The rugged and rural seat of Hexham is the largest constituency in Northumberland in terms of acreage and the second largest in England, behind Penrith and the Border in neighbouring Cumbria.
Hexham has the distinction in the eyes of Conservatives of being the only parliamentary seat in the county they have never lost in an election. However, this remarkable string of successes almost came to an end in 1997 when Peter Atkinson, MP here since 1992, saw his 13,438 majority slashed to just 222 as Labour pushed hard to finish a close second.
To look across the unspoilt and rolling acres of Hexham, composed of moors and farmland, is to look back in time. Unlike other seats in the county, the landscape has been spared industrialisation and remains unchanged from ancient times, featuring well-preserved sections of Hadrianís Wall.
Most of the excitement nowadays comes from the Hexham races and the Kielder Forest stage of the RAC Rally, although those who prefer more "hair-raising" entertainment should enjoy the tale of the discovery of the two stone "Hexham Heads" in the early 1970s, which allegedly caused paranormal experiences for anyone who came into their possession.