Northumberland's natural and cultural landscapes captured
- Published
A photography competition launched by The Sill aimed to encourage people to get out and about and enjoy the natural and cultural landscapes of Northumberland. The idea behind the project, by Northumberland National Park, is to capture the "essence" of the area from Hadrian's Wall to the North Pennines.
The competition, which is running alongside the development of a new activities centre and youth hostel near Hadrian's Wall, is being run seasonally. More than 80 people entered the first stage, with photographs taken at Usway Burn deep in the Cheviot Hills and Steel Rigg on Hadrian's Wall.
The Sill project will provide a cafe and education, art and office space to replace facilities dating back to the 1960s at Once Brewed, near Hexham. The winning photographs will be incorporated into the new building.
The scheme, which is backed by the Northumberland National Park Authority and Youth Hostel Association, is expected to create 60 full-time jobs.
To make The Sill a reality, the authority needs to raise £3.7m. Chief executive Tony Gates said: "We are appealing to investors and sponsors to help make The Sill into all it can be. There is a real opportunity to make a difference to the lives of young people and help to inspire future generations."
Photographers were asked to "capture the essence of Northumberland" in relation to three themes of environments, flora and fauna and activities.
This photo by David Furness is of Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall. The tree, which was named Robin Hood's Tree after it featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, sits in a natural dip in the landscape.
Photographer Cain Scrimgeour, from North Tyneside, is helping choose the winning entries. He said: "The images are truly inspiring and really capture the essence of our beautiful region."