Editing Northumberland (section)

==Geography==
[[File:ShepherdPhysical1926Northumberland.png|thumb|upright=1|Physical geography of Northumberland and surrounding areas]]
[[File:N NE England SRTM.png|thumb|upright=1]]

Northumberland has a diverse physical geography. It is low and flat near the [[North Sea]] coast and increasingly mountainous towards the northwest. Being in the far north of England, above 55° [[latitude]], and having many areas of high land, Northumberland is one of the coldest areas of the country. But as the county lies on the east coast, it has relatively low rainfall, with the highest amounts falling on the high land in the west.<ref name="met_rain">Met Office, 2000. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130828101108/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif Annual average rainfall for the United Kingdom]}}."</ref>

About a quarter of the county forms the [[Northumberland National Park]], an area of outstanding landscape that has largely been protected from development and agriculture. The park stretches south from the Scottish border and includes [[Hadrian's Wall]]. Most of the park is over {{Convert|240|m|abbr=off}} above sea level. The [[Northumberland Coast National Landscape|Northumberland Coast]] is also a designated [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB). A small part of the [[North Pennines]] AONB is also in the county.

There is a variety of nature reserves in Northumberland including [[Lindisfarne|Holy Island]] National Nature Reserve and Farne Islands National Nature Reserve. Moreover, 50% of England's [[red squirrel]] population lives in the Kielder Water and Forest Park.

[[Natural England]] recognises the following natural regions, or [[national character area]]s, that lie wholly or partially within Northumberland:<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Character Area profiles: data for local decision making |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-character-area-profiles-data-for-local-decision-making |access-date=14 December 2018 |website=Gov.uk}}</ref>

* [[North Northumberland Coastal Plain]]
* South East Northumberland Coastal Plain
* [[Cheviot Fringe]]
* [[Cheviot Hills]]
* [[Northumberland Sandstone Hills]]
* [[Mid Northumberland]]
* [[Tyne Gap]] and [[Hadrian's Wall]]
* [[Border Moors and Forests]]
* [[Tyne and Wear]] Lowlands

===Geology===
{{main|Geology of Northumberland}}
[[File:Rothbury, Northumberland.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[River Coquet]]]]
The [[Cheviot Hills]], in the northwest of the county, consist mainly of [[resistance (geology)|resistant]] [[Devonian]] [[granite]] and [[andesite]] [[lava]]. A second area of [[igneous]] rock underlies the [[Whin Sill]] (on which Hadrian's Wall runs), an intrusion of [[Carboniferous]] [[dolerite]]. Both ridges support a rather bare [[moorland]] landscape. Either side of the Whin Sill the county lies on [[Carboniferous Limestone]], giving some areas of [[Karst topography|karst landscape]].<ref name="geology">Northumberland National Park Authority, n.d. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110721180600/http://www.northumberland-national-park.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF0FC540-5616-45DF-A21D-084F492174D0/0/TopographyandClimate.pdf The topology and climate of Northumberland National Park]".</ref> Lying off the coast of Northumberland are the [[Farne Islands]], another dolerite outcrop, famous for their bird life.

The [[Northumberland Coalfield]] extends across the southeast corner of the county, from the River Tyne as far north as [[Shilbottle]]. There were smaller-scale workings for [[coal]] within the Tyne Limestone Formation as far north as [[Scremerston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Northumberland nIV.NW (includes: Ancroft; Ord; Tweedmouth.) |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/101027781 |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tyne Limestone Formation |url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TYLS |website=BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units |publisher=British Geological Survey |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Geoindex Onshore |url=https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/home.html |publisher=British Geological Survey |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> The term 'sea coal' likely originated from chunks of coal, found washed up on beaches, that wave action had broken from coastal outcroppings.

===Green belt===
{{further|North East Green Belt}}
[[File:Northumberland Hadrian's Wall Aerial 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Hadrian's Wall]]]]
Northumberland's [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belt]] is in the south of the county, surrounding Cramlington and other communities along the county border, to afford a protection from the [[Tyneside]] conurbation. The belt continues west along the border, past [[Darras Hall]], and on to Hexham, stopping before [[Haydon Bridge]]. Its border there is shared with the [[North Pennines]] AONB. There are also some separated belt areas, for example to the east of Morpeth. The green belt was first drawn up in the 1950s.