Castles, Hadrian's Wall & the Lake District

For an adventurous getaway combining history and hiking, few destinations can compete with the windswept wilds of northern England. Here we meet long-gone monarchs and marauding invaders at Alnwick and Bamburgh castles, both seen in TV shows and films, including Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and The Last Kingdom. We also cross to the tidal island of Lindisfarne, the birthplace of Christianity in England, and walk a section of Hadrian’s Wall, which once marked the northwest boundary of the Roman empire. We end the trip in the Lake District where we hike two peaks – known locally as fells – for astonishing views over perhaps the most beautiful rural landscape in the UK.