Welcome to Gefrin
Welcome to an eclectic look at some of the archaeology and heritage in and around Northumberland. Find here an overview of some of the wealth of history and heritage between the Tyne and Tweed. My aim is simply to tempt you to visit; to give you a few insights into the lumps and bumps on the ground in the hope that you will join me in enjoying a historically rich and archaeologically fascinating part of the world.
Feel free to have a look around. You may well find out about one of the oldest inhabited dwellings in the UK, locate a prehistoric factory floor in use for thousands of years, look at the evidence for an ancient tsunami that changed the changed the outline of British Isles forever or simply find your way to the centre of some breathtaking hillfort settlements.
Hillforts
A closer look at some of my favourite Northumbrian hillforts with access information, maps and diagrams.
Rescued
Excavating a Bronze Age cairn on the Northumberland coast unearthed an unexpected cross-section of history.
Cresswell Pele
A well preserved pele tower on the Northumberland coast. Recent archaeological excavations and an extensive renovation.
Mesolithic Footprints
Astonishing footprints of animals and humans from the Mesolithic preserved in the Northumbrian peat.
Humbleton Hill
Surrounded by history, the highest part of Humbleton Hill is home to a magnificent hillfort.
The Duddo Stones
The most striking stone circle in the north-east with details of the 2008 excavations.
Great Hetha
The hillfort on Great Hetha has some of the most impressive views in the Cheviot Hills.
Lordenshaws
An easily accessible hillfort, Bronze-Age burials and some of the most remarkable rock-art in the region.
Clennell Street
An ancient trackway through the Northumbrian hills with a wealth of visible archaeology.
Roundhouses
A few notes about roundhouses. The dwelling of choice for generations of our ancestors.
A Mesolithic House
The earliest human settlement in Northumberland and one of only a few Stone Age dwellings known from the British Isles.
Brian Hope-Taylor
An almost legendary archaeologist. His work on the Ad Gefrin palace site and at Bamburgh is still inspiring. But who was he?
