END.’S NORTHUMBERLAND OVERLANDING ADVENTURE

Day One:

Our journey began at Morpeth, where we were greeted by the team from Overland Adventures and the fleet that would be ours for the next three days: three rugged, all-black Defenders — two classic shape 110s and a modern L663 — each one fitted with an array of overlanding essentials, from roof tents to winches. It’s here we meet our expert guides from Overland Adventures, Tracey, Darren and John, who gave us an intro into our journey, maps to our destination and a quick guide on how to operate the Defenders.

From here, we navigated our way through the quaint town of Corbridge towards the first part of our adventure, Vindolanda: a former Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian’s Wall. As we first stepped out into the site where the fort once stood, my imagination really did start running wild, constructing depictions of what life was like here, almost like looking through a time capsule filter. Undoubtedly, this was due to the enthusiasm of our guides, archaeologists Marta and Penny, who had an uncanny ability to construct vivid mental imagery of Vindolanda. Inside Tag, clothing archivist and one of the experience’s attendees, commented on the infectiousness of their passion for Vindolanda: “Archaeology is definitely a new interest for me. Marta was just so passionate and I’m a big fan of people that are in a field and they love it”.

Following an enriching experience at Vindolanda, we jumped back in the Defenders and headed in the direction of Kielder Forest and Water Park. Next on the agenda was mountain biking around the serene Kielder Forest; it was here, riding through the undulating trails of Kielder Forest, that you got a real sense of a collective, almost-child-like joy, with each attendee declaring their desire to start riding bikes more often.  

Following this, we took a short drive along a winding forest track, almost cocooned by luscious green trees either side. At the end of this track was Kielder Observatory: a public astronomical observatory located beneath some of the darkest skies in Europe. Even before entering you’re immediately awe-struck by its architectural design: a rectangular, pier-like construction made entirely using timber. Upon entering, we were greeted by Guy, Grégoire and Rosie, who would take us on a consciousness-expanding journey through the observatory, delving into an array of things from the aurora to meteorites.  We then jumped back in the Defenders and headed to our campsite in Kielder, retiring around the campfire for pizza, beers and hot drinks.

Day two kicked off on a strong note with an impromptu 5K run around Kielder Reservoir. Following this wholesomeness, we sat down to refuel with a breakfast of homemade yogurt and granola, bacon sandwiches and fresh pastries. Taking a scenic detour through the Borders of Scotland, we rejoined the northern-most region of England, traversing through picturesque, unspoilt valleys draped with winding roads. We then arrived at our first destination, Ad Gefrin: part whisky distillery, part museum rooted in the Anglo-Saxon history of Northumberland. It’s here we meet Josh who gives us a guided tour, talking us through each process ranging from distilling to barrel aging. Following lengthy discussions surrounding the distilling process of whisky, it seemed only right we did a light spot of sampling, joining Jane for a tasting session in Ad Gefrin’s bespoke tasting room.

Following this, we then headed towards the village of Belford, where we would be setting up camp for the night. Upon walking through the forest of the private site we were camping on, we were greeted by Reece, an outdoor expert who would be teaching us bushcraft and survival skills. First, we took part in axe throwing, where Reece demonstrated how to use three different types of axes: hatchets, tomahawks and angels. Afterwards, we split into teams and were given instructions on how to light fires, gathering wood and using flints and strikers to create sparks. Reece then gathered everyone around to demonstrate how to prepare and cook fish, specifically rainbow trout. Everyone got involved right away, with attendees even foraging for wild garlic to further elevate things. When asked about the bushcraft experience, Marj Moore said “The bushcraft was sick. Learning how to light a fire was such good fun and the fish was so tasty as well”. Meanwhile, Juice Gee commented: “I really loved the bushcraft. I’ve always loved camping and I love being able to learn things from scratch. I was so gassed about foraging”.

Following another faultless breakfast by the Overland Adventure team, we headed back out in the trusty Defenders in the direction of Holy Island. Crossing the famous causeway is a surreal experience, especially when you consider twice a day, without fail, the mile-long road is submerged in high tide and Holy Island is completely severed from the mainland. We then headed back in the direction of Bamburgh Castle, where it proudly sits on top of a deactivated volcano, dominating the surrounding area with imposing grandeur. It’s here we meet with Claire Armstrong, a relative of the famous William George Armstrong who bought the castle in 1894, for an exclusive tour. What’s so surprising about Bamburgh Castle is not only that it remains in private ownership, but that it’s fully inhabited by residents, with rooms available to rent. Following a whistle stop tour of the castle, we jumped back in the Defenders and headed to Newton-by-the-Sea, stopping for some refreshments at the Ship Inn, an 18th century village pub nestled in a square of whitewashed fisherman’s cottages. We then made a move to our final destination, Craster, where we headed to L Robson & Sons Ltd in the search of the famous Craster kippers.

It’s here where I caught up with different members of the overlanding experience to reminisce on the brilliant time we all had. When asked about if this sparked an interest in overlanding, Hannah da Silva commented “Definitely. I don’t drive, but I’ve done a few trips in Land Rovers before. I’m definitely into the company that guided us, they know this area really well and passed this knowledge over to us”. George from Inside Tag, meanwhile, commented “When you have a group of people that can come together and share the experience, it’s great. Community-driven experiences are brilliant”. On why you should visit Northumberland for yourself and experience all it has to offer, Darren Smith from Overland Adventures said “In my opinion, I don't think there's another region like it for overlanding. The diversity we have here is incredible, from our dark skies which are one of the best in Europe to breath-taking valleys and coastal drives which have been voted some of the best in the world”.