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About the Site

North East Englandcomprises the old counties of Northumberland and Durham which formed the part of the old Kingdom of Northumbria once known as Bernicia. The region shares its borders with Scotland, Yorkshire and the English Lake District. It has a strong sense of identity that sets it apart from other areas of England and the roots of this identity lie in two thousand years of distinct history that have made the region what it is today. There are strong themes running throughout the region's history from the frontier zone of Hadrian's Wall through the turbulent days of Border warfare right up to the great age of coal mining and the first railways. The region has played a major part in many aspects of world history.

Yorkshire south of the River Tees is a quite different region in many ways and is occasionally included in the broader term North East England. Like Northumberland and Durham Yorkshire is rich in scenery, history and dialect and is equally proud of its past. In recent centuries the wool trade dominated the large industrial towns of western Yorkshire, but coal mining and steel also played their part. In distant times Yorkshire saw more Viking influence than Northumberland and Durham, but its history was generally more peaceful than the other two counties. The ancient city of York was at one time the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria. The Yorkshire pages are an integral part of the site.