Etal

Photos: © Barbara Carr (left). © Richard Slessor (right) / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Etal is a hamlet of picturesque cottages that lead down to a castle and the River Till.

The 14th century castle was ruined by James IV and his army on their way to Flodden Field in 1513 (and the site of the battle can be visited at Branxton). Visitors can tour the castle and see an award-winning exhibition which details the history of border warfare down the centuries.

Photo: © Copyright Christine Matthews / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Primroses on the road down to the River Till.
© Copyright Barbara Carr / BY-SA 2.0.

Other attractions in the area include walking, horse-riding, carriage driving and fishing on the river.

On the banks of the Till, at Heatherslaw, there is the only working water-driven cornmill in Northumberland. The fully restored mill machinery makes high quality flour from wheat grown in the surrounding fields. This continues a tradition on the site stretching back over 700 years.

The Heatherslaw Light Railway is a 15" gauge steam railway that runs to Etal village — a distance of 6.4km. The journey there and back takes 50 minutes.

The gardens of Etal Manor are open on certain days of the year.

Etal has thatched cottages, which are rare in Northumberland, and the county's only thatched pub: The Black Bull.