Northumberland
Discussion
Hello, I'm looking for some recommendations of places to visit as part of my research for a story I'm writing. Part of the story is set in Northumberland, a place I've never visited, but have a bit of a fascination with as it seems to be steeped in ancient history and intrigue. I find using places I don't know particularly well is a great way to get really immediate and visceral inspiration for stories, as opposed to writing about the same places again and again.
Are any of you north-easterners familiar with a place which might prove a good seeding ground for inspiration?
I'm seeking somewhere very remote and under-populated - ideally a small hamlet or VERY small village, with habitations on the outer-lying edges. Ideally, somewhere that hasn't seen any modern development, and situated very close to an area of wooded, or even forested, land, and doesn't have a mainline train station, bus route or other convenient transport links. I'm looking for somewhere that is very much isolated, and isn't recognised (in the formal sense) with any kind of regional marker (e.g.: famed for its cheese, pork pies, jam or such like).
I guess what I'm really seeking is a place that, whilst it is inhabited, has an air of the forgotten about it. Somewhere where the most 'recent' habitations may be a couple of once-grand Victorian villas, or a manor house that's long fallen into disrepair. A place with a sense of the haunted about it.
My ideal place would have a very small 'village centre', possibly not even a shop or pub, with a few houses spread widely on its perimeters. If any of the houses are actually set within wooded areas, all the better!
All recommendations will be vastly appreciated.
Many thanks!
Are any of you north-easterners familiar with a place which might prove a good seeding ground for inspiration?
I'm seeking somewhere very remote and under-populated - ideally a small hamlet or VERY small village, with habitations on the outer-lying edges. Ideally, somewhere that hasn't seen any modern development, and situated very close to an area of wooded, or even forested, land, and doesn't have a mainline train station, bus route or other convenient transport links. I'm looking for somewhere that is very much isolated, and isn't recognised (in the formal sense) with any kind of regional marker (e.g.: famed for its cheese, pork pies, jam or such like).
I guess what I'm really seeking is a place that, whilst it is inhabited, has an air of the forgotten about it. Somewhere where the most 'recent' habitations may be a couple of once-grand Victorian villas, or a manor house that's long fallen into disrepair. A place with a sense of the haunted about it.
My ideal place would have a very small 'village centre', possibly not even a shop or pub, with a few houses spread widely on its perimeters. If any of the houses are actually set within wooded areas, all the better!
All recommendations will be vastly appreciated.
Many thanks!
Just come back to this thread after not checking it for a couple of weeks and found some truly inspiring places to check out. Thank you so much for all your suggestions. I'll definitely post a link once the novella is published. We're planning on making it available digitally, as well as a limited edition run of paperbacks, and accompanied by a suitably eerie soundscape! Thanks again, I really appreciate your input.
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