Building an airport in the war.

The airfield used by the Border Gliders club at Millfield is a peaceful place with a very large field and long views towards the Cheviots. But sometimes we forget just how busy this area was in the second world war.

This story board talks about the itinerant Irish labourers who helped to build the aerodrome and the run ways. It also suroprisingly says that over 3,300 men and women were involved with the aerodrome when it was active. Thats a lot of people for such a quiet and beautiful part of Northumberland.

If you are plannintg to come to Northumberland why not stay in Wooler or one of our houses in the College Valley.

Seahouses or North Sunderland/Seahouses to give its full title is known nowadays mainly for the tourism industry. Not so in the 1770's when limestone was quarried to the south of the village and coal mined to the west and the north which in turn led to lime kilns being built at the harbours along the coast to burn the lime. The burnt lime became known as quicklime which was exported mainly to Scotland to be used as a fertilizer on the land. Later in the 1800's the harbour was used to ship out large quantities of corn. Infact in 1846 over 1000 tons of corn left on boats from the tiny harbour. 20 years later the fishing industry took precedence as the lime kilns closed. The harbour was enlarged to cope with the influx of visiting fishing fleets, 10 herring yards were built. A private railway was built to connect with the east coast main line to transport the herring from the harbour. The harbour was large enough to take up to 300 fishing vessels and was built by Lord Crewe's Trustees at a cost of £25,000. It has been said that at the height of the Herring fising industry it was possible to walk from one side of the harbour to the other across the fishing boats, there were so many of them. By the end of the twentieth century the fishing industry was in decline and the fishermen looked for different ways to make a living, turning to tourism by offering sailing trips to the nearby Farne Islands. This pastime continues to the present day with many boat owners ferrying thousands of holiday makers every summer. One of the most famous being Billy Shiel on his boat Glad Tidings

Hadrian's Wall and the Whin Sill

Surely the Whin Sill was the defining feature of Borders around which Hadrian's Wall was built?

Created when two continental plates collided at least 400 millions ago the Whin Sill is just one reminder of more momentous times past.

The rock here is igneous and harder wearing the more usual limestones, shales and grits. In fact the dolerite which makes up the Sill also gives rise to other well known landscape features across the North of England...eg

High Force and Cauldron Snout.