Days Out Attractions & Buildings

Hatton Gallery

Newcastle

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Described in recent years as “one of the most impressive exhibition spaces in Britain”, Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery, situated in the old Quadrangle, has been at the heart of cultural life in the north-east since the early twentieth century and they have a highly-regarded programme of historical, modern and contemporary art exhibitions. Over recent years this programme has included major historical monographs, diverse partnership projects and exciting new commissions from leading contemporary artists. On permanent display is Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbarn, considered by many to be one of the seminal artworks of the twentieth century.

Haydon Bridge

Haydon Bridge is a small town with a few decent pubs and shops. The main attraction is Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, Vercovicium which, as well as the site itself, boasts an impressive museum where visitors can see the site recreated in all its glory.

Heatherslaw Cornmill

Cornhill-on-Tweed

Want to know how wheat was traditionally milled? Visit the restored and operating 19th century undershot watermill. You can see wheat milling daily, water levels permitting. You'll find exhibitions and demonstrations of all processes from the wheel to finished flour.

Hexham

Hexham

Hexham is a pleasant market town situated about 20 miles west of Newcastle and well served by local rail services. It’s the home of some fine old buildings including the Abbey and Moothall whilst the newly refurbished Border History Museum is well worth a visit. Also check out the wonderful Queen’s Hall Art Centre, which plays host to music, exhibitions, theatre and a whole lot more beside. The market itself takes place every Tuesday selling home produce, clothes, bedding, pots and pans etc. If you time your visit carefully you could stock up on homewares and have a flutter later on as Hexham is also home to Northumberland’s only racecourse.

Hexham Abbey

Hexham

Open 9.30-5pm. Guided tours: Adult £4.50, Conc. £3.50. Originally a Benedictine Abbey, then an Augustinian Priory and now the Parish Church of Hexham, Hexham Abbey has been a place of Christian worship since AD 674. Explore 1300 years of history, architecture, stained glass, and a saxon crypt.

Hexham Racecourse

Hexham, Northumberland

High Force

Discover the force of nature at High Force, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in England, located at Forest-in-Teesdale, Co. Durham. Raby Castle is situated 20 miles further east at Staindrop.

HMS Trincomalee

Hartlepool

Open: 10.30am-5pm daily Adults £4.25/ Concs and Kids £3.25/ £11.75 family ticket. HMS Trincomalee 1817 is berthed afloat at Hartlepool Historic Quay, where a major award-winning restoration and interpretation of the ship was completed in the early summer of 2001. HMS Trincomalee 1817 represents the pinnacle of the ship restorer's craft and visitors can now savour the unique atmosphere and experience of life on board the classic British frigate.

Holy Island

TD15 2SE

Originally known as Lindisfarne and often described as ‘The jewel of the Northumberland Coast’, Holy Island is only accessible across a causeway at low tide. In the seventh century it was one of the great seats of Christian learning in western europe and was where the beautiful Lindisfarne Gospels were written. Lindisfarne Castle is a Tudor fort converted to a house by the architect Edwin Lutyens for Edward Hudson, founder of The Country Life magazine. If you’re a bit of a film buff you may wonder where you’ve seen it before... That’s right, it doubled as Donald Pleasance’s house in Polanski’s “Cul-De-Sac” and in the Millennium episode of the series ‘Cold Feet’. There’s also a museum exhibiting artefacts from excavations as well as a gift shop. Make sure you have a tide timetable - at high tide the causeway linking Holy Island to the Northumbrian coast is submerged and the island is cut off from the mainland.

Housesteads Roman Fort (Vercovicium)

Hexham, Northumberland

Open: Dawm-Dusk daily. Adult £5, Conc. £4.50 Child £3. The most complete Roman fort in Britain.

Hylton Castle

Sunderland

10am-4pm daily, free admission. Set within 200 wonderful acres the Dene provides country walks, fab kids’ play park, a fishing lake and even a haunted castle dating from the 15th century.

Island Boat Trips

Seahouses

Various boat trips available, contact the company for further details and for information on sailing times and prices.

Jarrow

Jarrow

Jarrow is a town dripping in history. There was a Roman fort here in the first century, and by the fifth the site was occupied by the Anglo-Saxons. A mere 1300 years ago the Venerable Bede arrived and created the rich legacy that is celebrated today at Bede’s World. Here you can discover the exciting world of the Venerable Bede, early Europe’s greatest scholar, who lived and worked in the monastery of Wearmouth. Attractions include an interactive ‘Age Of Bede’ exhibition in the stunning museum building and an Anglo-Saxon demonstration farm, with rare breeds of animals and reconstructed timber buildings. Bede’s World also has a medieval herb garden, gift shop, café and a lively and wide-ranging programme of events and temporary exhibitions. Jarrow’s more recent history includes the famous Jarrow Crusade of 1936 when people marched to London to protest against the mass unemployment in Britain.