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Places to Visit

Climb Penshaw Monument

Home > Tyne & Wear > Sunderland > Penshaw > Penshaw Monument

Penshaw Monument in Penshaw, Houghton le Spring, Sunderland is open for tours to the top in May, June, July, August and September.

Steps to the Penshaw Monument (geograph 5719013)

Penshaw Monument is a National Trust property on Chester Road, Houghton le Spring, , DH4 7NJ.

Tours to the Top allows visitors to enjoy the magnificent views of North East England from the top of Penshaw Monument, climbing up through a secret staircase.

One of the columns of Penshaw Monument contains 76 steps.

When you reach the top you can enjoy views of County Durham, Northumberland, the Yorkshire Dales, the Pennines and the coast.

Visible from the top is Durham Cathedral, the lights at Emirates Riverside Stadium (home of Durham County Cricket Club), Tynemouth Priory & Castle, the Cheviot Hills, Pontop Pike, Burnhope Transmitter and the Victoria Viaduct.

Booking is essential as there is limited availability.

A maximum of five people are able to climb to the top of the monument in each 30 minute tour slot.

Last tour is at 16:30, finishing at 17:00.

Tickets cost £5 or free for National Trust members.

To book visit Climb Penshaw Monument (opens in a new window).

If you are looking for hotel accommodation for your visit to Penshaw Monument in Houghton le Spring our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.

Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.

Published on 11th April 2024 18:42.

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Leaflets & Guidebooks, Tourist Information, Videos

South Tyneside Guide – Coastline

Home > Tyne & Wear > South Tyneside

The latest 2017 guide to South Tyneside is out.

Request your own free 33 page copy of the Official Guide to South Tyneside when you book direct on our website.

Here is an extract from the latest 2017 guide to South Tyneside

South Shields Coastline Free South Tyneside Visitor Guide 2017

We Propose a Coast

To the finest stretch of seaside. cliffs, culture and heritage in the North East, and some amazing fish and chips: we salute South Tyneside’s coastline.

We’re not usually ones to get misty-eyed, but if there’s anything that’s likely to get us tearing up with North Eastern pride, it’s our coastline.

There’s something to recommend every inch of its roughly 110 miles of coast, but there are few places as jam-packed with intrigue, fun, heritage and romance as the South Tyneside coast between South Shields and Whitburn.

Firstly, the romance.

All coastline is gorgeous to varying degrees, but we’ve got some of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous coastline of all here in South Tyneside.

Take, for instance, its beaches: Littlehaven Beach, sheltered from the worst of the weather by South Pier, is a water sports haven; and Sandhaven Beach on the other side of the pier, with its soft golden sands and grand dunes, is ideal for a classic day out at the beach, ice creams and all.

It’s not just good to look at either.

Aside from the aforementioned waters ports, both are ideal for your classic beach sports – volleyball, football, cricket, frisbee and the like – and a dip in the North Sea is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

There are countless hidden coves, bays, nooks and crannies all along the coast to explore, which is one of the best things about this bit of the shoreline.

No matter when you visit, you’ll always be able to find somewhere which feels completely your own.

“There are countless hidden coves, bays. nooks and crannies to explore.”

Further down the coast, things take a turn for the rugged.

The seven-mile walk from Littlehaven Beach to Whitburn takes in some of the most staggering rough-hewn coastline in the region, with its ancient grandeur having captivated generations of visitors.

You head across clifftops, past Frenchman’s Bay (a French ship ran aground there, hence the name) and towards Manhaven Bay and the uniquely-shaped humps of Velvet Beds – also known locally as Camel Island.

The big draw here, though, is Marsden Rock in Marsden Bay.

For the last 250 million years this limestone rock has stood in the sea, gradually being weathered into an instantly recognisable monolith.

You might be so knocked out by it (or, you know, just a bit thirsty after your wanderings) that you fancy a pint – happily, Marsden Grotto, one of the very few pubs we know of which is in a cave, is close at hand.

The other icon of this part of the coastline is the National Trust’s Souter Lighthouse and The Leas.

As the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity, it’s an internationally important piece of industrial history as well as being a brilliant place to take children – they’ll love the pirate play shop and the Marsden Rattler play train.

Closer to sea level, there are promenades and parks to explore too.

South Marine Park is an absolute must: take a pedalo out on the lake, feed the ducks, take a ride on the miniature steam train (if there are three more exciting words in the English language than ‘miniature steam train’ then we’ve yet to read them) and then settle in for an ice cream at the incomparable Minchella’s, which has been the supreme dealer of lickable treats on our coast for decades.

Before that, though, you need some proper fish and chips, and they don’t come any more proper than the multi award-winning Colmans Fish & Chips on Ocean Road.

Alongside the taste of tradition, you can also sample some of the most vibrant public art in the region.

Take Littlehaven Beach’s promenade, for instance.

There, you can see the 22 life-size bronze weebles which make up Conversation Piece by Spaniard Juan Munoz, as well as two pieces by Stephen Broadbent which speak to the culture of this coastal community: The Eye, which looks out toward the sea to watch for ships coming home; and The Sail, representing the area’s seafaring past and present.

Between the coast’s culture, heritage and pure iconic landscape, you’ll be spoilt for choice when you come to explore it.

You can read more about South Tyneside in our free 33 page Official Guide.

Enter your email below for a free copy.

Free South Tyneside Visitor Guide 2017

Please send me the free Official Guide to South Tyneside

(No spam we promise, we will not re-use or re-sell your email address).

Here is a short South Tyneside tourism video to watch while you wait for your free Official Guide to South Tyneside to arrive…

If you are looking for hotel accommodation in South Tyneside our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.

Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.

For more tourist information on our blog visit Tourist Information.

Published on 15th June 2017 13:20.

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Family-Friendly, Places to Visit

Gibside Half Term Activities

Home > Tyne & Wear > Gateshead > Rowlands Gill

If you are staying at our bed and breakfast accommodation next week then you may be interested in some of the free activities offered at Gibside at Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, NE16 6BG.

Gibside Rowlands Gill Gateshead NE16 6BG Activities

If you are looking for hotel accommodation for your visit to Gibside at Rowlands Gill, Gateshead our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.

Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.

For more ideas of family-friendly things to do visit Family-Friendly.

Published on 25th May 2017 20:46.

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Events, Leaflets & Guidebooks, Museums & Art Galleries, Places to Visit, Tourist Information

Hadrian’s Wall Visitor Guide

Home > Northumberland > Hadrian’s Wall

If you are staying at our bed and breakfast accommodation and are planning a visit to Hadrian’s Wall we have the 2016 visitor guide available.

Hadrian's Wall Visitor Guide 2016

Events planned at Hadrian’s Wall in 2016 include…

Easter Adventure Quests from Friday 25th to Monday 28th March at Housesteads Roman Fort, Chesters Roman Fort, Birdoswald Roman Fort and Corbridge Roman Town, Corbridge.

Falconry of Roman Britain from Saturday 30th April to Mon 2nd May at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

Museums at Night on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th May.

Ancient Artefacts Handling at Corbridge Roman Town, Corbridge on Saturday 14th May.

Film screening of ‘The Eagle’ at Housesteads Roman Fort.

Kite Festival from Saturday 28th to Monday 30th May at Birdoswald Roman Fort.

How to be a Roman Soldier on Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

How to be a Roman Soldier on weekends throughout the summer at Birdoswald Roman Fort.

Archaeology Detectives on Saturday 23rd July until Friday 19th August and on Monday 22nd August until Sunday 4th September at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

Sense & Sensibility Outdoor Theatre on Friday 5th August at Lanercost Priory.

Wuthering Heights Outdoor Theatre on Thursday 18th August at Lanercost Priory.

Roman Cavalry on Saturday 20th until Sun 21st August at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

Hadrian’s Wall Live on Saturday 3rd until Sunday 4th September 2016.

Following last year’s spectacular event, Hadrian’s Wall Live will return to Birdoswald Roman Fort and Housesteads Roman Fort with more spine-tingling live action performances and displays.

How to be a Roman Soldier from Saturday 22nd until Sunday 30th October at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

19th Century Mini Diggers from Saturday 18th until Sunday 26th February 2017 at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford.

You can view the full Hadrian’s Wall visitor guide for 2016 below…

Hadrian’s Wall is an extremely popular destination for our guests – walking Hadrian’s Wall Path, bicycle touring along Hadrian’s Cycleway or just as a day visitor to the excavated Roman forts along Hadrian’s Wall.

If you are looking for hotel accommodation for your visit to Hadrian’s Wall our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.

Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.

Published on 1st March 2016 12:23.

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Freebies, Places to Visit

Free Entry Voucher for National Trust Properties

Home > Tyne & Wear

There are several National Trust properties in the North East and the voucher below entitles a family of four – one adult and three children under 18 free entry to a National Trust property (excludes bank holiday weekends).

The National Trust Souter Lighthouse

Several National Trust properties in the North East are excluded from the offer…

Dunstanburgh Castle in Craster, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 3TT; Housesteads Roman Fort, Haydon Bridge, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 6NN and the Farne Islands.

The National Trust free entry voucher is valid nationally but if you are staying at our guest house the National Trust properties closest to our bed and breakfast accommodation are…

Cherryburn, Station Bank, Stocksfield, NE43 7DD.
Cottage and farmhouse, the birthplace of Thomas Bewick.

Thomas Bewick is perhaps Northumberland’s greatest artist.

A wood engraver and naturalist who revolutionised print art in Georgian England.

Discover his tiny birthplace cottage and farmyard with glorious views over the Tyne Valley, plus a traditional 19th-century farmhouse, the later home of the Bewick family, with an unrivalled collection of his work and an exhibition about his life.

Follow Bewick’s wood blocks on their journey to the print room, where regular Sunday afternoon demonstrations bring alive this intricate craft, or explore the delightful cottage gardens, farmyard and paddock walk, perfect for picnicking or playing with the kids.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Cherryburn, Stocksfield, NE43 7DD (opens in a new window).

Cragside, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7PX.
Extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and woodland – the wonder of its age.

Enter the world of Lord Armstrong – Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius.

Cragside house was truly a wonder of its age.

Discover the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity.

It is crammed full of ingenious gadgets – most of them still working.

The gardens are incredible.

One of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge, which in turn leads to the formal garden.

Children will love our adventure play area and exploring Nelly’s Labyrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Cragside, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7PX (opens in a new window).

George Stephenson’s Birthplace, Wylam, NE41 8BP.
Birthplace of the world-famous railway engineer.

Discover the humble birthplace of great railway pioneer, George Stephenson, whose entire family lived in just one room.

Our costumed guide tells the story of how challenging life was for mining families, like George’s, that once crammed into this now charming little stone cottage, nestled in a pretty garden near the River Tyne.

Full National Trust property information can be found here George Stephenson’s Birthplace, Wylam, NE41 8BP (opens in a new window).

Gibside, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, NE16 6BG.
Stunning 18th-century landscape garden and haven for nature.

A taste of the country on the edge of the city.

Discover fine Derwent Valley views, winding paths and refreshing open spaces while exploring our elegant buildings and ruins.

Gibside is a Georgian ‘grand design’ on a spectacular scale.

The vision of coal baron George Bowes, the Palladian chapel is an architectural masterpiece, the stable block is a vibrant learning and discovery centre, and the once grand hall is now a dramatic shell.

Gibside is also a haven for wildlife with red kites often circling in the skies above.

After centuries of decline, we’re restoring Gibside for people and nature.

Come for events every weekend, escape along the avenue for miles of tranquil walks and picnic spots or enjoy family fun at our adventure play area and woodland play trail.

Food also runs through Gibside’s veins, whether in our bustling walled garden, café, local farm shop or twice monthly farmers market.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Gibside, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, NE16 6BG (opens in a new window).

Holy Jesus Hospital, City Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2AS.
An extraordinary mix of architecture from over seven centuries.

The Holy Jesus Hospital survives amid 1960’s city-centre developments, displaying features from all periods of its 700-year existence.

The National Trust’s Inner City Project is now based here, working to provide opportunities for inner-city dwellers to gain access to and enjoy the countryside on their doorstep.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Holy Jesus Hospital, City Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2AS (opens in a new window).

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2SH.
Romantic 16th-century castle with spectacular views.

Location has always been the main attraction for the owners and occupiers of Lindisfarne Castle.

From a former fort to the holiday home of a wealthy Edwardian bachelor seeking a quiet retreat from London, the idyllic location of the Castle has intrigued and inspired for centuries.

The renovation by Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens both hides and emphasises the old fort, all the while overlooking Gertrude Jekyll’s enchanting walled garden and the unexpected grandeur of the Lime Kilns, an imposing and striking reminder of Lindisfarne’s industrial past.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2SH (opens in a new window).

Ormesby Hall, Ladgate Lane, near Middlesbrough, TS3 0SR.
The Pennyman family’s intimate 18th-century mansion.

Home of the Pennyman family for nearly 400 years, this classic Georgian mansion, with its Victorian kitchen and laundry, attractive gardens and estate walks, provides lively resources for local schools and community groups, and a unique venue for wedding ceremonies and corporate events.

Experience the spirit of the intimate home of Colonel Jim Pennyman, the last of the Pennyman line, and his arts-loving wife Ruth, as well as the stylish legacy of the 18th-century character ‘Wicked’ Sir James Pennyman – so named because of his extravagant lifestyle and his gambling with the family fortune.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Ormesby Hall, Ladgate Lane, near Middlesbrough, TS3 0SR (opens in a new window).

Souter Lighthouse and The Leas, Coast Road, Sunderland, SR6 7NH.
A marvel of its age.

Souter is a special place all year round and was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity.

Opened in 1871, decommissioned in 1988, the National Trust acquired it and opened it to the public in 1990.

Souter remains an iconic beacon, hooped in red and white and standing proud on the coastline midway between the River Tyne and the River Wear.

The Leas is a two and a half mile stretch of magnesian limestone cliffs, wave-cut foreshore and coastal grassland.

The cliffs and rock stacks of Marsden Bay are home to nesting Kittiwakes, Fulmar, Cormorants, Shags and Guillemots.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Souter Lighthouse and The Leas, Coast Road, Sunderland, SR6 7NH (opens in a new window).

Wallington, Cambo, near Morpeth, NE61 4AR.
Magnificent estate where politics and play came together in the heart of Northumberland.

Discover Wallington, much-loved home to generations of the unconventional Trevelyan family.

Visit the impressive, yet friendly house, and explore the history of Northumberland in the huge pre-Raphaelite paintings around the remarkable Central Hall.

Be inspired by the beautiful furniture, family paintings and treasured collections.

The Trevelyans loved being outdoors and close to nature and the house is surrounded by an informal landscape of lawns, lakes, woodland, parkland and farmland, just waiting to be explored.

There is even a beautiful walled garden hidden in the woods, a colourful haven of tranquillity in all seasons.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Wallington, Cambo, near Morpeth, NE61 4AR (opens in a new window).

Washington Old Hall, The Avenue, Washington, NE38 7LE.
Manor house associated with the family of George Washington, first president of the USA.

At the heart of historic Washington village this picturesque stone manor house and its gardens provide a tranquil oasis, reflecting gentry life following the turbulence of the English Civil War.

The building incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington’s direct ancestors, and it is from here that the family took their surname of ‘Washington’.

Much used and loved by local schools and community groups, including a hugely supportive Friends organisation, the Old Hall is also popular with couples wanting intimate wedding ceremonies and companies organising corporate events.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Washington Old Hall, The Avenue, Washington, NE38 7LE (opens in a new window).

Seaton Delaval Hall, The Avenue, Seaton Sluice, NE26 4QR.
More than a great house, it is a truly amazing place.

Seaton Delaval Hall is a great house set in its own estate with lovely gardens and a fine collection; yet it is also much more.

It is a signpost pointing to the diverse history of a family which acquired land here in the late 11th century.

The house occupies the site of a Norman settlement, and its original Norman chapel remains in use today.

Built between 1719 and 1730 for Admiral George Delaval, it is not only the finest house in the north east of England, but also among the finest works of its architect, Sir John Vanbrugh, one of the masters of English Baroque.

For 900 years, the estate has been a stage for drama, intrigue and romance while the surrounding landscape has fuelled industrial revolution.

The house has survived terrible fires, military occupation and potential ruin.

Now it provides an amazing space for arts, heritage and the community to come together.

Full National Trust property information can be found here Seaton Delaval Hall, The Avenue, Seaton Sluice, NE26 4QR (opens in a new window).

The National Trust voucher you need to print and take with you is below…

If you are looking for hotel accommodation in North East England our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.

Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.

Published on 22nd October 2013 20:40.

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