OT- Places to visit around the North East

Hi All,
A bit of help if you can indulge me.
I have two kids (4 and 8) and with Easter and then summer on the horizon i'm looking to compile a hitlist of things to do and see around the North East to keep the little cherubs entertained.
They like museums as much as visiting nice parks so I suppose I won't be restricted to 'typical' indoor kiddie kinds of things.
Are there any places near you or that you have been to that you can recommend as a good place to go and visit?
Thanks in advance and hopefully other parents may find some of what is to follow useful.
Rgds,
ACS

 

We've got a folding camper and spend the odd few days in summer at Fallowfield Dene camp site near Hexham. It's cheap enough but very relaxing and my daughter loves it there.

If you have a dog try the beach at Whitley Bay, you can park at the lighthouse and walk about two miles on the long beach. We've been in the lighthouse as well, costs about three or four quid a head. We also drive up to Seaton Sluice, about a mile away, and buy fish and chips at the Harbour View chippie. We then eat them in the lighthouse car park (about 80p an hour for parking). Very nice.

 

Also, you can go to the Odeon cinema on Saturday morning at the Metro Centre where they have the kid's club on, an adult and a child can get in for £2.50. We've seen some decent films there.

 

Where to start!!!? Try Beamish Open Air Museum - choose a fine day and allow the wholeday.Takes you back to your youth and maybe those before you.+ you can all ride the trams,trains - visit the mines etc etc (just google Beamish etc.)
Another day to Cragside - Lord Armstongs(Vickers - Armstrong) estate up near Rothbury.Lovely area and interesting house/gardens/ice-creams/hydrolic engineering.
The coast -anywhre from Tynemouth north is pretty good.
How many more days do you want filled?

 

thanks guys. they are needy kids so I'm looking to get around 10 places to visit for 2013.

 

Albert, you can save a good few quid if you go prepared, i.e. take a backpack with plenty of food and drinks. I hate getting ripped off on my travels, even when we go to the flicks we buy Asda popcorn for £1.50 (and it's the same as what you'd get in the pictures for a fiver). You can always buy warm snacks or drinks or ice creams if you want to but the savings will add up.

 

Believe Alnwick Castle is open to the public for a small charge and there's hand written letters from Elizabeth I on display along with other items of interest.

Have heard that Beamish is good for kids though.

 

This! Have done all 3 of those with my kids when they were the same sort of age and all worked really well. Allow a full day for each.

Mine love South Shields as you get lovely beach, the pond / mini railway, there's a pub on the sea front with indoor softplay (can't think what it's called) and the fun fair - although it can get bloody expensive.

How far do you want to go? Alnick + Banbrough are both worth a visit if you want to go out for a full day. And it is't that long really to drive down towards the Lake District - lovely drive and my kids had a great time. We walked on Hadrian's Wall.

We were going to take them to the Farne Islands on our last trip oop north, but the weather was too bad and the ferries weren't running.

 

Beach in tynemouth when it's sunny, stop for a fish and chips there as well.

 

Would recommend Bill's Fish Bar

 

Day trip to Edinburgh by train - IRC there is a zoo there.

 

My kids loved Edinburgh zoo, especially as they have pandas. We went during the Edinburgh Fringe festival - loads of shows to choose from, including family/kids shows plus there's the Edinburgh Military Tattoo at the castle.

 

Oo pandas. Yes

 

PM me if you do go. You need to be organised to see the pandas so worth knowing the tricks.

 

You still take 50 year olds to the Zoo?

 

Oh you bugger, I've just put my back out laughing at that. Ooh, me poor old back. Nurse! Nurse I need help! And bring your nurse friend with you.

 

Where's Minxy when you need her?

 

what are the best castles up on the Northumberland coast?

Also- the Hancock museum is quite a good visit if anyone else is interested.

 

I would say the most photogenic castle anywhere,quite a claim I know,is Bamburgh.It costs to park and get in but what a location.castle and beach to die for.A castle a bit further south is Warkworth,not as dramatic but worth a visit.(Kids can rin around & use their imagination).Also Dunstanburgh.Park at Craster and walk along the coast - about mile/mile and a half there and back- returning to the "Jolly Fisherman" pub for a cracking pint and good food.(Obviously fish/crab etc.) but you must have a bowl of chips just like Granny used to make by using beef dripping - brill....

 

Amazed nobody has mentioned the awesome Hadrians Wall. Only about 40 mins drive west along the A69 from Newcastle takes you to the wildest and most scenic part at Twice Brewed. For kids who like museums and parks I think the wall ticks all the boxes. Stacks of museums within a small area, the Roman camp at Vindolanda where you get to watch the archeologists dig up all sorts of stuff discarded by the Romans and the Wall itself. If that doesn't fire young imaginations, nothing will. Have I mentioned The Twice Brewed Inn yet? Great beer and VERY child friendly. Spend a couple of nights at a local B&B (or at the Winshields campsite, just up the road from the pub) for a real taste of the place.

I'm biased - I used to have a B&B there and am amazed how many Geordies give the place a miss when every year there are visitors from all over the world. Wish I still lived there but hey ho.

Good luck with the holiday hit list!