Northumberland offers up eagles, mines and spectacular castles

THERE’S nothing Ray Lowden doesn’t know about birds, we’ve been told.

And within five minutes we just know that’s the case.

We’re at the Kielder Water Birds of Prey centre, deep in the wilds of Northumberland.

Just overlooking the gorgeously-still expanse of water, the centre is tucked into the hillside and we believe Ray when he says the birds are his life.

Almost 20 years ago he was passing and reckoned it would be the ideal place to keep the wild creatures he’d already been passionate about for quarter of a century.

Now there are 65 tawny and bald eagles, Ural and barn owls, falcons, hawks and many more.

As we sit having a cuppa with Ray he’s a font of fascinating facts. Like how just a fraction of an ounce in a flying bird’s weight can be the difference between perfect health and death.

That means daily weighing sessions yes, 365 days of the year.

Christmas Day is the only day the centre isn’t open but Ray is still there looking after his beloved birds.

He’s only ever had nine days off and holidays are non-existent, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The centre is just one of the vibrant attractions in England’s northernmost county. And we’ve got a few days to savour some old favourites and discover some new ones.

Just a few miles from Ray’s place, there’s a Heritage Centre in the pretty little village of Bellingham.

Getting there is definitely part of the experience.

The road has to be the twistiest, most up and down I’ve ever travelled on.

But if you do take your eyes off the road for a second, the views are amazing.

The centre itself is by an old railway station, closed decades ago.

We hear that it started when a local was given a few artefacts and was looking for somewhere to display them.

Then, it just grew and grew. There are displays on the railway days, mining, farming, village life and more.

It’s laid out so well, it recently picked up an award as one of the best in the country. It reopens again in March.

Part of the exhibition material is in one of the railway carriages at the station platform.

You even get a chance to sit in the driver’s seat and operate the controls.

At Woodhorn Museum, near Ashington, we discover the story of when coal was king.

It was a working pit until 1981 and the old and the new have been wed together in fine fashion.

Here you’ll find exhibitions telling of the unbelievably harsh life of the miners and the equally tough lives of their families.

A disaster in 1916 killed 13 men, leaving their widows facing losing not just their loved ones but their colliery houses, too.

There’s also the permanent collection of works by the famous Pitmen Painters, the group formed in 1934 finding a life in art beyond the pit face.

The old comes in the shape of the buildings including No. 2 Heapstead.

You stand where the miners would have stepped into the cages which carried them some 880ft, the height of the Eiffel Tower, downwards.

Look out, too, for temporary exhibitions.

A recent spectacular display of some of the Tower of London’s poppies boosted visitor numbers.

Northumberland is also a county of castles.

And if I had to pick just a couple, take time to check out Bamburgh and Warkworth.

There’s no more stunning location than Bamburgh’s, which dominates the pretty little town.

When the sun lights up the town side, the fortifications are absolutely breathtaking.

So, too, are the views from within the castle. The panorama out over the Farne Islands is quite majestic.

Take the time to get down over the dunes to the wide, expansive beach which is a cracker.

It’s easy to see why Bamburgh has been a magnet for TV crews and film companies, most recently for the Michael Fassbender version of Macbeth.

Just a few miles away is Warkworth, the highlight here being the massive intact Keep.

You can marvel at everything from the pristine beer and wine cellars to the kitchens with their giant fireplaces.

Huge though it is, it was just one of two castles of the Percy family

The other is Alnwick, best known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey.