international games at all levels. [[Blyth Spartans A.F.C.]] have had success and public attention through [[FA Cup|Football Association Cup]] runs.

====Notable associated footballers====
There are many notable footballers from the county, pre Second World War and immediate post war greats were [[George Camsell]] and [[Hughie Gallacher]], these were described in the "Clown Prince of Football" by [[Len Shackleton]]. The author played for Newcastle United and [[Northumberland County Cricket Club]]. Shackleton's book was controversial when it was first published because chapter 9, named "The Average Director's Knowledge of Football", was produced as a blank page.<ref>{{cite book|first=Len|last=Shackleton|publisher=GHKN Publishing|title=Return of the Clown Prince|isbn=0953824403|year=2000}}</ref> Notable players after the Second World War included [[Joe Harvey (footballer)|Joe Harvey]], [[Jackie Milburn]],<ref>{{cite book|first=Jack|last=Milburn|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|title=Jackie Milburn: A Man of Two Halves|isbn=1840188049|year=2003}}</ref> [[Brian Clough]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Brian|last=Clough|publisher=Headline Book Publishing|title=Cloughie: Walking on Water|year=2002|isbn=0747265674}}</ref> and Newcastle's [[Bobby Moncur]] who led his team to win the Inter City Fairs Cup in 1969.<ref>{{cite book|first=Jim|last=Jeffry|publisher=Breedon Books|title=Newcastle United: The 1968–69 Fairs Cup Story|isbn=9781859837375|year=2009}}</ref>

Two of Jackie Milburn's nephews from [[Ashington]], [[Bobby Charlton]] and [[Jackie Charlton]] are perhaps the two most significant players for [[England National Football Team|England]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Bobby|last=Charlton|publisher=Headline|title=The Autobiography, My Manchester United Years|isbn=9780755316199|year=2007|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sirbobbycharlton0000char}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Jack|last=Charlton|publisher=Partridge Press|title=Jack Charlton The Autobiography|isbn=1852252561|year=1996|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/autobiography0000char}}</ref> Bobby joined [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and Jackie [[Leeds United]] both contributing much to the success and history of their respective clubs. They both became permanent fixtures in [[Alf Ramsey|Alf Ramsey's]] 1966 England World Cup winning team.<ref>{{cite book|first=Leo|last=Mckinstry|publisher=HarperSport|title=Sir Alf|url=https://archive.org/details/siralf00leom|url-access=registration|isbn=9780007193790|year=2006}}</ref> [[Malcolm Macdonald]] was a successful Newcastle player of the 1970s. Great national players who played at Northumberland clubs in the 1980s and 1990s include [[Peter Beardsley]], [[Paul Gascoigne]], [[Chris Waddle]] and [[Alan Shearer]]. Shearer remains the highest scoring player in Premier League history with 260 goals in 441 appearances.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Premier League 2013|title=Player profile: Alan Shearer|url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/alan-shearer|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108105549/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/alan-shearer|archive-date=8 January 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Horseracing===
Early races were held at Newcastle's Killingworth Moor from 1632 before moving to the Town Moor. The 'Pitmen's Derby' or [[Northumberland Plate]] was held from 1833 and moved to [[Gosforth]] in 1882.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Simpson|title=Sport in the North East 1700 to 1999|url=http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sport.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209010448/http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sport.html|archive-date=9 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Modern day horse racing still takes place at [[Newcastle Racecourse]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Northeast Racecourse Hospitality|title=Racing in the North East|url=http://www.racecoursehospitality.net/Racing_in_the_North_East.aspx|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021011357/http://racecoursehospitality.net/Racing_in_the_North_East.aspx|archive-date=21 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Golf===
Golf is a Scottish import to many countries, but it is said to have been played in this region by [[St Cuthbert]] on the dunes of the Northumberland coast. The oldest club in Northumberland was at [[Alnmouth]], founded in 1869, it is the fourth oldest in the country and is now Alnmouth Village Club; it is a 9 hole links course.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Alnmouth Golf Club|title=History of Alnmouth GC|url=http://www.alnmouthgolfclub.com/pages.php/page/83cdb148-a240-102c-9079-001ec9b331b2/view_section.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728145425/http://www.alnmouthgolfclub.com/pages.php/page/83cdb148-a240-102c-9079-001ec9b331b2/view_section.html|archive-date=28 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There is one old [[links (golf)|links]] course at [[Goswick]]. It is a James Braid design which is widely acknowledged as a classic Northumberland links course;<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Goswick Links Golf Club|title=Goswick Links Golf Club|url=http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828043737/http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/|archive-date=28 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> so much so, that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) chose Goswick as a regional qualifier for the [[Open Championship]] for five years from 2008.

During the [[English Civil War]] of 1642–1651, [[King Charles I of England|King Charles]] played 'Goff' in the Shield Fields suburb of Pandon during his imprisonment in the town.<ref>{{cite web|first=Eneas|last=McKenzie|publisher=British History Online|title=The suburbs of Pandon|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43339|access-date=20 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907070154/http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43339|archive-date=7 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Today inland golf courses are abundant in the county,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Golf Today|title=Golf Courses in England|url=http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/england.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814061538/http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/england.html|archive-date=14 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The county has a professional golfer who has played in many professional golf tour events: [[Kenneth Ferrie|Kenny Ferrie]] from [[Ashington]], who has won events on the prestigious [[European Tour]].

===Other===
The annual [[Great North Run]], one of the best known half marathons in which thousands of participants run from Newcastle to South Shields. In 2013 the 33rd [[Great North Run]] had 56,000 participants most of whom were raising money for charity.

==Places of interest==
{{EngPlacesKey|align=right}}
{|
|
;Fortifications
*[[Berwick town walls]]
*Castles
** [[Alnwick Castle|Alnwick]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]]
**[[Aydon Castle|Aydon]], Corbridge
** [[Bamburgh Castle|Bamburgh]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]]
**[[Chipchase Castle]]
**[[Lindisfarne Castle]] and [[Lindisfarne Priory|priory]], [[Holy Island of Lindisfarne]]
**[[Morpeth Castle]] and [[Carlisle Park, Morpeth|Carlisle Park]], Morpeth
**[[Norham Castle|Norham]]
**[[Prudhoe Castle|Prudhoe]]
**[[Twizel Castle|Twizel]]
**[[Warkworth Castle|Warkworth]]
*[[Cilurnum]] Roman Fort 
*[[Coria (Corbridge)|Coria]] Roman Fort, Corbridge
*[[Vindolanda]] and [[Vercovicium]] Roman Forts
|valign=top|
;Halls, museums and other buildings
* [[Cherryburn]] house [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]][[File:NTE icon.svg|National Trust]][[File:Museum icon (red).svg|Museum (charges for entry)]]
* [[Chesters (Humshaugh)|Chesters House]]
*[[Howick Hall]], with gardens and arboretum
*[[Kirkley Hall|Kirkley]] with [[Northumberland College Zoo]]
* [[Northumberlandia]], Cramlington
* [[Royal Border Bridge]]
*[[Seaton Delaval Hall|Seaton Delaval]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]][[File:NTE icon.svg|National Trust]]
*[[Slaley Hall]]
* [[Woodhorn (museum)|Woodhorn Museum]], Ashington
|valign=top|
;Parks and forests
* [[Druridge Bay Country Park]], Bedlington [[File:CP icon.svg|Country Park]]
* [[Kielder Forest]] and [[Kielder Water]]
* [[Northumberland National Park]]
* [[Plessey Woods Country Park]], Bedlington [[File:CP icon.svg|Country Park]]
|}

===Gallery===
{{gallery
|File:Seaton Delaval Hall (geograph 5611836).jpg|[[Seaton Delaval Hall]]
|File:Berwick town walls - geograph.org.uk - 2548569.jpg|[[Berwick town walls]]
|File:Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island - geograph.org.uk - 2395628.jpg|[[Lindisfarne Castle]]
|File:Looking down her nose, Northumberlandia (3320064 242630e1).jpg|[[Northumberlandia]]
|File:Aydon Castle - geograph.org.uk - 3470802.jpg|[[Aydon Castle]]
|File:Chesters Praetorium hypocaust 1.jpg|[[Cilurnum]] commander's house
|File:Woodhorn Museum - geograph.org.uk - 4784257.jpg|[[Woodhorn (museum)]]
}}

==Education==
{{unsourced|section|date=October 2025}}
{{Main|List of schools in Northumberland}}

Northumberland has a completely [[Comprehensive School|comprehensive]] education system, with 15 [[state schools]], two academies and one independent school. Like [[Bedfordshire]], it embraced the comprehensive ideal with the [[Three-tier education|three-tier]] system of lower/middle/upper schools with large school year sizes (often around 300). This eliminated choice of school in most areas: instead of having two secondary schools in one town, one school became a middle school and another became an upper school. A programme introduced in 2006 known as Putting the Learner First has eliminated this structure in the former areas of Blyth Valley and Wansbeck, where two-tier education has been introduced. Although the two processes are not officially connected, the introduction of two tiers has coincided with the move to build academy schools in Blyth, with [[Bede Academy]] and in Ashington at Hirst. One response to these changes has been the decision of [[Ponteland High School]] to apply for Trust status.

[[Cramlington Learning Village]] has almost 400 pupils in each school year, making it one of the largest schools in England. [[The Blyth Academy]] in southeast Northumberland can hold 1,500 students throughout the building. [[Astley Community High School]] in [[Seaton Delaval]], which accepts students from Seaton Delaval, [[Seaton Sluice]] and [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]], has been the subject of controversial remarks from politicians claiming it would no longer be viable once Bede Academy opened in Blyth, a claim strongly disputed by the headteacher. 

The county of Northumberland is served by one Catholic high school, [[St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy]] in [[Bedlington]], which is attended by students from all over the area. Students from Northumberland also attend independent schools such as the [[Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne|Royal Grammar School]] in Newcastle.

==Culture==
[[File:2012-07-03 Bloody Crane's-bill, Hauxley, Northumberland 4.jpg|thumb|Bloody crane's-bill at Hauxley on the Northumberland coast]]
Northumberland has traditions not found elsewhere in England. These include the [[rapper sword]] dance, the [[Clog dancing#English clog dancing|clog dance]] and the [[Northumbrian smallpipe]]. Northumberland also has its own [[Northumbrian tartan|tartan or check]], sometimes referred to in [[Scotland]] as the Shepherd's Tartan. Traditional [[Music of Northumbria|Northumbrian music]] has more similarity to [[Scotland|Lowland Scottish]] and Irish music than it does to that of other parts of England, reflecting the strong historical links between Northumbria and the [[Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands]] of [[Scotland]], and the large Irish population on Tyneside.

The [[border ballads]] of the region have been famous since late mediaeval times. [[Thomas Percy (Bishop of Dromore)|Thomas Percy]], whose celebrated ''Reliques of Ancient English Poetry'' appeared in 1765, states that most of the minstrels who sang the border ballads in London and elsewhere in the 15th and 16th centuries belonged to the North. The activities of [[Sir Walter Scott]] and others in the 19th century gave the ballads an even wider popularity. [[William Morris]] considered them to be the greatest poems in the language, while [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]] knew virtually all of them by heart.

One of the best-known is the stirring [[The Ballad of Chevy Chase|"Chevy Chase"]], which tells of the Earl of Northumberland's vow to hunt for three days across the Border "maugre the doughty Douglas". Of it, the Elizabethan courtier, soldier and poet [[Sir Philip Sidney]] famously said, "I never heard the old song of Percy and Douglas that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet". [[Ben Jonson]] said that he would give all his works to have written "Chevy Chase".

Overall the culture of Northumberland, as with the [[North East England|North East]] of England in general, may have more in common with Scottish Lowland culture than with that of Southern England. Both regions have their cultural origins in the old [[Angles (tribe)|Anglian]] [[Kingdom of Northumbria]], a fact borne out by the linguistic links between the two regions. These include many [[Old English language|Old English]] words not found in other forms of [[Modern English]], such as ''bairn'' for child (see [[Scots language]] and [[Northumbrian dialect]]).<ref name="northeastengland.talktalk.net">{{Cite web |title=North East England History Pages |url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/GeordieOrigins.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224114420/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/GeordieOrigins.htm |archive-date=24 February 2008 |access-date=25 September 2010 |website=Northeastengland.talktalk.net}}</ref><ref name="northumbriana.org.uk">{{Cite web|title=Northumbrian Language Society|url=http://www.NorthumbrianLanguageSociety.co.uk/|access-date=25 September 2010|website=NorthumbrianLanguageSociety.co.uk}}</ref>

The lands just north or south of the border have long shared certain aspects of history and heritage; it is thus thought by some that the [[Anglo-Scottish border]] is largely political rather than cultural.<ref name="northumbriana.org.uk" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lowlands-L • a discussion group for people who share an interest in languages and cultures of the Lowlands |url=http://www.lowlands-l.net/english.php |access-date=25 September 2010 |website=Lowlands-l.net}}</ref>

Attempts to raise the level of awareness of Northumberland culture have also started, with the formation of a Northumbrian Language Society to preserve the unique dialects ([[Pitmatic]] and other [[English of Northumbria|Northumbria]]n dialects) of this region, as well as to promote home-grown talent.<ref name="northeastengland.talktalk.net" /><ref name="northumbriana.org.uk" />

Northumberland's [[county flower]] is the bloody crane's-bill (''[[Geranium sanguineum]]'') and its affiliated Royal Navy ship is its namesake, {{HMS|Northumberland|F238|6}}.

===Flag===
[[File:Flag of Northumberland.svg|thumb|upright=1|The flag of the historic county of Northumberland]]
The historic county of Northumberland has [[flag of Northumberland|its own flag]], which is a banner of the arms of Northumberland County Council. The shield of arms is in turn based on the arms medieval heralds had attributed to the [[Bernicia|Kingdom of Bernicia]] (which the first County Council used until it was granted its own arms). The Bernician arms were fictional but inspired by [[Bede]]'s brief description of a flag used on the tomb of [[Oswald of Northumbria|St Oswald]] in the 7th century.<ref>Bede's ''[[Ecclesiastical History of the English People]]'', Book III, Ch. 11: "And to furnish a lasting memorial of the royal saint, they hung the King's banner of purple and gold over his tomb."</ref>

The current arms were granted to the county council in 1951, and adopted as the flag of Northumberland in 1995.<ref name="flag">{{Cite web |date=24 June 2005 |title=The Northumberland Flag Northumberland Northumbria England UK GB (page 113) |url=http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/flag.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050624074238/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/flag.html |archive-date=24 June 2005 |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:GeorgeStephenson.PNG|thumb|upright=0.75|Railway engineer [[George Stephenson]] was born in Northumberland in 1781.]]

===Born in Northumberland===
[[Ashington]] was the birthplace of three famous footballers: [[Bobby Charlton|Bobby]] and [[Jack Charlton]], born in 1937 and 1935 respectively, and [[Jackie Milburn]], born in 1924. In 1978 the international [[cricket]]er [[Steve Harmison]] was born in the same town.

[[Mickley, Northumberland|Mickley]] was the birthplace of [[Thomas Bewick]], an artist, wood engraver and naturalist born in 1753, and [[Bob Stokoe]], a footballer and F.A. Cup-winning manager (with [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] in 1973) born in 1930.

Other notable births include:
*[[Thomas Addison]], the physician who first described [[Addison's Disease]], born at [[Longbenton]] in 1793
*[[George Biddell Airy|George Airy]], [[Astronomer Royal]] and geophysicist, born at [[Alnwick]] in 1802
*[[Alexander Armstrong (comedian)|Alexander Armstrong]], comedy actor and presenter, born at [[Rothbury]] in 1970
*[[Mary Bell]], murderer, born at [[Corbridge]] in 1957 
*[[Allan Boardman]] (1937–2018), British physicist<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVQX-HKRZ England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837–2008; Northumberland Central, Northumberland, England: Oct–Nov–Dec, 1937]. ''[[FamilySearch]]''. Retrieved 27 May 2021.</ref>
*[[Lancelot 'Capability' Brown]], landscape and garden designer, born at [[Kirkharle]] in 1715
*[[Basil Bunting]], poet, born at [[Scotswood-on-Tyne]] in 1900
*[[Eric Burdon]], singer and leader of [[The Animals]] and [[War (U.S. band)|War]], born at [[Walker-on-Tyne]] in 1941
*[[Josephine Butler]], social reformer, born at [[Milfield]] in 1828
*[[Cuthbert Collingwood]], 1st Baron Collingwood, naval commander at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], born at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1748
*[[Grace Darling]], sea-rescue heroine, born at [[Bamburgh]] in 1815
*[[Pete Doherty]], musician, born at [[Hexham]] in 1979
*[[Bryan Donkin]], engineer and industrialist, born at [[Sandhoe]] in 1768
*[[Wilfrid Wilson Gibson]], poet, born at [[Hexham]] in 1878
*[[Daniel Gooch]], engineer and politician, born at [[Bedlington]] in 1816
*[[Alistair Graham]] (1942–), trade unionist and civil servant
*[[Tom Graveney]], former England cricketer and President of the Marylebone Cricket Club 2004/5, born in [[Riding Mill]] in 1927.
*[[Robson Green]], actor and singer, born at [[Hexham]] in 1964
*[[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey]], British Prime Minister, born at the family seat of [[Howick Hall]] in 1764
*[[William Hewson (surgeon)|William Hewson]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilford |first=N. |title=The life and work of William Hewson, haematol- ogist and immunologist. In: Medicine in Northumbria; Essays on the History of Medicine in the North East of England (Chapter 8). |publisher=Pybus Society for the History and Bibliography of Medicine |year=1993 |isbn=978-0952209706 |location=New- castle-upon-Tyne.}}</ref> British physician, the "Father of [[Haematology]]", at Hexham, 14 November 1739
*[[Jean Heywood]], actress, born at [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]] best known for ''Our Day Out'' and ''All Creatures Great and Small''.
*[[Ray Kennedy]]: Footballer, [[Liverpool F.C.]]
*[[Marie Lebour]] (1876–1971), British marine biologist
*[[Robert Morrison (missionary)|Robert Morrison]] (1782–1834), Protestant missionary and sinologist
*[[Ross Noble]], stand-up comedian, born and raised in [[Cramlington]] in the 1970s and 1980s
*[[Matt Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley]], peer, science writer, and businessman
*[[John Rushworth]] (1793–1860), historian, born at [[Acklington Park]], [[Warkworth, Northumberland|Warkworth]]
*[[George Stephenson]], pioneering railway engineer, born at [[Wylam]] in 1781
*[[Trevor Steven]], footballer born in [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]] in 1963
*[[Percival Stockdale]], poet and slave-trade abolitionist, born 1736 in [[Branxton, Northumberland]]
*[[Hugh Trevor-Roper]] (1914–2003), Oxford historian, born at [[Glanton]]
*[[William Turner (ornithologist)|William Turner]], ornithologist and botanist born at [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]] in 1508
*[[Sid Waddell]], sports commentator and children's television screenwriter, born at [[Alnwick]] in 1940
*[[Veronica Wedgwood]] (1910–1997), historian, usually published as C. V. Wedgwood
*[[Kevin Whately]], actor, born in [[Humshaugh]], near [[Hexham]] in 1951
*[[N.&nbsp;T. Wright]], Anglican theologian and author, former [[Bishop of Durham]], born in [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]] in 1948
*[[Billy Younger]] (1940–2007), footballer

===Linked with Northumberland===
[[File:Algernon Charles Swinburne sketch.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Algernon Charles Swinburne]], the poet, was raised in Northumberland]]
*[[William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|William Armstrong]], engineer and inventor, born at Newcastle in 1810, built [[Cragside]], one of the first houses powered by [[hydroelectric]] technology, near the town of [[Rothbury]] in Northumberland.
*[[Thomas Burt]], one of the first working-class members of parliament and was secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association in 1863
*[[Matthew Festing]], 79th Grand Master, the Order of Malta.
*[[Kitty Fitzgerald]] (born 25 September 1946) is an Irish born writer living in Northumberland.
*[[Allan Holdsworth]], guitarist, originated from Newcastle upon Tyne before moving to California.
*[[Mark Knopfler]], guitarist and frontman of [[Dire Straits]], was raised in his mother's hometown of [[Blyth, Northumberland]].
*[[Harold Palmer (hermit)]], Christian hermit who lived at Shepherds Law for over fifty years until 2024
*[[Charles Algernon Parsons]], inventor of the [[steam turbine]] while living in [[Wylam]], Northumberland
*[[Henry 'Hotspur' Percy]] (1365–1403), borders warlord and rebel
*[[Billy Pigg]], a 20th-century musician who was vice-President of the [[Northumbrian Pipers Society]]
*[[Alan Shearer]] footballer, lives in [[Ponteland]].
*[[Sting (musician)|Gordon Sumner]], better known by his stage name of [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], a schoolteacher turned musician was born in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] in 1951
*[[Algernon Charles Swinburne]], a poet raised at [[Capheaton Hall]]
*[[Kathryn Tickell]], a modern-day player of the [[Northumbrian smallpipes]]
*[[J. M. W. Turner]], [[Thomas Girtin]], and [[John Sell Cotman|John Cotman]] all painted memorable pictures of Northumberland
*[[Jonny Wilkinson]], English rugby player, currently lives in rural Northumberland.

==See also==
*[[Duke of Northumberland]]
*[[Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland|List of Lord Lieutenants of Northumberland]]
*[[High Sheriff of Northumberland|List of High Sheriffs of Northumberland]]
*[[Custos Rotulorum of Northumberland]] – List of Keepers of the Rolls
*[[Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)]] – Historical list of MPs for the Northumberland constituency
*[[Kielder Forest Star Camp]]
*[[List of English and Welsh endowed schools (19th century)#Northumberland]]
*[[List of people from Northumberland]]
*[[List of parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland]]
*[[List of places in Northumberland#Places of interest|List of places of interest and tourist attractions in Northumberland]]
*[[Northumberland Street]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], Tyne and Wear
*[[Anglo-Scottish border]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book |last=Sharp |first=Thomas |title=Northumberland and Durham – a Shell Guide |publisher=[[Anova Books|B.T. Batsford]] |year=1937 |author-link=Thomas Wilfred Sharp}}
*{{Cite book |last=Tomlinson |first=W.W. |title=Comprehensive guide to the county of Northumberland |publisher=Redwood |year=1968 |location=Trowbridge |orig-year=1888}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Barbara |title=Walking the Northumberland Dales: Hadrian's Wall Country |last2=Norderhaug |first2=Jennifer |publisher=Sigma Press |year=2006 |isbn=1-85058-838-4}}

==External links==
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{{Wiktionary}}
* {{Official website|name=Northumberland County Council}}
* [http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/ Visit Northumberland – The Official Visitor Site]

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[[Category:Northumberland| ]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in antiquity]]
[[Category:English unitary authorities created in 2009]]
[[Category:Local government districts of Northumberland]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Unitary authority districts of England]]