Northumbria
Northumbria is primarily
the name of both a medieval petty kingdom of Angles, in what is now north east England
and southern Scotland, and of the earldom which succeeded it when a united Anglo-Saxon
kingdom became England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the
kingdom's territory: the Humber estuary. In a modern sense, Northumbria is mainly
used within tourism as a romantic name for the North East of England
(Northumberland as a tourism area is said to be the last great
wilderness of England). It is also used in the names of some regional institutions
: particularly the police force (Northumbria Police) which covers Northumberland
and Tyne and Wear) and a university Northumbria University
based in Newcastle. The local Environment Agency office, located in Newcastle Business
Park, also uses the term Northumbria to describe its patch. Otherwise, the term
is not used in everyday conversation, and is not the official name for the UK and
EU region of North East England.
Northumbria has its own tartan, which is
similar to a tartan that dates from Roman times and is the precursor of modern tartans.
The tartan is probably one of the oldest in existence and certainly predates all
Scottish tartans. Fragments have been discovered dating back to Roman times.
The Northumberland flag is red and gold,
probably the oldest known flag design in Britain. Today's design derives from the
banner of gold and purple hung over the tomb of St Oswald, the 7th Century King
of Northumbria.