North East England Sightseeing & Activities Guide

recommended places to visit and things to do in North East England


  • film/tv location
  • -
  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • museum
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • something different!
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • all-weather attraction
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • guided tours
  • -
  • virtual tours
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • architecture
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • film
  • -
  • furniture
  • -
  • Harry Potter
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • TV
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

dating back to the fourteenth century and closely associated with many historical events. Now best known as one of the locations for the Harry Potter films

  • film/tv location
  • -
  • museum
  • -
  • something different!
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • all-weather attraction
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • architecture
  • -
  • film
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • social history
  • -
  • transport
  • -
  • TV

a living working experience of life as it was in the early 1800s and 1900s complete with shops, pubs and horse drawn carriages and trams

  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • English Heritage
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • architecture
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

a wealth of architectural history, with buildings dating from the 14C and a superb 30-acre garden famed for its rhododendrons and unique quarry garden

  • museum
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • all-weather attraction
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • industrial heritage

celebrates the history of a long lost industry and the stories of the everyday people involved in mining

Cragside

Rothbury

  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • natural landscape
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • National Trust
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • architecture
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • furniture
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity crammed full of ingenious gadgets – most of them still working and with one of the largest rock gardens in Europe

Down At The Farm

Houghton-le-Spring

  • farm park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • nature

an open air attraction offering animal interaction and outdoor play in the countryside with a wide variety of animals for llamas to racoons

Farne Islands

Seahouses

  • nature reserve
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • National Trust
  • -
  • visitor centre
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

offering unrivalled close ups of thousands of puffins, Arctic terns and guillemots (May to July) and seal pups in the autumn. Charges apply including members

  • archeological site
  • -
  • fortress
  • -
  • ruin
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • National Trust
  • -
  • World Heritage Site
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • visitor centre
  • -
  • archeology
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

the most remarkable Roman remains in the country, a real insight into Roman military life and discover the past behind the archaeological remains

Jesmond Dene

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  • nature reserve
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • free admission
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • visitor centre
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

an historic park in the heart of suburban Newcastle. It is a peaceful haven for residents, visitors and wildlife alike

  • nature reserve
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • visitor centre
  • -
  • cycling
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

Kielder Castle is the visitor centre for Britain's biggest forest with over 250 square miles to explore with exhibitions about forestry and conservation

Locomotion

Shildon

  • museum
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • all-weather attraction
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • transport
  • -
  • trains

explore the rich seam of local railway history and discover how the railways have changed all our lives, with a model railway to please all enthusiasts

  • farm park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • wildlife

come and meet the animals at this working farm with a variety of play areas for children, inside and out

Ormesby Hall

Middlesbrough

  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • National Trust
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

surrounded by 250 acres of park and farmland with year round seasonal walks and a colourful Victorian formal garden accompanying the mansion

  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • seasonal opening
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • guided tours
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • architecture
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • furniture
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • photography
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

a fine Palladian Country House with Chippendale and Trotter furniture and a changing exhibition of local artists' work surrounded by lovely grounds

The Bowes Museum

Barnard Castle

  • museum
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • all-weather attraction
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • ceramics
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

a treasure trove of objets' d'art including the famous silver swan automaton surrounded by luxurious gardens and parklands with children's play area

  • museum
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • pre-booking advised
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • maritime heritage
  • -
  • transport
  • -
  • boats

visit an authentic 18th century seaport and the spectacular HMS Trincomalee. See how tradesmen like tailors, printers and instrument makers earned a wage

  • historic house
  • -
  • garden
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • National Trust
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • antiques
  • -
  • art
  • -
  • cycling
  • -
  • furniture
  • -
  • history
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

the house, home of the quirky Museum of Curiosities, is surrounded by an informal landscape of lawns, lakes, woodland, parkland and farmland

Albert Park

Middlesbrough

  • leisure facility
  • -
  • park
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • free admission
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • visitor centre
  • -
  • nature
  • -
  • sport
  • -
  • walking

facilities include children and teenage play area, boating lake, roller skating rink, visitor centre and cafe, fishing platforms and sports facilities

  • leisure facility
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • café
  • -
  • shop
  • -
  • sport
  • -
  • walking
  • -
  • wildlife

a friendly welcome and a superb layout awaits. Set in mature parkland, open grassland and gorse with panoramic views out to the sea which is five miles away. Gents par 70 and ladies par 73 course

  • museum
  • -
  • family-friendly
  • -
  • open year round
  • -
  • shop

telling the story of one of the world’s greatest navigators and mariners through themed display galleries, associated activities and events and a lively education programme

Show more