Northumberland with young kids for a week – anything to do?

Thinking about a week away at easter and Northumberland has cropped up in conversation. It seems a bit light on stuff to do for the kids (6 and 3) vs Wales, the Lakes, the South West etc. Everything I’ve read just goes on about castles and beaches – is there anything else?

MANY beaches!

Alnwick castle and gardens and treehouse!

Up Kielder way there are various activities but then it is a bit back of beyond feeling up there, just one massive forest

Some of the valleys in the cheviots are rather nice, Coquetdale, Ingram, College valley but then not sure how much to do specifically for kids. Few visitor centres along Hadrian’s wall as well

There is nothing to do or see in Northumberland. Don’t go and tell all your friends it rubbish as well.

Also, please ask the Sunday papers to stop putting it in their travel section as well.

What would you like to do with the kids? I reckon there’s a place that will do it and not be rammed solid.

It’s dire,couldn’t wait to leave, TBH if you are looking for “things” Northumberland probably isn’t for you.

There just doesn’t seem much there vs other areas. No steam trains, zoo, aquarium, theme park type stuff… Just beaches and castles and nowt else. It’s certainly living up to my preconceptions that’s it’s a desolate, wind swept desert between Newcastle and Scotland.

. No steam trains, zoo, aquarium, theme park type stuff… Just beaches and castles and nowt else

Yeah, it’s about right and better for it. Nature, beaches, unspoilt areas nothing better

Fire the kids up with some reading on Roman history then go and fill your boots. Some of the museums and visitor centres are just awesome. However, if you don’t like that sort of thing, then you’re going to be struggling. It basically became a dark ages farming void once the Romans left, and we struggled even to find a decent pub meal……. Love it for what it is, a huge expanse of open countryside with all that goes with its stark beauty. The coast is second to none imo. Beadnell, Bamborough, Alnwick, all worth a visit

Alnwick castle and gardens has stuff for the kids – bit of a milking parlour for your wallet though There’s a go ape there if i remember rightly.

Found an OK soft play in seahouses, couple of boa trips, see the seals and all that malarkey.

But yeah mostly spent a week on the beaches and mooching about. Was spot on.

What about that Witch thingy sculpture thingy? We went past it a few months back, looked ace from the road beside it.

Isn’t there a wall built by some funny nose bloke there too? dunno but seem to remember someone talking about it once.

Also ..

Holy Island…

No steam trains, zoo, aquarium, theme park type stuff… Just beaches

Steam Trains: Heathers Law Mill and one in Alnwick is taking shape.

Zoo: Kirkley Hall Agricultural College it’s no Edinburgh but it’ll entertain Kids of 6 and 3 my 12 and 8 year old love it.

Theme Park: No thanks

Aquarium: Sea Life Centre Whitley Bay.

we struggled even to find a decent pub meal

😯

No steam trains

Ford and Etal has a stream train

Cragside is a day out
Kielder has bike hire, including tag alongs, ride around the reservoir
Hadrians wall has loads of visitor centres
plenty to do in newcastle on a day out.
Alnwick castle and gardens has go ape, and the castle is good

and we struggled even to find a decent pub meal

😆 😆 😆 You didn’t look very hard then…

We were there last month in the October week. My girls (2 and 5), hated building sandcastles, playing on the beach, flying their kites and exploring rock pools. It is a beautiful part of the world and the weather was fantastic, which clearly helps no matter where you go.

We visited Alnwick Castle twice having validated our tickets for the entire year and had toyed with going to Newcastle had the weather not been great. There is more going on than you think.

They need to advertise it better then.

All the blurb I’ve read basically mentions beaches and castles. And have we mentioned the castles and beaches. Tripadvisor doesn’t help either – the top 80 attractions or something are all houses, castles and beaches.

May just have to suck it up – its a family thing so I’ll take the cross bike and go for a pedal if all else fails. See if I can find one of these non-existant pub meals and a pint for a quiet few hours on my own.

Please don’t just such it up, go elsewhere and leave it quiet and peaceful. Last few meals out have been great too.

No steam trains, zoo, aquarium, theme park type stuff… Just beaches and castles and nowt else

Largely true. Not much in the way of big theme parks, but if you want a couple of pointers.

Steam Trains: well there is Beamish[/url] near Durham (open air reenactment museum complete with old cars, buses, trams and a steam train).

And there is the Bellingham Heritage Centre.

And Locomotion – the National Railway Museum at Shildon.

And of course plenty of historical links with steam and coal around the area (Wylam, where I live, was the home of George Stephenson) though most of that stuff is a bit dry for young kids.

Aquarium: there is a Blue Reef aquarium at Tynemouth[/url] which is small but decent.

Zoo: if you want a proper zoo you are better off going up to Edinburgh, but there is smaller things like Kirkley Hall Zoological gardens[/url] or Eshottheugh Animal Park[/url], plus a few good “play farms” which have animals and also outdoor (and indoor) play, trampolines, go-karts, falconry etc: Whitehouse Farm[/url] is good, as is Adventure Valley[/url].

Theme park type stuff: yeah not much of that I’m afraid. There is a funfair at South Shields (and a decent swimming pool nearby). We go there quite a bit during the summer (buy tickets online for a big discount). But I don’t think there are any theme parks.

These links may help you find more stuff:
http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/search.php?county=Northumberland
http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/search.php?county=Tyne-and-Wear
http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/search.php?county=Durham

They need to advertise it better then.

Your Google Foo is weak.

Best day out ever:

Some good pubs along that route too.

Tanfield (Co Durham) and Alston (Cumbria) have steam railways as well. At 6 and 3 mine loved playing in the Roman sites along Hadrian’s Wall. Chesters Fort was the favorite as it has a Roman toilet…

Go to Northumberland on holiday, get told to go for days out in Scotland, County Durham and the Lakes. Sounds ace.

Sounds like you’re better off at Disney Land.

have we mentioned the castles and beaches

That would be because we have lots of castles, and lots of fantastic beaches.
And vast amounts of Roman ruins, to be viewed as historically informative, or as a playground depending on your attitude and/or age.
Big hills, big open spaces, big forests, a city with a lot going on (although technically its Tyne and Wear, not Northumberland)

And very few people.

May just have to suck it up

Don’t come here, its ours, all ours.

Sounds ace.

I’m starting to really hope you have a miserable time.

Go to Northumberland on holiday, get told to go for days out in Scotland, County Durham and the Lakes. Sounds ace.

Well you didn’t say where in Northumberland you were staying.

It’s a big ol’ place. Visiting “attractions” will involve some traveling.

And it is bordered by Scotland, County Durham, and Cumbria.

To be honest though, it sounds like you are determined not to like it here so you should probably look elsewhere.

We made an 8 hour drive from Devon up there last Easter with dog and 5 year old stayed in Seahouses. We loved it. Did lots of coastal walking. Visited lots of the aforementioned castles all of which had entertaining stuff for kids. Ate and drank in some lovely pubs. Did the boat trip out to the Farnes. Went to Lindisfarne. Spent a day at Cragside (lots of interactive stuff there for kids). Could easily have spent another week there.

As above though it does seem that no matter what anyone says here you’re determined not to enjoy it – if your kids (and you) are only entertained by theme parks and the like then probably not for you.

Don’t tell the kids, check the tide tables, visit Lindisfarne but time leaving to just make it over the causeway (if early, fake a breakdown halfway across).

Except the causeway is longer than you think, that’s salt water splashing round the entire of the car and getting stuck will write off your car and result in the volunteers of the RNLI being called out along with a front page in the local paper with a headline pointing out your an idiot.

Incidentally on the pub food front, Staith House in North Shields recently won Best Food Pub at the national pub awards and the Lord Crewe in Blanchland won the Sawday equivalent, The Rat in Anick*’s very good, Broad Chare in Newcastle’s good.

Plenty of good, less fancy pubs around and loads in central and northern Northumberland too.

*Note spelling

Don’t spoil the fun with pronunciations..

As. I said in the last one of these
Alnwick
Alnmouth
River Aln

OP – I suggest you don’t go, you’re right it’s a terrible place, utterly bleak, with nothing for entertainment bar watching the tide go in and out.

Anyone else thinking of going should also take note, you’d be better off going to Cornwall instead.

*hopes that does it*

Go to Northumberland on holiday, get told to go for days out in Scotland, County Durham and the Lakes

It sounds like you need a holiday, but not one were you need to think for yourself. Try Costa Blanca, there will be a kid’s club were you can dump the kids and you can go on all the excursions were they take you to see things; you don’t have to do any of that planning malarky.

Or you could try something new and explore. It’s not hard.

To be fair, Northumberland IS mostly coast and castles, Roman stuff, various other history and lots of countryside. Not many people = no big venues catering for activities.

There is a Go Ape as mentioned, in Matfen. Bit of a hike if you were staying at some of the popular coastal areas like Bamburgh, so depends where you’re staying.

It’s a great place to ride a bike though.

Wow, there are some real touchy people on this forum.

OK then, is there any riding in that bleak, desolate shit hole between Newcastle and the borders? Anything near Wooler which seems to be the nearest thing to civilization I can find?

And do I need to take animals with me to use as currency?

I like bigbutslimmerblokes idea. But actually get stuck?

Tres hilair.

Wow, there are some real touchy people on this forum

And some right mardy sounding ones as well 😉

It’s an amazing, beautiful part of the world, all sorts of things to explore and see.

It just may not be what you are looking for.

No steam trains, zoo, aquarium, theme park type stuff… Just beaches and castles and nowt else.

Taking our 5 yr old up tomorrow for a long weekend. He can’t wait to get to all those beaches and castles, kids have imagination, let them use it.

Taking our 5 yr old up tomorrow for a long weekend. He can’t wait to get to all those beaches and castles, kids have imagination, let them use it.

Don’t forget to take him to the steam engines, zoos, aquariums too but not theme parks we don’t do them.