21 replies to this topic

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt]

I'm going to Scotland during the first week of March, so I'll be passing through the North East and will probably stop over in Newcastle for a day or two. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some good historical sites or museums to check out while I'm in Newcastle. I'm not going to Middlesborough again--I went to Auschwitz/Birkenau recently and honestly it wasn't half as upsetting as staying in Middlesborough, there's something about that place that gets to me.

[Gemmill]

Bamburgh Castle is well worth a visit. It's obviously not in Newcastle though, but I'm assuming we're taking in the surrounding area too. I went to Edinburgh Castle and Bamburgh Castle quite recently, and Edinburgh is a huge disappointment in comparison to Bamburgh.

Edited by Gemmill, 18 February 2012 - 12:02 PM.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt]

I'm headed up to Edinburgh and maybe beyond, haven't sorted everything yet. Will probably go to see the Loch Ness monster, but if Scotland is terrible I'll spend more time in Newcastle rather than stay there.

[LoveTheBobby]

Not exactly highbrow etc. but The Woodhorn Mining Museum and the Pitmen Painters history is something I love . Not too far from Bamburgh . Great regional social history behind it all . (The William Feaver book is excellent .)

[PaddockLad]

Gemmill, on 18 February 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

Bamburgh Castle is well worth a visit. It's obviously not in Newcastle though, but I'm assuming we're taking in the surrounding area too. I went to Edinburgh Castle and Bamburgh Castle quite recently, and Edinburgh is a huge disappointment in comparison to Bamburgh.

Funny you should say that but I had the present Mrs PL (she'd never been north of Birmingham) up visiting my folks at xmas and new year and she was looking forward to seeing Edinburgh Castle, which turned out to be even duller than I'd remebered it as a bairn.She was a bit unimpressed as well. A day or so later we went for a spin down the Northumberland coastal route and she could see  Bamburgh Castle from around Beadnell Bay. It didnt really prepare her for coming over the brow of the last hill before the villaige and seeing it sat there, towering above everything in the area.I'd sort of forgotten a bit about it too, having known the area well when I was a kid. We went on to the beach, it was at dusk in late December and the whole place had a completely otherworldly feel to it.The castle looked stunning lit up above the beach with the moon rising above it. We couldnt get in for a look but we're going up in a couple of weeks and are going to visit it again probably the day before we play the mackems.





Suffice to say the missus is now in love with the Northumberland coast and is currently being talked into moving to somewhere like Alnmouth if/when my job moves north later this year, which is only a possibility at the moment but looking increasingly likely to happen.

KSA , if its history you want just stop off anywhere between Newcastle and Edinburgh and you'll find it lying around everywhere.The Tyne valley and Hadrians wall are worth seeing,Rothbury and Cragside are great, Berwick is well worth a look, follow the Tweed up to Coldstream etc etc. Go up to Edinburgh from there or keep to the river and head further upstream, theres loads to see.

Not been to the Beamish Mueseum near Chester-le-Street since I was a kid  but if Victorian and Edwardian vilage life in the North East floats your boat then that may be worth a look. I saw Portillo on the TV visiting the Pitman Painter's exhibition a few weeks back and once I'd turned the sound downon the great steaming orange shit head the paintings looked brillaint, all done by the miner's themsleves in the 20s.

[Christmas Tree]

Top of Durham cathedral is canny

[Monkeys Fist]

Cragside is a good shout, as are Housesteads and Vindolanda on Hadrians Wall.

In the City, you'll be able to visit the Keep, Blackfriars (13thC  Dominican Chapter House), and the West Walls in a good morning.

The Hancock ( Great North Museum) , now houses the Museum of Antiquities collection- its free, but give the ropey stuffed animals a miss when you first go in.

Chillingham Castle is worth a visit, and the Chillingham Herd, but you'd have to check its open at this time of year.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt]

Secondly, and I forgot to put this in the original post, do you know where I can get some high-quality cowies in Newcastle?

Edited by Kevin S. Assilleekunt, 18 February 2012 - 05:47 PM.

[peasepud]

Beamish costs a fortune though, if you want to see life in Victorian Britain head to Pennywell. It's free and if you wear shoes the locals will think you're some kind of God.


If you wear glasses though give it a wide berth, Pol Pot has nowt in this lot

[LoveTheBobby]

PadLad - yeah i saw Portilo with his 'Bbradshaws' too.
I think the volume needs turning down on some of his fruity apparel too like !
KSA - where are you from btw ?( "the 4th dimension" doesn't count)

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt]

LoveTheBobby, on 18 February 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

PadLad - yeah i saw Portilo with his 'Bbradshaws' too.
I think the volume needs turning down on some of his fruity apparel too like !
KSA - where are you from btw ?( "the 4th dimension" doesn't count)

'oooh zany'

I'm from Warrington originally.

Edited by Kevin S. Assilleekunt, 18 February 2012 - 07:49 PM.

[Monkeys Fist]

[Monkeys Fist]

I love the Keep, shame the Victorians built a fucking big railway right through the middle of the castle Garth.

Has anyone been inside the Black Gate? There used to be a bagpipe museum in there, but it seems closed to the public now. I'd love to have a nosey round it.

[ADP]

go to Alnwick on the way down its class.

also, chillingham castle is cool... had a mint halloween there a few years ago

[sweetleftpeg]

I don't know if anyone follows that 'I love Ncl' feed on twitter, but that put together an article about the 5 best free places to visit in Newcastle. There was the Angel of the North, Tynemouth, Hadrian's Wall, The Baltic, and the Sage. Now, remind me which one of these is in Newcastle again? There's a 6 foot section of the wall at the very end of the West Road I'll give them that one, sort of.