20 Attractions to Explore Near Sycamore Gap

Crag Lough sits immediately below Hadrian's Wall, and is one of Northumberland's finest low to mid-grade crags, offering over 100 recorded routes, the majority of which are in the perennially popular HS to HVS range. At this point Hadrian's Wall is at the top of a line of crags, the Whin Sill, with Crag Lough at the foot of the crags.

Housesteads is the best preserved of the thirteen permanent Roman army posts along the length of Hadrian's Wall, the famous barrier built to keep the northern tribes out of the settled Roman south. The site is owned by the National Trust and is in the care of English Heritage. Finds can be seen in the site museum, in the museum at Chesters, and in the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge make up the largest area of ancient semi-natural woodland in Northumberland. This wilderness garden was created by Susan Davidson who lived at nearby Ridley Hall in the 19th century. The property has been designated a site of special scientific interest for its rich flora and fauna. There is a large suspension bridge which has been ruined by the flooding of January 2005.

Thirlwall Castle is a 12th-century castle on the bank of the River Tipalt, close to the village of Greenhead. Originally a simple tower the proximity of ready prepared stone quarried from Hadrian's Wall allowed the Thirlwall family to build a structure beyond their modest wealth and was doubtless something of a status symbol for a family aspiring to move up the social ladder.

Featherstone Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne about 3 miles southwest of the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. It has played an important role in the battles between the English and the Scots. Originally a 13th-century hall house, a square three-storey pele tower was added in 1330 by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh.

Hadrian's Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire in northern England to stop attacks by Scottish tribes. There were three legions working on it and in 10 years it was nearly finished. Set amongst the wild beauty of Cumbrian and Northumbrian landscapes, it still impresses today and stands as a testimony to the power and reach of the mighty Roman Empire. Today you can explore the Wall’s rich history and its dramatic landscape at over 20 fascinating sites.

Chesters Roman Fort is the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain - wander around the unusually well-preserved baths and steam room, and the officers' quarters.Spend a day out wandering around the unusually well-preserved baths and steam room, and the officers' quarters. You'll find hundreds of ancient artefacts beautifully displayed with e-readers to guide you around the John Clayton museum.

The Hexham Old Gaol is in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, England. It is reputed to be the oldest purpose-built prison in England. The gaol was built under the order of Margot and William Melton, the Archbishop of York, in 1330–33. It held prisoners from Hexhamshire and also, in the 16th century, from the English Middle March, before their trial in the Moothall Court Room nearby.

Hexham Abbey is a majestic Grade I listed place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in Northeast England. Originally built in AD 674, the Abbey was built up during the 12th century into its current form, with additions around the turn of the 20th century. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham.

One of the beautiful waterfalls located in the woods and It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest , designated for its rare ferns and lichen. More than 300 different types of mosses, liverworts and lichen can be found. A magical walk through an ancient woodland, crossing no less than six bridges to reach a beautiful nine-metre high waterfall.

Epiacum Roman Fort, which is also known by its modern name of Whitley Castle, was built concurrently with Hadrian's Wall. It controlled access along the Maiden Way, an important road connecting that frontier with the wider Roman world, but the primary duties of its garrison would have been to oversee the surrounding lead and silver mines. Unlike most Roman forts that have a "playing-card shape" , Whitley Castle is lozenge-shaped to fit the site.

Lanercost Priory was founded about 1166 by Henry II. When completed in 1220, canons came from the priory in Norfolk, and remained for some 370 years until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, by Henry VIII. The priory is situated at the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with which it had close connections.

Kielder water is the largest man-made reservoir in Europe, holding 200 billion litres of water. It is the largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom by capacity of water and it is surrounded by Kielder Forest, one of the biggest man-made woodlands in Europe. The scheme was planned in the late 1960s to satisfy an expected rise in demand for water to support a booming UK industrial economy.

Corbridge was once a bustling town and supply base where Romans and civilians would pick up food and provisions. It remained a vibrant community right up until the end of Roman Britain in the early years of the 5th century. Corbridge was initially the site of a series of important forts. But after Hadrian's Wall was fully commissioned it developed into a prosperous town, a tempting leave-centre for off-duty Wall garrisons.

Aydon Castle was one of the finest and most unaltered examples of a 13th century English manor house. Set in a beautiful and secluded Northumberland woodland. An existing timber hall house was transformed into an impressive stone-built residence but, as the war turned against the English, it suffered from numerous attacks which financially ruined its owner. This classic castle is perfect for family games and picnics and is a great starting point for some woodland walks.

Killhope is a multi-award winning 19th century mining museum in the centre of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The museum stands on the site of the former Park Level Mine, which is being restored to show the workings of a 19th-century lead mine.

The North Pennines is a stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, welcoming communities, intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past, distinctive birds, animals and plants and much more. The area has previously been mined and quarried for minerals such as barytes, coal fluorspar, iron, lead, witherite and zinc.

Pow Hill is set in moorland overlooking the Derwent Reservoir. The word Pow comes from Old English and means ‘slow-moving stream’ which refers to the waterlogged boggy area in the north of the site. Rain falling on the surrounding moors is absorbed into the peaty ground. Water then seeps downhill into basins and shallow valleys, creating bogs. Conserved for its special wildlife interest, the area is home to goldcrests, coal tits, roe deer and red squirrels.

Kielder Observatory is one of the most remarkable places to visit in the whole of the UK. A public astronomical observatory which is second to none. Sited in the largest gold tier-protected dark sky park in the whole of Europe, the stargazing can be breathtaking: the ‘Kielder moment’ is very special, the moment that visitors look up at the glittering skies and realise that they’re completely connected to this vast cosmos, yet utterly unique within it.