Northeast

Introduction

Like in Yorkshire and Liverpool, folk in the northeast have a fierce sense of place and a dry self-deprecating humour, in part borne out of hardship. The region has suffered much in the late-20C declining from a major industrial powerhouse to little more than a historical footnote. Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the dynamic focus of the Northeast, an exciting city break and a good base to learn about its history and culture. Elsewhere much of this once violently disputed border region has returned to nature.

Highlights

1 Become part of the picture at Durham Cathedral (p474)

2 A family day out at Beamish, The Living Museum (p476)

3 Stroll the Quayside at Newcastle (p479)

4 Step back in time at Houseteads Fort on Hadrian’s Wall (p482)

5 Have a wizard time at Alnwick Castle and Garden (p486)

Durham and Tees Valley

Durham is one of England’s most perfectly sited towns. Its magnificent cathedral makes a picture-perfect composition that has graced a thousand travel posters. By contrast to today’s genteel cathedral city, around here was mined much of the coal that powered Britain. The area’s most enjoyable foray back in time is at family-friendly Beamish The Living Museum. A grittier perspective on the more recent past can be had at Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Darlington.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The regional capital is famous for its spectacular bridges, its black-and-white football team, and its raucous short-sleeved, high-heeled Toon (“town”) nightlife. The town is solidly Victorian, though it also boasts much fine Georgian architecture. Its collection of museums and art galleries (all free of charge) are outstanding. The quayside, once a frenzy of industrial shipping activity, has been regenerated by new iconic landmarks such as the Sage and Baltic music and arts centres, its Millennium Bridge, and hip hotels such as Malmaison and Hotel du Vin. The biggest icon of all, The Angel of the North, with its giant outstretched wings, lies just outside the centre.

Hadrian’s Wall Country

The Northeast has always been an important frontier region, from the Romans’ Hadrian’s Wall (built to keep out the Scots Picts), to the many wars and skirmishes between Scotland and England, from the 14C right through the 16C. Hadrian’s Wall, now a World Heritage Site, is still partially intact and many of the most important places along its way feature excellent re-creations and interpretations of life on the Roman frontier. The surrounding area is a paradise for walkers and nature lovers.

Northumberland National Park

Remote from highways and towns, and free from holiday crowds and theme parks, this is (officially) one of England’s most tranquil spots. Kielder Water and Forest Park is the favourite day out for walkers, mountain bikers and families who like to keep things natural. For a little more excitement, Chilling ham Castle provides a window on both a glorious and a grim past.

Northumberland Coast

The picturesque and very desirable market town of Alnwick boasts a splendid “Harry Potter” castle, and the finest new garden in the country. Close by, Cragside, the former home of the industrialist who did more than anyone to put Newcastle on the map, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and the windswept Farne Islands, all make for fascinating and contrasting excursions. England’s northernmost town is Berwick-upon-Tweed, fought over so many times between England and Scotland that even today Brits don’t know to whom it belongs! It’s worth the journey for its rampart views alone.

Durhamaaa

and around

The quiet streets of the little medieval city with its castle are the perfect foil for the great sandstone mass of the Norman cathedral rising above the deep wooded gorge of the River Wear in a sublime fusion of architecture and landscape, in what is a truly remarkable settingaaa.

= Population: 36,937.

T Michelin Map: Michelin Atlas p46 or Map 501 P 19.

i Info: Owengate. t03000 262626. www.thisisdurham.com.

Ñ Location: 18mi/29km south of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (13 mins by rail). The train station and bus station are almost opposite each other on North Road, 10 minutes from the centre. You can see this compact city on foot. Boat trips and rowing boats available.

w Don’t Miss: Chapel of the Nine Altars; riverside views from or near Prebend’s Bridge.

õ Parking: Parking is difficult in the centre.

A BIT OF HISTORY

Christianity flourished early in the Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria but conditions were rarely stable in this border country with its coastline exposed to raiders from the east. In 875 the monks of Lindisfarne fled south from Danish attacks, carrying with them the body of St Cuthbert (d.687) but it was not until more than 100 years later that his much-venerated remains found their final resting place on easily defended bluffs carved out by the Wear. From the 1070s the site’s natural advantages were strengthened by the Normans, who built their castle to command the peninsula’s narrow neck. In 1093 the cathedral’s foundation stone was laid. Uniquely in England, Durham’s bishop was not only spiritual leader but lay lord, the powerful Prince Palatine of a long-troubled province.

The city has remained compact, physically unaffected by the once intense industrial activity all around it. Its scholarly character was confirmed with the foundation in 1832 of the university, after Oxford and Cambridge England’s oldest. It is also the county town, an important administrative and shopping centre. On the second Saturday in July, it is thronged with the thousands attending one of Britain’s last great working-class festivals, the Miners’ Gala.

CATHEDRALaaa

Open Mon–Sat 6–7.30am & 9.30–6pm, Sun 12.30–5.30pm. For specific opening times of areas within cathedral see website. Donation requested. Tower £5. Guided tours (£5) enquire at the Info Desk for times. jf. t0191 386 4266. www.durhamcathedral.co.uk.

Durham Cathedral’s beauty lies in its unity: its fabric was mostly completed in the short period between 1095 and 1133 and though added to since, it remains a supremely harmonious achievement of Norman architecture on the grandest possible scale.

Exterior

The usual entrance is the northwest portal, which has many arches and is embellished with the celebrated lion’s head Sanctuary Knockera, a 12C masterpiece of expressive stylisation. Palace Green is dominated by the cathedral.

Interior

In the naveaaa the first impression is one of overwhelming power. Huge deeply grooved columns alternate with massive many-shafted piers to form an arcade supporting a gallery and clerestory. The pointed ribs of the beautiful vault are an important technical and aesthetic innovation, heralding the lightness and grace of Gothic architecture. The great weight of masonry, its arches enriched with various zigzag patterning, is, however, so well proportioned that the final effect is one of repose, of great forces held in equilibrium. From the crossing there is a stupendous view up into the vault under the central tower, while in the south transept is an extraordinary brightly painted 16C clock. In the choir there are fine stalls and the splendidly vain throne and tomb of the 14C Bishop Hatfield. Beyond the 14C Neville Screen with its delicate stonework is the Shrine of St Cuthbert.

The 13C Chapel of the Nine Altars aaa, an earlier example of which is to be found at Fountains Abbey, is an Early English addition to the cathedral. The sunken floor, designed to gain as much height as possible, and the extravagantly tall lancet windows, which are separated by columns of clustered shafts, reveal a new preoccupation with lightness and verticality. The carved stonework of the bosses and capitals is extremely rich.

At the extreme western end of the building, perched on the very edge of the ravine, is the Galilee Chapel. Twelve slender columns, their arches profusely decorated with zigzag carvings, subdivide the interior, which contains the tomb of the Venerable Bede (d.735), England’s first historian. From the top of the cathedral’s central tower (a long climb of 325 steps: access from south transept) spectacular viewsa reinforce the full drama of Durham’s site.

Durham Cathedral and the Old Fulling Mill viewed from the River Wear

Monastic Buildings

Around the much rebuilt cloisters are grouped the buildings of the former abbey. They include the monks’ dormitory and the Cathedral Treasurya, with its collection of Anglo-Saxon embroideries, precious objects and manuscripts and, above all, the evocative relics associated with St Cuthbert – his tiny portable altar, his pectoral cross, fragments of his oak coffin… To the south is the tranquil precinct of the college, its mellow, mostly 18C buildings resting on medieval foundations.

CITY AND RIVERSIDE

From the Market Place, sited at the very neck of the peninsula, streets descend steeply to the sloping Elvet Bridge on the east and to Framwellgate Bridge on the west. From here there is a fine viewaa upstream of the cathedral and the stern walls of the castle.

North Bailey and South Bailey, with their many pleasant 18C houses, follow the line of the town wall.

Nearby is the church of St Mary-le-Bow, now housing the Durham Heritage Centre (North Bailey; open Easter–May & Oct weekends and bank hols only, 2–4.30pm; Jun daily 2–4.30pm, Jul–Sept daily 11am–4.30pm; j; t 0191 384 5589; www.durhamheritagecentre.org.uk), telling the story of the city from medieval times to the present day. From here a lane leads downhill to Kingsgate footbridge of 1963, elegantly spanning the gorge to link the city with the uncompromisingly modern building of the University Students’ Union, Dunelm House. South Bailey ends at the Watergate, from which a track leads down to Prebend’s Bridge. From here, from the path on the far bank and from the riverside itself are those viewsaaa which have long captivated writers and artists; a perfect composition of water, trees and humble mill buildings.

Durham Castlea

Guided tours, university term time 2pm, 3pm, 4pm; term hols 10am, 11am, noon, also 2pm & 5pm (subject to events, call or see website). Closed Christmas holidays. £5. t0191 334 3805. www.dur.ac.uk.

The present castle began in 1072 as a simple defensive mound commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Norman architecture of the castle was much modified by successive prince bishops. Today its Norman keep houses University College (or Castle as it is known), Durham University’s oldest college, founded 1832.

From the courtyard, protected by the much rebuilt gatehouse and overlooked by the keep on its great earth mound, the tour proceeds via the 15C kitchen into the imposing Great Hall, then to galleries built around the original castle wall, whose fine arched doorway is still intact. The upper floors are reached by the broad steps of the spectacular Black Staircase of 1662. There are two chapels, one of the 16C with humorous misericords including a bagpipe-playing pig and a nagging wife in a wheelbarrow. The Norman chapela, deep below, dates from the castle’s earliest days and evokes a more primitive world, with its capitals crudely ornamented with weird figures and savage faces.

Oriental Museum (Durham University)aa

Elvet Hill, off South Road. From city centre take the A 1050 and A 167 S towards Darlington. Open Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat–Sun and bank hols noon–5pm. Closed 22 Dec–early Jan. £1.50. jõf. t0191 334 5694. www.dur.ac.uk/oriental.museum.

Changing displays range from Ancient Egypt via India and Southeast Asia to Japan; of outstanding interest are its ceramics, jade and other hardstone pieces, and an extraordinary room-like bed, all from China. In 2013 a new Korean Gallery was added.

EXCURSIONS

/Beamish, The Living Museumaa

Ñ 10mi/16km S by any of the river bridges and the A 692 towards Consett. Open Apr/Easter–Oct half-term hol daily 10am–5pm (last entry 3pm); Oct–Nov Tue–Thu and Sat–Sun 10am–4pm/dusk (last entry 3pm). Closed 25 Dec. £17.50 (winter weekdays £8.75), child £10 (winter weekdays £6.50). õf. t0191 370 4000. www.beamish.org.uk.

This much-loved and hugely popular museum, in a lovely 300-acre/120ha countryside setting, re-creates life in the north of England around the turn of the 20C and also evokes the environment of ordinary people at the start of the 19C, just as the full effect of the Industrial Revolution began to be felt in the region.

Preserved tramcars, supplemented by a pre-second World War motorbus, take visitors through the extensive site to the town, whose shops, houses, bank, working pub, sweet factory, newspaper office and printer’s workshop, stocked and furnished authentically, and inhabited by costumed guides, evoke the urban scene of yesteryear. Visitors can also go underground into a real mine (summer only).

National Railway Museum Shildon (Locomotion)

Ñ Shildon. 13mi/21km S of Durham. Open year-round daily 10am–5pm (Nov–Mar 4pm). jõf. t 01388 777 999. www.nrm.org.uk/locomotion.

This impressive outpost of York’s famous National Railway Museum (T see York) has a permanent display of over 70 railway heritage vehicles and a busy programme of events and rides on historic trains.

Raby Castle

Ñ 19mi/31km SW of Durham. Castle open by guided tour only Easter weekend & May–Sept Mon–Wed (also Sun in Sept) 1–3.20 (last tour). Park and gardens 11am–5pm. £10. õf. www.rabycastle.com. t01833 660 202.

Built for the powerful dynasty of the Nevills, who still own the castle today, this picturesque medieval lakeside castle exudes a powerful exterior of towers, turrets and fortifications dating back to the 11C. Its interiors range from Medieval, most notably its magnificent Baron’s Hall, to Victorian, and its treasures include Meissen porcelain, tapestries, furnishings and paintings by artists such as Munnings, De Hooch, Teniers, Van Dyck and Reynolds.

Tees Valley

Iron and steel (in Middlesbrough), the railways (in Darlington) and shipbuilding (in Hartlepool) made Teesside one of the powerhouses of the UK in the late-19C. All these industries have now disappeared but can be traced in the burgeoning heritage attractions of the region.

i Info: www.visitteesvalley.co.uk

/ Kids: Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience.

Darlington

i 13 Horsemarket. t01325 38866. www.thisisdarlington.com.

Darlington’s railway museum Head of Steam (North Road Station; open Apr–Sept Tue–Sun 10am–4pm, Oct–Mar Wed–Sun 11am–3.30pm; £4.95; jõf; t01365 460 532, www.darlington.gov.uk/Leisure) gives pride of place to Locomotion, the first ever steam train to carry fare-paying passengers from Darlington (to Stockton-on-Tees) in 1825.

Middlesbrough

i Town Hall, Albert Road. t01642 729700 www.thisismiddlesbrough.com.

Housed in a landmark 2007 building, the town’s new pride and joy is MIMA, the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Centre Square; open Tue–Sat 10am–4.30pm/Thur 7pm, Sun noon–4.00pm; jõf; t01642 726 720; www.visitmima.com) with outstanding fine and applied art from 1900 to the present day, presented in rotating exhibitions.

The town’s most famous son, Captain James Cook, is commemorated in the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum (Stewart Park, Marton; open Apr–Oct Tue–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm; jõf; t01642 311 211, www.captcook-ne.co.uk).

Hartlepool

iArt Gallery, Church Square. t01429 869706. www.thisishartlepool.co.uk.

In the 19C this was England’s third-largest port and its halcyon days are recalled at the lively /Hartlepool’s Maritime Experiencea (Jackson Dock; open daily Easter–Oct half-term hol 10am–5pm, Nov–Easter 11am–4pm; £8.50, child £6.50; jõf; t01429 860 077; www.hartlepoolsmaritimeexperience.com). This excellent award-winning re-creation of an 18C seaport is staffed by guides in authentic period dress and moored here is Britain’s oldest warship still afloat, HMS Trincomalee, built 1817. The Museum of Hartlepool includes a restored 1930s paddle steamer.

Newcastle-upon-Tyneaa

and around

Newcastle is an important hub on the busy east-coast route to Scotland. Its dramatic site, rich history and the distinctive dialect spoken by its population of “Geordies” give this undisputed capital of the northeast of England an exceptionally strong identity. Despite recent decline Newcastle retains great vigour as a commercial, educational, entertainment and cultural centre. The city centre shopping complex in Eldon Square was one of the most ambitious of its kind when built, while the gargantuan MetroCentre on the outskirts of Gateshead is billed as one of the largest shopping and leisure complexes in Europe. Post-Millennium, the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts and The Sage music venue are powerful symbols of the city’s new cultural ambitions.

= Population: 189,150.

T Michelin Map: Michelin Atlas p51 or Map 502 P 19.

i Info: Central Arcade, Market Street. t0191 277 8000. www.newcastlegateshead.com.

Ñ Location: 84mi/134km due north of York. Newcastle Central Station (York 56min) is just that, with a Metro station attached. Haymarket Bus Station is north of the city centre, also linked to the Metro network, which offers fast, efficient travel around Newcastle and Tyneside.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the city north of the river (where nearly all the major sites are found), while the separate town of Gateshead begins across any of the town-centre bridges. The city centre is best seen on foot.

w Don’t Miss: The BALTIC Centre; views from the city bridges.

> Timing: At least two days.

/ Kids: Discovery Museum. Life (Science Centre).

A BIT OF HISTORY

The easily defended bridging point where the Tyne enters its gorge was exploited by the Roman founders of Pons Aelius, one post among many along Hadrian’s Wall, then by the Normans, whose “New Castle” dates from 1080. Later, abundant mineral resources, particularly coal, stimulated trade, manufacturing and engineering. The great railway inventor George Stephenson (1781–1848) was born nearby, as was his son Robert, and in the 19C Tyneside became one of the great centres of industrial Britain, dominated by figures like William Armstrong, later Lord Armstrong (1810–1900), whose engineering and armament works at Elswick helped equip the navies of the world.

GATESHEAD

The approach from the south through Gateshead reveals an astonishing urban panoramaaa. The city of Newcastle has spread slowly from the north bank of the Tyne via steeply sloping streets and precipitous stairways up to the flatter land to the north. Buildings of all periods and materials are dominated by the castle and the cathedral tower.

BALTIC Centrea

Gateshead Quays. Open daily 10am (Tue 10.30)–6pm. Closed 24–26 Dec, 1 Jan. jf. t0191 478 1810. www.balticmill.com.

Housed in a landmark former flour mill on the River Tyne in Gateshead, this is the biggest gallery of its kind in the world – presenting an ever-changing international programme of contemporary visual art.

River Tyne with Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Sage and Tyne Bridge

The Sagea

South of the Tyne. Open 9am–9pm (11pm performance days). jõf. t 0191 443 4661/443 4666. www.thesagegateshead.org.

This amazing addition to the riverfront, likened to a giant stainless steel armadillo, was built 1994–2004, designed by Sir Norman Foster and Mott MacDonald, and has already become a city icon. It is home to the Northern Sinfonia but hosts all kinds of musical performances taking in every genre. It is home to a smart café and brasserie, four bars, and offers wonderful views.

zWALKING TOUR

Quaysidea

Newcastle and Gateshead are linked by seven bridges, which make an outstanding compositiona extending upstream. The oldest is the unusual High Level Bridge (1848), designed by Robert Stephenson with railway tracks above and roadway below. The newest is the graceful Gateshead Millennium Bridgea, the world’s first (and as yet, only) tilting bridge. The Swing Bridge (1876) designed by Lord Armstrong, brightly painted and nautical-looking, follows the alignment of the original crossing. The monumental stone piers of the great Tyne Bridge (1928) add drama while the riverside walkways, with sculpture, pubs, bars and hotels, are a popular place for a stroll.

Among the tightly packed Victorian commercial buildings off the Quayside are a few much older survivors: the 17C Guildhall, the 18C All Saints Churcha and the remarkable timber-framed Bessie Surtees House (EH; open Mon-Fri 10am–4pm; t0191 269 1200; www.english-heritage.org.uk) two five-storey 16C and 17C merchants’ houses which boast splendid period interiors.

Castle Keepa

Open year-round Mon–Sat 10am (noon)–5pm. Closed 1 Jan, 25, 26 Dec. £4. t0191 232 7938, www.castlekeep-newcastle.org.uk.

The city took its name from the “new castle” built by William the Conqueror’s son, Robert Curthose in 1080. The present keep is all that remains of its 12C successor and is a particularly good example of a Norman keep. From the roof of this massive stone edifice there is an all-embracing panorama of city, river and distant countryside.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Tyne and Wear Metro runs 5.30am–11.30pm, linking Newcastle city with Tyneside and the coast. Trains run every seven minutes to the airport and the coast, and every three minutes at peak times within the city. For full details on bus and Metro travel contact Nexus (www.nexus.org.uk).

SIGHTSEEING

For sightseeing on the River Tyne, River Escapes (t01670 785 666; www.riverescapes.co.uk) runs regular cruises from Newcastle Quayside, beside the Millennium Bridge, during the summer months, with three themes: the city, the countryside, out to sea.

City Centrea

Enlightened planning gave 19C Newcastle a new centre of Classical dignity, comprising fine civic buildings, great covered markets and shopping arcades and spacious streets, of which the most splendid is Grey Streeta, curving elegantly downhill from the high column of Grey’s Monument, past the great portico of the Theatre Royal.

ADDITIONAL SIGHTS

/ Discovery Museum

Blandford Square. Open year-round Mon–Sat 10am–4pm (Sat 5pm), Sun 2–5pm. Closed 1 Jan, 5–26 Dec. õ(charge). jf. t 0191 232 6789. www.twmuseums.org.uk/discovery.

This entertaining, colourful museum, full of interactive displays, is the ideal starting point from which to find out all about life on Tyneside, from the domestic to heavy industry, and to inventions which changed the world, including the 115ft-/35m-long Turbinia which dominates the entrance. Invented on Tyneside, this was the first ship to be powered by a steam turbine and was once the fastest ship in the world.

/ Life Science Centre

Times Square. Open year-round daily 10am–5pm (Sat 6pm), Sun 11am–6pm. £9.50, child £6.50. jõ(charge). f. t0191 243 8223. www.life.org.uk.

This landmark Millennium project offers live science shows, a planetarium, an interactive theatre, all kinds of hands-on displays, a simulator ride and family-based laboratory workshops. Although it is child oriented it is the public face of a pioneering science village, where scientists, educationalists and business-people come together to promote life sciences.

Great North Museum: Hancocka

Barras Bridge. Open year-round daily Mon–Sat 10am–5pm (Sat 4pm), Sun 11am–4pm. Closed 1 Jan, 25–26 Dec. t0191 222 6765. www.twmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum.

On the edge of the university campus, this important museum, boasting 3,500 natural history, archaeological and ethnographical artefacts, has recently been extended and refurbished. Its remit is both global history and matters closer to home. Highlights of its 11 galleries include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, the wonder and diversity of the animal kingdom (including a near-complete life-size T-Rex dinosaur skeleton), life and death in Ancient Egypt, and spectacular objects from the Ancient Greeks. There is also a planetarium.

Laing Art Gallerya

New Bridge Street. Open year-round Tue–Sat & bank hol Mons 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm. Closed 1 Jan, 25–26 Dec. õ(charge). jf. t0191 232 7734. www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing.

This is the region’s finest collection, renowned for its English watercolours the sculpture. It emphasises the 19C, with works by eminent Pre-Raphaelites, the apocalyptic works of the visionary John Martin.

EXCURSIONS

Angel of the Northa

Ñ 5mi/8km S. Between the the A 1 and A 167, Gateshead. Access off A 167. www.angelofthenorth.org.uk.

Erected in 1998, Antony Gormley’s majestic steel Angel, 65ft/20m high, with a wingspan of 175ft/54m and a weight of 208 tonnes, is not only Britain’s largest sculpture, but its most iconic and best-loved statue of the 21C so far.

Segedunum

Ñ Buddle Street, Wallsend. 4mi/6.5km E. Open Apr–Oct Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat–Sun 11am–4pm. Nov–mid-Dec and mid Jan–Mar Mon–Fri 10am–3pm. £5.25. õ jf. t0191 236 9437. www.twmuseums.org.uk/segedunum.

“Segger-doon-um” means strong fort in Roman, and this is the nearest section of Hadrian’s Wall (Tsee Hadrian‘s Wall, p486) to Newcastle. It features a reconstructed bath-house, a museum of artefacts and a replica full-size section of the wall which once stretched 73mi/117km west from here. A lofty viewing tower looks down on the site.

Hadrian’s Wallaa

In AD 122 the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and ordered the building of a defensive wall across the northernmost boundary of the empire from Wallsend on the Tyne, to Bowness on the Solway Firth (73mi/117km). Although Hadrian’s Wall has come to represent the frontier between England and Scotland, it is well south of the modern border. Parts of this wall can still be seen today and museums, camps and settlements give a picture of military and civilian life on Rome’s “Northwest Frontier”.

T Michelin Map: Michelin Atlas p50, p51, or Map 502 L 19, M, N and O 18.

i Info: Wentworth Place, Hexham. t01434 652 220. Once Brewed Visitor Centre, Bardon Mill. t01434 344 396. www.visithadrianswall.co.uk. www.hadrians. http://wall-northumberland.com.

Ñ Getting Around: The AD122 Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus (operates Good Fri–Oct daily; t0871 200 22 33) runs the length of the wall, stopping at all major points of interest.

A BIT OF HISTORY

The wall – The wall was built by legionaries, citizens of Rome, and garrisoned by as many as 24,000 auxiliaries from conquered territories. It was defended by a ditch on the north side; on the south side it was paralleled by a military road and “vallum”, defining the military zone. The wall was built in stone and turf, with forts, turrets and milecastles (military bases) numbered, from east to west, from Wallsend (0) to Bowness (80). It follows the best strategic and geographical line and, at places such as Cawfields and at Walltown Crags, commands splendid views.

ALONG THE WALL

Follow the B 6318.

The main sites (listed below from east to west) all have car parks and are indicated by light brown signposts.

Corbridge Roman Towna

West of Corbridge. EH. Open Apr–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–Mar Sat–Sun (daily half-term hols) 10am–4pm. Closed 1 Jan, 24–26 Dec. £5.40 j. t 01434 632 349. www.english-heritage.org.uk.

This site was occupied for longer than any other on the wall. The museum of the Corbridge Roman Town presents the layout with its granaries, fountain, headquarters building and temples. From the elevated viewpoint there is a good overall view of the visible remains, which represent only a small part of the base and settlement.

Ruins of the granaries, Corbridge Roman Town

Hexham Abbeya

Hexham. Open daily 9.30am–5pm. Closed Good Fri. £3 contribution requested. jf(Jun–Sept Tue and Sat). t01434 602 031. www.hexhamabbey.org.uk.

Stones from the Roman settlement of Corbridge (Corstopitum) were used in the construction of Hexham Abbey, which was founded in AD 674. All that remains of the original abbey is the Saxon Cryptaa (open daily 11am, 3.30pm).

The fine Early English choir with imposing transepts belongs to the later church (1180–1250). The stone staircase in the south transept was the Night Stair, which led to the canons’ dormitory. The Leschman Chantrya (1491) has amusing stone carvings on the base and delicate woodwork above.

Chesters Roman Fort and Museuma

EH. Near Chollerford. Times and charges as Corbridge (Tsee opposite). jõ(charge). f(summer). t01434 681 379. www.english-heritage.org.uk.

The best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain lies just west of the point where the wall crossed the River Tyne and remains of the bridge can still be seen on the far bank. The four gateways, headquarters building and barrack blocks of this fort can be traced from their foundations. By the river are the remains of England’s best-preserved Roman bath-housea. The museum contains a selection of sculptured stones collected from and around the wall in the 19C.

Temple of Mithras

Carrawburgh. 5min walk from car park.

This is an unexpected find in such a desolate stretch of moorland. Inside the lobby is a statue of the mother goddess (the original is reconstructed in the Museum of Antiquities in Newcastle). The temple was destroyed early in the 4C, probably by the Christians.

Housesteads Roman Fortaa

EH/NT. Open times as Corbridge. £6.20. jõ(charge). f. t 01434 344 363. www.english-heritage.org.uk. www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

This large fort (5 acres/2ha) is perched high on the ridge and is the most complete example on the wall. Still clearly visible are the foundations of the large courtyard house of the commandant, the granaries, barracks, headquarters building, the four main gateways, the hospital and 24-seater latrine block as well as part of the civilian settlement.

Vindolanda

Bardon Mill, Chesterholm. Open daily Feb half-term hol–Oct half-term hol 10am–5pm (Apr–Sept 6pm). Nov–Jan Sat–Sun only 10am–4pm £6.50, combined ticket with Roman Army Museum £10. jõf. t01434 344 277. www.vindolanda.com.

The fort and civilian settlement on the Stanegate, south of the wall, date from the period before the building of the wall. Full-scale replicas have been built of a stretch of the wall with a stone turret, as well as of the turf wall, which was the earliest barrier, with a timber milecastle. The Vindolanda Museuma holds a unique collection of writing tablets (the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain), leather goods, textiles and wooden objects.

/ Roman Army Museuma

Carvoran. Open times as Vindolanda. £5.25 child £3. Combined ticket with Vindolanda £10, child £5.50. jf. t01697 747 485. www.vindolanda.com.

This is the largest and most modern of the wall museums and presents a lively picture of the wall and its garrison, most vividly in its 3-D film Edge of Empire. To the east the quarry viewing-point overlooks one of the finest sections of the Wall, Walltown Crags.

Latrines, Housesteads Roman Fort

Northumberland National Park a

Cheviot sheep graze the high open moorland that makes up most of this park, which is popular with walkers, mountain bikers, and for watersports. On the eastern outskirts lie two outstanding historic properties.

i Info: Tower Knowe Visitor Centre. t01434 240 436. www.visitkielder.com. Kielder Castle Visitor Centre. t01431 250 209. Once Brewed Visitor Centre, Bardon Mill. t01434 344 396. Church Street, Rothbury. t01169 620 887.www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk.

/ Kids: Birds of Prey Centre.

KIELDER WATER AND FOREST PARK

Centre of Northumberland National Park.

Not only is Kielder Forest the biggest working forest in England, covering 250sq mi/650sq km, Kielder Water is also the biggest man-made lake in northern Europe. Get your bearings at the Tower Knowe Visitor Centre, where you can jump aboard the Osprey for a cruise. It stops at Leaplish Waterside Park, where there are various facilities for family fun, including the / Kielder Water Birds of Prey Centre (open daily 10.30am–4.30pm; £7, child £4.50; j; t01434 250 400, www.kwbopc.com).

Just north of the lake, /Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, formerly the hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland, is home to a variety of exhibitions, and is the hub for mountain biking.

Kielder Observatory (t07805 638 469; www.kielderobservatory.org) 1.2mi/2km west, is housed in a striking modern wooden structure and enjoys the darkest night skies in England.

WALLINGTON

30mi (50km) west of Kielder Water, outside the National Park. Open Feb half term hol & early Mar–Oct half-term hol, Wed–Mon noon–5 (Feb 3pm). Gardens & grounds daily 10am–4pm (Apr–Sept 7pm). £10.30. Gardens & grounds only £7. jfõ. t01670 773 600. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington.

Wallington is a monument to local industrial magnates, Sir Walter Blackett, who made his fortune from coal- and lead-mining and rebuilt the original late-17C house in the 1740s. It has a splendid interior and fine collections. The landscaped grounds and enchanting walled garden are even more impressive.

CHILLINGHAM CASTLEa

Northeast, between the national park and A1. Open Easter (incl. Sat)–Oct Sun–Fri noon–5pm. £9. jfõ. t01668 215 359. www.chillingham-castle.com.

This splendid medieval castle, with its original battlements, has been much augmented through the ages but retains a real sense of history, some of it very unpleasant. In the 13C it was used as a base by Edward I for his raids on the Scots and its torture chamber contains horrific devices. Partly as a result of this period, it is widely regarded as one of the most haunted places in the country. The Elizabethans added Long Galleries, Capability Brown designed the park in 1752 and the Italian Garden was laid out in the 19C by Jeffrey Wyatville.

Adjacent, but with a separate entrance from the castle, in Chillingham Park, is Chillingham Wild Cattle Park (visit by guided tour only, Easter hols–Oct Sun–Fri; on the hour Mon–Fri 10am until 4pm, Sun 10am, 11am, noon; allow 2hrs for the tour; £7; õ. t01668 215 250, www.chillinghamwildcattle.com), featuring the last wild cattle in the world. Numbering around 93 strong, these potentially very dangerous creatures are the sole survivors of herds that once roamed the forests of Britain.

Northumberland Coasta

The charming town of Alnwick (pronounced “ann-ick”) is the jewel in the crown of this region. Its castle, like those at Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, and Bambrugh, and the tug-of-war town of Berwick-on-Tweed are reminders that this was once a fiercely disputed border region. More typical of this coast these days, however, is the peace and quiet on Holy Island and the Farne Islands.

T Michelin Map: Michelin Atlas p51 or Map 502 O 16/17.

i Info: The Shambles, Alnwick. t01670 622 152. 106 Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweedt01670 622 155. Seafield Road car park, Seahouses. t01670 625593. www.visitnorthumberland.com.

/ Kids: Alnwick Castle (exploring in the footsteps of Harry Potter); Alnwick Garden. The arms and armour at Bamburgh Castle.

w Don’t Miss: Alnwick Castle; Alnwick Garden,Holy Island.

ALNWICKa

This attractive grey-stone town grew up around the great medieval castle whose stern walls still seem to bar the route to and from Scotland. Though its streets were laid out in the Middle Ages, Alnwick’s present sober and harmonious appearance dates from the 18C when much dignified rebuilding in stone took place. If possible visit on market day, Thursday and Saturday.

/ Alnwick Castleaa

Open daily Mar–Oct: grounds 10am–5.30pm, castle 11am–5pm. £14.50, child £7.30 (combined ticket with Alnwick Garden £26.25, child £10.40). Five to 10 percent discount online. õf. t01665 511 100. www.alnwickcastle.com.

Among the many fortifications of this much-contested border country, Alnwick’s castle is the most formidable. Begun in Norman times, it was acquired in 1309 by the Percys, the region’s greatest family, and has remained in their hands ever since. Though much remodelled in the 19C, its basic features are all intact and, in an exquisite setting by the River Aln, it epitomises the romantic ideal of a mighty medieval fortress. It was featured in two Harry Potter films and stages various themed activities for children.

/ Alnwick Garden

Denwick Lane. Open Apr–Oct daily 10am–6pm, Nov–Mar 10am–4pm. Closed 24 Dec. Adult £13.37, child £4 (see castle for combined ticket prices). jõf. t01665 511 350. www.alnwickgarden.com.

Part of the castle estate, this 12-acre/5ha walled plot was rescued from dereliction in 2000 and has developed into one of the most exciting contemporary British gardens in modern times. It features a spectacular water Cascade, a rose garden holding over 3,000 specimens, a Poison Garden (where guides share tales of deadly plants) and a magnificently higgledy-piggledy tree house, which is one of the largest in the world; and hosts a restaurant (Tsee Addresses).

Alnwick is also unusual among British gardens for being very child-friendly with water features to get soaked by (on a hot day!), a bamboo labyrinth, and the tree house to explore, with its walkways in the sky and wobbly rope bridges for bouncing on.

WARKWORTH CASTLE AND HERMITAGEa

EH. 7.5mi/12km SE of Alnwick on the A 1068. Castle open: Apr–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Feb school half-term week & Oct, daily 10am–4pm. Nov–Mar Sat–Sun only, 10am–4pm. Hermitage and Duke’s Rooms open Apr–Sept Sun, Mon & bank hols 11am–4pm. Closed 1 Jan, 24–26 Dec. Castle £5, Hermitage £3.40. jõ.t 01665 711 423. www.english-heritage.org.uk.

Perched high above the river, the castle dates from the 12C and since 1332 has belonged to the Percys. It fell into ruin in the late-16C but has since been preserved. Its only furnished interiors are the Duke’s Rooms. The general layout is best appreciated from the upper floor of the fine 13C gatehouse. The most prominent feature is the beautifully-restored keep, designed for comfort and convenience as much as for defence.

From the castle the single street of the little planned town runs steeply downhill to the Norman church of St Lawrence and to the river crossing with its rare medieval bridge tower.

Don’t miss the Hermitage (half a mile upstream, accessible only by boat), in use between the 14C and the mid-16C.

CRAGSIDEa

NT. Rothbury. 12mi/19km SW of Alnwick via the B 6341. NT.Open Mar–Oct half-term hol Tue–Sun 1–5pm. During school hols, weekends & bank hols 11am–5pm. See website for more details £13.80. õf. t01669 620 333. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside. wAdmission by cash only. On bank hol weekends the property is very crowded.

The stupendous success of his engineering and armament works at Newcastle enabled Lord Armstrong (1810–1900), one of the greatest Victorian inventor/industrialists, to build this extraordinary country house in which Old English and Germanic styles are romantically combined. It was regarded as a wonder of the age and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, of which Armstrong was a pioneer. The many rooms of its well-preserved interiora give a fascinating insight into the comforts and pretensions of late Victorian domestic life, as well as housing many of Armstrong’s ingenious gadgets. This redoubtable man is also hailed as a landscaping genius and Cragside’s gardens, laid out under his supervision, are home to the largest sandstone rock garden in Europe.

CRASTER

8mi/13km NE of Alnwick on the B 1340; after 3mi/5km turn right.

This dark-stone fishing village is famed for its kippers (cured herrings).

From the car park, it is well worth the windy walk (there is no vehicular access) around 1.5mi/2.4km to the skeletal ruin of Dunstanburgh Castlea (NT/EH;open as Warkworth Castle, Tsee opposite; £4.20; t01665 576 231; www.english-heritage.org.uk, www.nationaltrust.org.uk).Sitting on its lonely crag of volcanic rock this is one of the most stirring sights of the Northumbrian coast. From here there are searching view right up and down this wonderfully unspoiled coastline of rocky headlands and sweeping sandy bays backed by dunes.

FARNE ISLANDSa

NT. Seahouses. 15mi/24km S by the A 1 and B 1342/1340. Boats leave Seahouses harbour once an hour from 10am to 3pm daily. A round trip, including island stop-off, takes between 2½– 3 hours. Landing is permitted May–Jul daily 10.30am–1.30pm (Staple Island), 1.30–5pm (Inner Farne). Boat fare £13 to Inner Farne or Staple Island, inc. 1hr on island. Landing fee May–Jul (breeding season) £6.40. Apr & Aug–Oct £5.40. w Apr–Jul wear a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap to protect against dive-bombing birds. t01665 721 099 (infoline). www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Boat information: t01665 720 308 www.farne-islands.com.

In the care of the National Trust, the Farne Islands number 15 to 28 in total, depending upon the tide, and lie between 2mi/3km and 5mi/8km off the coast. They provide nesting sites for 18 species of seabirds, and are home to the largest British colony of grey seals. The wildlife is generally very tame and it is possible to get very close-up views.

Bamburgh Castle

/BAMBURGH CASTLEa

7mi/27km north of Alnwick via the A 1 and B 1341. Open Feb half-term hol–Oct half-term hol daily 10am–5pm, Nov–Feb half-term, Sat–Sun only, 11am–4.30pm. £9.75, child £4.25. õ(charge). f. t 01668 214 515. www.bamburghcastle.com.

Beautifully sited on a rocky plateau above a long sandy beach, its original Norman keep still dominant, Bamburgh is one of the largest inhabited castles in the country. It was restored in the Victorian era and bought by the redoubtable Lord Armstrong (Tsee Cragside House, p487) in 1894. It now houses a fine collection of arms and armour from the Tower of London, and Sèvres, Crown Derby, Worcester and Chelsea porcelain. There are exquisite small collections of vinaigrettes, Fabergé carvings and jade.

In Bamburgh village, two minutes by car, is the Grace Darling Museum (Radcliffe Road; open Easter Mon–Sept daily 10am–5pm, Oct–Easter Tue–Sun and bank hols 10am-4pm; closed 1 Jan, 24–26 Dec; £2.75; j; t01668 214 910, www.rnli.org/gracedarling), which celebrates the area’s most famous person. The daughter of the Longstone lighthouse keeper, Grace was just 22 years old when she risked her life in an open boat with her father, to help save several survivors of the wrecked SS Forfarshire in September 1838. The Longstone lighthouse still stands and can be seen on boat trips to the Farne Islands (Tsee above).

HOLY ISLAND (LINDISFARNE)a

22mi/35km N of Alnwick to Beal via the A 1, then cross the causeway to Holy Island. This can be crossed only at low tide; timetables posted at either end of the causeway. Lidisfarne Centre open generally 10am–5pm (winter 4pm), according to tides, see website. £3. j. t01289 389 004. www.holy-island.info. www.lindisfarne-centre.com.

Here on this tiny island, the Lindisfarne Gospels were written and magnificently illuminated in the Celtic tradition. The original is kept at the British Museum but a (conventional) facsimile and an interactive turning page edition can be viewed here at the centre.

Lindisfarne Priorya

EH. Open Apr–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Feb school half-term week & Oct, daily 10am–4pm. Nov–Mar Sat–Sun only, 10am–4pm. Closed 24–30 Dec, 1 Jan. £5.20. t01289 389 200. www.holy-island.info/englishheritage.

The ruins visible today are those of a Benedictine house, founded from Durham in 1093. A visitor centre interprets the ruins and stages occasional events.

Lindisfarne Castlea

Castle: Open Feb half-term hol–Oct half-term hol bank hol Mons & Tue–Sun (Aug daily). Times depend on tidal access; either 10am–3pm or noon– 5pm. Nov–third week Dec Sat–Sun only 10am–3pm. £6.30. õ(charge). w Limited toilet facilities at castle, toilet in car park; 1 mi/1.6km from car park to castle (shuttle bus often available). t 01289 389 244. www.nationaltrust.org.uk; www.holy-island.info/lindisfarnecastle.

Accessible via a 3mi/5km causeway at low tide only, this 16C castle was restored in 1902 by Edwin Lutyens as a holiday home for Edward Hudson, founder of Country Life magazine. The austere but beautiful interior is in inimitable “Lutyens” style.

BERWICK-UPON-TWEEDaa

30mi/50km N of Alnwick via the A 1.

As a result of its location right on the border – facing northeast to the English, looking southwest to the Scots – the Georgian market and seaside town of Berwick (pronounced “berrick”) has been fought over many times, changing hands on no fewer than 14 occasions in the 12C alone.

Today this is England’s northernmost town, a fact unknown to many English folk outside the north, who would consider Berwick as Scottish. Their confusion is compounded by the town’s football team, Berwick Rangers, who elect to play in the Scottish League. From 1558 onwards, the wallsa were replaced with ramparts and bastions. The elegant 15-arch Old Bridge, built in 1611, is the fifth-known structure to have been built between Berwick and Tweedmouth. The castle has largely been demolished and the railway station was built on part of the site in the 19C.

Some of the stone was used for Holy Trinity Church (1651), one of the few to have been built during the Commonwealth, and the remainder was “quarried” in 1720 to build Berwick Barracks.

Berwick Barracks & Main Guard

EH. The Parade, off Church Street. Barracks open Apr–Oct half-term hol Mon–Fri 10am–5pm (3pm from 1 Oct). £4. Main Guard, call for details. t01289 304 493. www.english-heritage.org.uk.

Built in the early-18C, this complex is now home to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Museum, the Berwick Gymnasium Contemporary Art Gallery and the Berwick Borough Museum. The highlights are the excellently crafted pieces collected by the “magpie millionaire” Sir William Burrell, which include Imari ware (Japanese porcelain), brassware, medieval religious art, Chinese bronzes and glassware.

View of Berwick-upon-Tweed

ADDRESSES

„ STAY

DURHAM

q Victoria Inn – 86 Hallgarth Street . t 0191 386 5269. www.victoriainn-durhamcity.co.uk . õ. 6 rms. This family-run Grade-II-listed inn, a five-min walk from town, is a much-feted family-run classic Victorian pub with pleasant bedrooms.

q Farnley Tower – The Avenue. t0191 375 0011. www.farnley-tower.co.uk. õ. 13 rms. This superb de-luxe guesthouse, a 10-min walk from town, dates from 1870 and is set in lovely grounds. Rooms are traditional-modern Victorian style; book a superior for views of the cathedral and castle. Excellent restaurant (Tsee opposite).

q Cathedral View Town House – 212 Lower Gilesgate. t0191 386 9566. www.cathedralview.com. 6 rms. This former Georgian merchant’s house dates from 1734 and has stylish modern bedrooms. A 10-min walk from town, it enjoys sweeping views over the cathedral, town and countryside.

^ Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County. Old Elvet. t0191 386 6821. wwww.marriotthotels.co.uk. õ. 50 rms. Situated on the banks of the Wear, this luxurious property, parts of which date back to the 17C, offers great views of castle and cathedral. Its leisure club includes an indoor pool.

NEWCASTLE

. Premier Inn Newcastle Central – New Bridge Street West. t0871 527 8802. www.premierinn.com. Next to Eldon Square shopping centre in the heart of ‘the toon’, this is the best central no-frills hotel in Newcastle, with bright, modern rooms and king-size beds.

^ The New Northumbria Hotel – 61/73 Osborne Road. t0191 281 4961. www.thenewnorthumbriahotel.co.uk. õ. 57 rms. This recently renovated boutique hotel in Jesmond, a mile from Newcastle city centre, is almost a night out in its own right, including the buzzing Osborne’s Bar, informal attractive Scalini’s restaurant, and the more sophisticated Louis Restaurant.

_ Hotel du Vin – City Road. t0191 229 2200. www.hotelduvin.com/newcastle. õ. 42 rms. On the banks of the Tyne, with outstanding views of Quayside and bridges, the former Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company HQ has been gloriously converted into timelessly styled bedrooms, a superb trademark bistro, courtyard for al fresco dining and an outstanding wine cellar.

_ Malmaison – Quayside. t0191 245 5000. www.malmaison-newcastle.com. õ. 20 rms. Very chic designer hotel next to the Millennium Bridge with an excellent restaurant and superb bar.

_ Hilton Newcastle – Bottle Bank. t0191 490 9700. www.hilton.co.uk/newcastlegateshead. õ. 254 rms. The best river view in town, from the Gateshead side of the water, can be enjoyed from several of the Hilton’s luxurious rooms and from its Windows on the Tyne Restaurant. Health club with swimming pool.

HADRIAN’S WALL

.– q Beggar Bog Farm – Housesteads. t01434 344 652. www.bandb-on-hadrianswall.co.uk. õ. 3 rms. ;. Next to Housesteads Roman Fort, this tastefully renovated farmhouse features stripped-back wood-and-stone rooms. Dinner available, good local pubs. Excellent value.

q Ashcroft Guest House– Lanty’s Lonnen. Haltwistle. t01434 320 213. www.ashcroftguesthouse.co.uk. õ. 9 rms. This elegant Victorian vicarage features spacious high-ceilinged guest rooms. It is located in lovely countryside, near the Wall, on the edge of Haltwhistle village, and stands in 2 acres/0.8ha of award-winning gardens festooned with thousands of flowers in spring.

.–q Bush Nook Guest House – Gilsland, Upper Denton. t016977 47194. www.bushnook.co.uk. õ. 8 rms. Overlooking Birdoswald Roman Fort and with panoramic countryside views, this old farmstead has been tastefully converted to a very high standard. Dinner available, Attentive friendly hosts, excellent value.

^ Crown & Mitre Hotel – English Street, Carlisle. t01228 525 491.http://www.peelhotels.co.uk. õ. 95 rms. This grand Edwardian landmark hotel has very comfortable trad-modern rooms, a splendid ‘pubby’ bar (serving food), a reasonably priced restaurant and a lovely indoor pool.

ALNWICK

q Aln House – South Road. t 01665 602 265. www.alnhouse.co.uk. õ. 7 rms. This charming modern-styled Edwardian house with gardens is just a short stroll from town.

q Greycroft – Croft Street (via Prudhoe Street). t01665 602 127. www.greycroft.co.uk. 6 rms. A short walk from the centre of town, this attractive and spacious Victorian house was beautifully renovated in trad-modern style in 2008, and since then has drawn universally glowing reviews.

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED

^ West Coates – 30 Castle Terrace. t01289 309 666. www.westcoates.co.uk. 3 rms. Large elegant Victorian mansion in 2 acres/0.8ha of mature gardens on the edge of town with spacious comfortable traditional rooms. The owner runs cookery classes; dinner (_) is available.

_ 1 Sallyport – Off Bridge Street.t01289 308 827. www.sallyport.co.uk. õ. 5 rms. Located in the heart of Berwick’s old town, this super-stylish eclectic ‘bar and brasserie with rooms’, is widely acclaimed as one of the best new places to stay in the North.

ƒ EAT

DURHAM

w Good traditional pubs to try in Durham include the Market Tavern (Market Place) and the Victoria (Hallgarth Street).

^ Bistro 21 – Aykley Heads House, Aykley Heads. t0191 384 4354. www.bistrotwentyone.co.uk. Formerly a manor house outbuilding, the rustic main room features French farmhouse styling; the bar is in a smaller vaulted room. Cooking centres around British classics. Great value early bird prix-fixe menu (.).

^ Gourmet Spot – Farnley Tower Guesthouse, The Avenue. t0191 375 0011. http://gourmet-spot.co.uk. Open Tue–Sat dinner. One of the region’s most adventurous and popular places to eat. The Modern and molecular cuisine here produces spectacular looking and tasting dishes with both tasting menus and affordable prix-fixe choices.

NEWCASTLE

. Kafeneon – 8 Bigg Market. t0191 260 2577. www.neoncafe.co.uk. The darling of Newcastle’s café scene, this unpretentious well established little place is as good for a cup of real coffee as it is for authentic Greek and Mediterranean food at bargain prices.

. Tandoori Nights – 17 Grey Street. t0191 221 0312. http://tandoorinightsnewcastle.com. Opposite the Theatre Royal, this stylish Indian restaurant specialises in Balti cuisine, vegetarian dishes and sharing thali plates.

q Café Royal – 8 Nelson Street. t0191 231 3000. Open 8am–6pm. Closed Sun. This attractive contemporary European café-bistro is as good for weary shoppers as it is for impressing a lunch date.

^ David Kennedy’s Food Social – The Biscuit Factory, 16 Stoddart Street. t0191 2605411. www.foodsocial.co.uk/the-restaurant. This spacious, industrial-styled restaurant has exposed brick and pipework, heavy wood furniture and sofas set around a large bar. The hearty cooking has a regional tone and is hugely popular. Great value early bird prix-fixe menu (.). It’s worth the trip just to visit the Biscuit Factory art gallery.

HADRIAN’S WALL

q Angel Inn – Corbridge. t01434 632 119. www.angelofcorbridge.co.uk. This fine old 18C coaching inn has been handsomely restored and serves both traditional pub grub and gastropub fare.

q Ristorante Adriano – 1 Rickergate, Carlisle. t01228 599 007. http://ristoranteadriano.co.uk. Carlisle’s top Italian restaurant serves pizzas, pastas and a wide range of classic dishes.

ALNWICK

q Tree House – Alnwick Garden. t01665 511 852. www.alnwickgarden.com. Closed dinner Mon–Wed. Dine in magical surroundings (Tsee p486) with either a simple lunch or a special candlelit dinner, on locally sourced British cuisine.

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED

q Amaryllis – 5–7 West Street. t01289 331 711. Open Mon–Sat 9am–5pm/7pm, Sun 11am–3pm. Berwick’s favourite daytime restaurant serves high quality locally sourced food in contemporary surroundings.