More becoming aware of Secret Kingdom

Sep 19 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

As far as the rest of the country is concerned, one of the North’s top landscapes just doesn’t exist. Environment Editor Tony Henderson reports.

ONLY 3% of people surveyed in the UK were aware of the existence of Northumberland National Park. The figure comes from a State of the National Park report, which will be considered by the Northumberland National Park Authority next week.

The park covers 400 square miles of some of the best, varied and most unspoilt landscape in England and is geographically at the centre of Britain.

But the report says: “Generally, Northumberland National Park is still a well-kept secret to most people in the UK.”

The park is one of the least visited national parks in England, with 1.5 million visitor days a year.

It is also the most sparsely populated local authority area in England, with only 1,936 residents.

The vast majority of visitors – 90% –- are classed as white British and just 9% have a disability.

But despite the rock bottom levels of national recognition, the value of tourism to the park and its gateway towns such as Wooler, Rothbury, Bellingham and Haltwhistle, is £103m a year.

Although farming is the main business activity in the park – around a quarter of residents are employed in agriculture and forestry – tourism is regarded as the other main element in the economy.

Park authority chairman John Riddle said: “Northumberland itself as a destination isn’t well known across the country as a whole. It has been marketed as the Secret Kingdom.