Northumberland National Park up for BBC Countryfile award

The Northumberland National Park above Elsdon. Picture by Jane Coltman

The Park is up against the New Forest, The Broads, Exmoor and Snowdonia in the National Park of the Year category, one of 10 in the awards.

Back in 2016, the National Park won the same title, as Bamburgh Castle took the Landmark of the Year title and Hadrian’s Wall was crowned Heritage Site of the Year.

And last year, Northumberland had three in the running too as the Northumberland Coast (Holiday Destination of the Year), Embleton Bay (Beach of the Year) and the Farne Islands (Nature Reserve of the Year) were on the shortlist.

In the end, the first two claimed victory while the Farnes were pipped into second place by Abernethy Forest.

This year, the county has the National Park as its sole nominee and the Authority is calling on residents to support it in the public vote.

Voting opens tomorrow (Friday, January 19) on the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2018 website.

Judge John Craven said: “Helping to choose the shortlists meant interacting with you, our readers, in a quite remarkable way. We carefully considered every nomination and some were for places I had never heard of but which you obviously love.

“That made me determined to check them out, while others rekindled many happy memories. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours – discovering your particular favourites in the massive cornucopia that is our countryside.”