The twin Northumberland villages hiding two castles and a steam railway

The twin Northumberland villages hiding two castles and a steam railway highlight a landscape shaped by centuries of border conflict and later cultural reinvention. Ford and Etal sit less than two miles apart in the valley of the River Till near the Scottish border, with the castles tied to rivalry between the Heron and Manners families from the 14th century. Ford Castle dates to around 1278 and was licensed for fortification in 1338, while Etal Castle was fortified about three years later. The feud culminated in 1428 when William Heron attacked Etal Castle and was killed; John Manners was ordered to pay 250 marks and finance 500 masses. In September 1513, both castles fell to James IV of Scotland, whose army of about 60,000 marched into England for the Battle of Flodden, with James setting up headquarters at Ford. Today, Etal Castle is maintained by English Heritage, while Ford Castle operates as an outdoor activity centre for school groups.