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Tanfield Railway
Marley Hill,
Tyne and Wear,
NE16 5ET
Tel: 01207 280643
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Tanfield Railway is the oldest existing railway in the World . It was originally built to transport coal from nearby collieries to the Tyne using horses and gravity. The oldest part of the railway dates from 1647, and the Sunniside to Causey section, dated 1725, is the world's oldest working railway, incorporating Causey Arch, the world’s oldest surviving railway bridge. Steam locomotives, which were pioneered in the North East, later became part of the line, and today’s Tanfield Railway is a superb snapshot of the past, with a fleet of locos operating along the line from the Marley Hill engine shed. There are regular events held throughout the year, making Tanfield Railway a great family day out.
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Angel of the North
Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear
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Standing on a hill overlooking the A1 road and East Coast Mainline railway, the iconic Angel of the North in Gateshead is one of the UK’s most instantly recognisable landmarks, and with an estimated 90,000 motorists alone per day driving past the 20-metre 200-ton angel, it is possibly the most frequently viewed sculpture in the world. Designed by controversial artist Antony Gormley and erected in 1998, the Angel of the North has inspired the passions of people from around the country – people either love it or hate it – the hallmarks surely of truly great art.
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Beamish North of England Open Air Museum
Beamish,
County Durham,
DH9 0RG
Tel: 0191 3704000
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Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum is set in over 300 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside just a short drive from Newcastle. Beamish is no ordinary museum; it is a living, working portrayal of life in the Industrial North of England at the turn of the 20th Century. Winner of the British Museum of the Year and European Museum of the Year Awards, Beamish brings the past to life; from its period-perfect recreation of a busy market town street from 1913, complete with Co-operative shops, printing works, bank, Sun Inn pub, dentist’s home and surgery; the working Home Farm; a perfectly recreated pit village with drift mine, miners’ cottages, school and chapel; a branch line country station; and so much more, including working trams and authentic working replicas of Chapman’s Steam Elephant and Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1. Beamish makes a great day out for the whole family, and with a constant programme of steady evolution and regular events held throughout the year, you will want to come back time and again.
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Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum
Buddle Street,
Wallsend,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE28 6HR
Tel: 0191 2369350
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Hadrian’s Wall marked the northernmost extremity of the Roman Empire, and stretched from the Solway Firth in Cumbria to Wallsend – now part of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Segedunum (meaning ‘strong fort’) was the last outpost of the wall, and for over 300 years was garrisoned by over 600 soldiers. Today the excavated remains of the fort are open to visitors, and feature fabulous reconstructions and interactive displays to show what life was like on the Roman frontier. There is also a reconstructed bathhouse, a 100 ft viewing tower, a Roman Gallery and an Industry Gallery charting the history of Wallsend over the centuries after the Roman occupation.
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The Sage Gateshead
Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear,
NE8 2YR
Tel: 0191 4434666
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Following the redevelopment of Newcastle’s Quayside, it became clear that Gateshead’s waterfront must follow suit, and in the Sage Gateshead the project has a striking and controversial centrepiece. Designed by Lord Foster’s architectural team, the Sage Gateshead is an exciting building which has attracted plaudits and criticism in equal measures; regardless of your opinion however, the Sage is one of Tyneside’s most instantly recognisable buildings, and is emerging as one of the UK’s top music venues. It is a superb setting for concerts of popular, jazz, world, classical, dance, brass bands, experimental, folk and traditional music and is also home to the Northern Sinfonia, with an eclectic programme of events running throughout the year.
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Bessie Surtees House
Sandhill,
Quayside,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE1 3JF
Tel: 0191 2691200
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Situated on the Quayside in Newcastle, Bessie Surtees’ House is two merchant’s houses dating from the 16 th and 17 th Centuries. Remarkably well preserved, they display some of the finest features of Jacobean domestic architecture in the UK. There is a visitor’s centre detailing the intriguing history of the buildings, and the site is also the home of the North East branch of English Heritage. The house is best known as the scene of the elopement in 1772 of Bessie Surtees and John Scott, who later went on to become Lord Chancellor.
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Laing Art Gallery
New Bridge Street,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE1 8AG
Tel: 0191 2327734
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The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle has been regarded as one of the North’s most esteemed galleries for over a century now, and with a steady stream of new exhibitions, continues to attract visitors. There is a beautiful permanent collection of 18th and 19th Century paintings and watercolours, as well as contemporary artwork and through the national competition, Laing Solo, also showcases emerging artists. In addition to this the Laing also offers a learning programme for visitors to enjoy throughout the year.
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Hatton Gallery
The Quadrangle,
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE1 7RU
Tel: 0191 2226057
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The Hatton Gallery at the University of Newcastle opened in 1926 and is one of the most important galleries of international art outside of London, and offers a varied and hugely involving programme of touring exhibitions and displays, in addition to permanent displays from the Hatton’s collection. Some of the highlights of the Hatton Gallery include the wonderful Uhlman Collection of West African Sculpture and the intriguing Elterwater Merzbarn by Kurt Schwitters.
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Life Science Centre
Times Square,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE1 4EP
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The Life Science Centre in Newcastle is an award-winning and novel day out for the family, where you will discover just how amazing life is! Discover where life comes from and how it works; learn about DNA and how it is intrinsically linked with the blueprints of all life forms; meet your ancestors and learn how life started on Earth 4 billion years ago. The information is presented in a fun, interactive fashion that will appeal to the whole family.
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Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
South Shore Road,
Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear,
NE8 3BA
Tel: 0191 4781810
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The Baltic Flour Mills on Gateshead’s quayside was built in the 1950s, and have become one of Tyneside’s many celebrated landmarks. The handsome building was substantially renovated at a cost of £46 million, and converted to a world-class centre for contemporary arts. At over 10,000 square metres, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is massive, and is home to some of the most important displays of contemporary visual artwork outside of London. The centre features four galleries, a lecture theatre and cinema, studios and workshops for artists and also a shop showcasing their works. There is also a riverside cafe and restaurant, which command stunning views of the river.
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Discovery Museum
Blandford Square,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
NE1 4JA
Tel: 0191 2326789
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Newcastle’s Discovery Museum is a wonderful portrayal of the history of Newcastle-Uopn-Tyne – the city, the region and its people. Unearth the hidden gems of history, from the times of the Romans and Knights to shipbuilders and coal miners. The information is presented in an involving and interactive way, with fascinating exhibitions and displays, as well as important collections of maritime, social, fashion and military history. The museum is the North East’s biggest free museum and attracted over 450,000 visitors in the last year. There is a constantly changing display of temporary exhibitions, while the permanent displays include Turbinia - the world's first steam turbine powered ship.
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