A Northumbrian Odyssey....

Join me as I take a tour around the northern reaches of England's most northerly county where, amongst the historical towns and villages, and stunning coastline, there are some rather splendid pubs and beers....After a great day before in Newcastle, and then following a good night's sleep and breakfast, I left the toon behind, heading out of the city centre late morning and up the Ponteland Road to join the A1 on my way further north. Driving up, the road north through Northumberland was busier than I would have expected, particularly considering it was a Sunday. And I have to say this stretch of the Great North Road is not my favourite, as it alternates between dual carriageway and single track, so traffic would bunch for a while and then speed off, and then converge again, whilst the general drift of the road is not the easiest to negotiate. The countryside was unfailingly pleasant though, with the odd sea view off to the right, and bright blue skies overhead, so I wasn't too…