Maelmin Heritage Trail

📌 Dark Age site in Milfield, Northumberland
★

Perhaps the least well-documented period of (relatively recent) UK history is the Dark Ages: the centuries after the Romans left Britain, or specifically from about 500 to 1000 AD. Why is so little known about this era? The suggestion is that a general decline in economy and culture combined with increased local warfare led to fewer surviving artefacts and landscapes to analyse today. Maelmin Heritage Trail, on the main road between Wooler (England) and Coldstream (Scotland) delves a bit deeper into the Dark Ages beyond these usual harsh judgements, with a series of signboards explaining the events which took place both locally and within Western Europe during this time; the name comes from an ancient royal township believed to have been located nearby. It’s a good idea in principle, but we found the layout of the site confusing, keeping us in the dark (as it were) about which route to follow despite many of the signboards describing a chronological series of events. Two landmarks stand out: the reconstruction of a Neolithic henge later used for Anglo-Saxon burials, and a reconstructed Dark Age house typical of a local agricultural community.