Our Area

LEADER area map
This product contains mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright and/or database right 2008. Licence number 100022521.

The Northumberland Uplands is 3,042 km2 of the North East’s deepest rural area, running from the River South Tyne, and extending north through the upland area of Northumberland to the border with Scotland and the River Till. The area covers the most visited and dramatic parts of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site and the whole of Northumberland National Park. In landscape terms, the unifying element is in the rounded hills, rolling uplands, foothills, outcrop hills and escarpments and high moorland/forest. The Northumberland Uplands area is sparsely populated containing approximately 32,600 residents. This is ten times as sparsely populated as the average rural area in the North East.

The area is characterised by a predominantly remote, upland topology, consisting of the:

The moors and grasslands of the Cheviot Hills, with their ancient hillforts and pure rivers to the North
The Upper Coquetdale Valley with the landmark Simonside Hills and fell sandstone ridges in the East
The valleys of the North Tyne and Redesdale to the West
The iconic ridge of the Whin Sill with the Hadrian’s Wall in the South

The area comprises of large estates managed by:

The private sector such as the Lilburn and the Northumberland Estates
The voluntary sector such as the National Trust at Wallington/Cambo and Cragside
The public sector such as the Forestry Commission at Kielder and the Ministry of Defence at Otterburn

The Northumberland Uplands area is a rich cultural landscape with features still evident from nearly 400 generations of inhabitants with well preserved shadows of history in the form of iron age hillforts, roman military structures, Christian heritage, border warfare castles and bastles, lime kilns from the agricultural revolution and large manor house from the pioneers of the industrial revolution. Low levels of land management have made it possible for these features to remain. However, the skills to maintain these and other important cultural landscape features such as dry-stone walling, maintenance of traditional buildings and hedge laying are in short supply. As a result the safeguarding of the high quality of the area’s cultural landscape is in doubt.

Northumberland Uplands is of high landscape and cultural heritage value. The area is rich in its natural capital and has much to offer in terms of understanding and celebrating our shared heritage; providing clean water; food produce; biodiversity; natural pollution control; strategic supply of wood; outstanding landscape and tranquillity; and recreation, fitness and tourism opportunities. A large part of the area is designated as a National Park. The boundary of the New LEADER area for the Northumberland Uplands has been determined by a sound, coherent, and logical methodology, underpinned by the desire to stimulate sustained progress at the local level. It has been constructed from a mix of Parish and Ward boundaries to ensure a coherent fit.

Flodden Ward - Kirknewton, Kilham, Branxton and Akeld
Ford Ward - Ewart, Doddington, Milfield
Wooler Ward - Wooler
Cheviot Ward - Tillside, Cheviotside, Bewick, Ingram
Hedgeley Ward - Eglingham, Hedgeley, Edlingham
Whittingham Ward - Alnham, Glanton, Whittingham and Callaly, Cartington
Redesdale Ward - Rochester and Byrness, Otterburn
Harbottle and Elsdon Ward - Alwinton, Netherton with Biddlestone, Harbottle, Hepple, Elsdon
Rothbury and South Rural Ward - Snitter, Thropton, Rothbury
Longframlington Ward -Longframlington, Brinkburn and Hesleyhurst
Upper North Tyne Ward - Kielder, Tarset with Greystead, Falstone
Bellingham Ward - Bellingham
Wanney Ward - Corenside, Kirkwhelpington, Bavington
Hartburn Ward - Wallington Demesne, Netherwitton, Hartburn, Meldon, Belsay
Wark Ward - Wark, Birtley, Simonburn
Chollerton with Whittington Ward - Chollerton, Whittington
Stamfordham Ward - Capheaton, Matfen, Stamfordham
Hadrian Ward - Thirlwall, Henshaw, Greenhead, Melkridge
Haltwhistle Ward - Haltwhistle
Haydon Ward - Haydon
Warden and Newbrough Ward - Newbrough and Fourstones, Warden
Humshaugh and Wall Ward - Humshaugh, Wall
Cornhill on Tweed Parish
Whalton
Mitford

Norhamshire Ward is made up of five parishes. Cornhill-on-Tweed Parish is in the Northumberland Uplands area. Duddo, Norham, Shoreswood, and Horncliffe are in the Northumberland Coast and Lowlands area. The Stannington and Mitford Ward is made up of four parish councils in total. Both Hepscott Parish Council and Stannington Parish Council have been excluded from the Northumberland Uplands because neither Parish shares the characteristics of the rest of the area. Hepscott is part of Castle Morpeth Town, and Stannington is a peri-urban, flat location, suitable for plain farming, rather than upland.

Assistance on constructing the boundary was provided by the Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University.

Ordnance Survey Map of Northumberland Uplands (JPG - 1MB)

The projects that the New LEADER Approach can support must be of benefit to the Northumberland Uplands. For projects that fall outside of the boundary, you must be able to demonstrate that the benefits will be transferred to the communities and businesses that fall within the boundary.