On my way back from the village of Wylam a few weeks ago, my eye was caught by Prudhoe Castle.
I was interested to see what the Northumberland town had to offer, apart from its most famous landmark. So, on an overcast morning, I made my way down from Newcastle.
Location wise, Prudhoe is in a great place, with Newcastle city centre around 20 minutes away, making it far enough to give it a rural feel, while also being close enough to city life.
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In recent weeks, a series of police and crime incidents across Prudhoe has left residents of the usually quiet town feeling concerned.
Two cannabis farms were uncovered and a caravan went up in flames but the the town's two county councillors have both stressed that it remains a safe place to live.
I made the decision to head to the main shopping street of Prudhoe first, before visiting the castle.
My first stop was G and F Threadgold fruit and veg, where I spoke to owner Fiona Threadgold. Fiona, who has lived in Prudhoe for 44 years, gave her thoughts on the place that she calls home.
"There has been a lot of change in Prudhoe over the years, not all of it for the better, and I think this street would be much better for shopping if there was a bit more variety in what's on offer.
"It would be great to have something different or quirky about us to bring people in, although saying that, we have been getting more business with people coming here for higher quality produce than what they get in supermarkets.
"I think overall, the high street is relatively busy and businesses are doing ok, but as I said something a bit different and unique would go a long way in improving the situation."
After my insightful chat with Fiona, I went to see Keith Hogg, who owns The Stationary Shop. Keith shared his own views on Prudhoe, while also echoing some of Fiona's sentiments.
"My view of Prudhoe is that it is a great place to live. There is a lot here and from the perspective of a resident of the place I think this is a very positive thing.
"A lot of the businesses are very well supported locally and this makes such a big difference. Units that do become empty don't stay that way for long so that's also a big plus.
"I do think that a butchers and a bakers would be massively helpful to us. They would encourage people to come to the high street as there would be more variety in what they can get," he said.
I then took a trip across the road to see Glen Dickinson, who owns G and S Electricals. Glen spoke about the high street and what Prudhoe is like from a business perspective.
"There are not very many empty units here, and I would definitely see it as a good place to have a business. The footfall on the high street is good so this definitely helps with business.
"I do think more accessible parking on the high street itself would make shopping easier, as people would be able to park in a much more convenient place for them," he said.
After this. I was feeling thirsty, so I popped into No. 22 Front Street Cafe, and spoke to owner Sya Kociu, who has lived in Prudhoe for five years. Originally from Greece, Sya talked about how business has been for her and combining Greek and English food.
"My first year of business has been amazing, I am here all day working hard and it's great to see that being rewarded in the success of the business so far.
"We have regulars who have come to really enjoy my mix of Greek and English food, as well as Greek events that I put on to introduce people to a different culture.
"Prudhoe is a great town that I wouldn't change for the world, despite it being in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons in the last few weeks."
As I previously mentioned, on my way out of the town I visited Prudhoe Castle, a Grade I listed building and English Heritage site that dates back to the 11th century.
Although the view is obscured by trees in some parts, Prudhoe Castle is still a remarkable site that adds some real history to the Northumberland town.
My overall view of Prudhoe is that it is a place that has some thriving businesses however there are still some improvements that could be made.
To its credit, there is quite the range of businesses, and a strong local, independent presence which has been lost in quite a few similar places nearby.
There are clearly strong foundations to work from when it comes to what Prudhoe could be, and with the attention that places such as Corbridge and Hexham have gotten, it could become an amazing place with the best of the city and country on its doorstep.
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