Allen Banks & Staward Gorge is

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

property in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

county of

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

. It is a Victorian garden in a gorge of the River Allen cutting through woodland. The ruins of

Staward Peel Staward Peel, or Staward Pele, is a peel tower located in the National Trust property of Allen Banks & Staward Gorge in Northumberland, England. History A shrine likely existed on the site of the castle around 1271 and it is unknown when it was b ...

, a medieval

peel tower Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-standin ...

, stand on a promontory above the gorge. The property has been designated a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

for its rich flora and fauna. There is a large suspension bridge which has been ruined by the flooding of January 2005.

External links

Allen Banks & Staward Gorge information at the National Trust
National Trust properties in Northumberland Nature reserves in Northumberland Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Northumberland {{Northumberland-geo-stub