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Article: NORTHUMBERLAND: ENGLAND'S BORDER COUNTRY.
- Article from:
- Contemporary Review
- Article date:
- October 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Contemporary Review Company Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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'Welcome to Northumberland, England's border country' reads the sign at the boundary. Throughout much of its history this part of England has indeed been a typical frontier zone, an undefined margin, disputed territory, a remote and thinly populated no-man's land.
Much of Northumberland remains sparsely populated: Tynedale District Council covers the largest area of any English District yet has fewest people - there are more sheep than humans. I have often walked all day over the rounded hills of north Northumberland - the National Park, the 'land of far horizons' - meeting no-one except a shepherd. Visitors comment on the tranquillity but, to those aware of the ...