Discover Newcastle – Sights

• A spectacular setting featuring world-famous icons including the Tyne Bridge, Angel of the North, BALTIC and Sage Gateshead are iconic buildings
  and cultural jewels in the Quaysides crown.
• Home to 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites Hadrian’s Wall and Durham Castle & Cathedral.
• Home to one of the finest streets in England, Grey Street and surrounding Grainger Town boast over 240 listed buildings.
• NewcastleGateshead is the home of Earl Grey tea, Newcastle Brown Ale, world changing inventions like the steam train, the light bulb and even
  the vehicle windscreen wiper!
• A famously warm Geordie welcome.

Newcastle offers a wealth of entertainment and activities, from galleries and museum to theatre and music venues, restaurants and pubs all within walking distance of each other.  Shop ’til you drop in the city, grab a bargain from famous Grainger market or the Sunday Quayside Market.

Fancy exploring a little further? There is even more to do right on the doorstep, from rugged countryside to fabulous beaches, historic market town and intriguing attractions.

Beamish Museum
A world-famous, open-air museum telling the story of life in the North East during the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s. Take a tram ride back to explore The Town, Pit Village, Pockerley Old Hall and Waggonway, and the 1940s Farm, all in the living museum’s 350 acres of beautiful countryside. Visit homes, shops and other fascinating buildings. Meet costumed folk bringing history to life. Visitors can even try fish and chips from a coal-fired fish and chip shop!

Durham Castle & Cathedral
Depart Newcastle and travel to Durham via the Angel of the North. Arrive at Durham Cathedral and use free time to explore the Cathedral with a guide on hand to answer any questions, then step out into Durham city for a walk through the cobbled streets or along the river. Durham is a captivating medieval city with winding streets and a prominent peninsula which is crowned with the dramatic Durham Castle and Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Victoria Tunnel
The Victoria Tunnel runs beneath the city from the Town Moor to the Tyne. Built in 1842 to transport coal from Leazes Main Colliery to riverside staithes (jetties) ready for loading onto ships. In 1939, it was converted into an air-raid shelter to protect hundreds of Newcastle citizens during World War II. On a two-hour tour you will experience the sounds of a wartime air raid and follow guides underground to discover the tunnel’s role as a colliery waggonway.

City Guides Walking Tour
Have you ever wondered about the history of Tyneside? How did your favourite buildings come to be? How have our public spaces changed? What was life like in days gone by? Newcastle City Guides are a group of trained and qualified volunteers and our programme of Heritage Walks will take you exploring Newcastle & Gateshead uncovering the fascinating history and hidden stories of the area.

Hadrian’s Wall
Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122. At 73 miles (80 Roman miles) long, it crossed northern Britain from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The most famous of all the frontiers of the Roman empire, Hadrian’s Wall was made a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Holy Island
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a must-visit, this unique island a mile off the mainland in the North Sea is cut off twice a day by fast, incoming tides. Holy Island is linked to the mainland by a long causeway. Tide times and heights can be accurately predicted from the phases of the Moon. Severe weather can produce offsets, particularly with strong winds from the North and Northeast. The causeway crossing times are forecasted ‘safe’ crossing times. Nevertheless, travellers should remain vigilant if crossing near the extremeties.