# Northumbia



## soulman (May 19, 2009)

With a bit of luck I'll be off to explore Northumbria in the next month or so. Any recommendations for coastline and inland places to visit?


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## upsidedownwalrus (May 19, 2009)

There are some lovely places in the newcastle suburbs.  I was on the beach at cullercoats yesterday, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that, in the event that the weather there was actually hot, it would be a world class beach.


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## janeb (May 23, 2009)

If you've never been here before, you're in for a treat

Beaches - Tynemouth - Whitley Bay (call in at the Rendevous Cafe) - Newbiggin by the sea (not pretty but interesting, a cafe there sells 99 different flavoursed scones http://newbiggin.journallive.co.uk/2009/04/can-you-cook-up-newbiggins-100.html)  - Drurridge Bay (great home-made ice cream nearby) - Alnmouth - Craster (crab sandwiches, smoked kippers) - Dunstanburgh Castle - Low Newton (call in at the ship, micro brewery) - football hole bay - seahouses (great fish and chips, boat trip out to the Farne Islands) - Bamburgh Castle - Lindesfarne (across the causeway @ low tide) - Berwick and then over the border to St Abbs       


Inland, Newcastle (of course) - Hadrians wall - Alnwick (Barter Books) - Rothbury - Cragside - Otterburn - Cheviots (great walking, cup and ring marks, hill forts) - Kielder water

For events and the like, look here http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/site/whats-on


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## Maggot (May 23, 2009)

What's the difference between Northumbria and Northumberland?


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## isitme (May 23, 2009)

What janeb said

definetely go to craster for some kippers and go on a boat to the farne islands to see the seals and that

I'd also add Vindalanda (can't remember if that's the right spelling) It used to be a roman fort and there are some roman style buildings, the remains of a temple and a little museum. There is a part of the A68 which just goes straight for miles cos it's directly over the Roman road and there are loads of bits of roman stuff along there, plus some amazing countryside 

When you're driving around play 'spot the bit from the film'.


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## isitme (May 23, 2009)

Maggot said:


> What's the difference between Northumbria and Northumberland?



same thing I think


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## soulman (May 23, 2009)

Cheers folks. I'd almost given up on this as a bad idea. Now within an hour of logging back on I find so much to explore. Bet they can't beat Yorkshire fish and chips tho


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## pogofish (May 23, 2009)

Its a superb part of the country and usualy a great treat for visitors IME.  Especially if you get off the main roads and into some of the small old towns and villages.

Janeb has highlighted many of the particular treats and I'll second that it is great to work your way along the coast through all the different towns and beaches.  I know the northern stretch of coast better than south of the Tyne TBH but have probably spent most time in the A66/A69 corridor and particularly north and west of Hexam,where there are lovely empty upland areas and great wee villages to explore.

Have fun.


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## pogofish (May 23, 2009)

Maggot said:


> What's the difference between Northumbria and Northumberland?



Northumbria is the historic name for tha area/kingdom, which also encompassed parts of the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and Yorkshire, wheras Northumberland is the name given to later and smaller English Earldom and later still the county that continued tis name.


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## neonwilderness (May 23, 2009)

Think janeb has pretty much covered anything.

If you're driving west from Newcastle, go along the Military Road (B6318) rather than the A69.  It's a more interesting drive and you pass a lot of the Roman stuff.


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## pogofish (May 24, 2009)

neonwilderness said:


> If you're driving west from Newcastle, go along the Military Road (B6318) rather than the A69.  It's a more interesting drive and you pass a lot of the Roman stuff.



This - Its a good and interesting road, with so much on either side of it.


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## mrkikiet (May 24, 2009)

RenegadeDog said:


> There are some lovely places in the newcastle suburbs.  I was on the beach at cullercoats yesterday, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that, in the event that the weather there was actually hot, it would be a world class beach.



i assume you mean longsands? 

cullercoats bay, where the lifeboat and university marine research centre is, is tiny.


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## soulman (May 24, 2009)

pogofish said:


> Its a superb part of the country and usualy a great treat for visitors IME.  Especially if you get off the main roads and into some of the small old towns and villages.
> 
> Janeb has highlighted many of the particular treats and I'll second that it is great to work your way along the coast through all the different towns and beaches.  I know the northern stretch of coast better than south of the Tyne TBH but have probably spent most time in the A66/A69 corridor and particularly north and west of Hexam,where there are lovely empty upland areas and great wee villages to explore.
> 
> Have fun.



I will and I might even pop across the border in preparation for a longer trip along the east coast of Scotland


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## janeb (May 24, 2009)

Def go along the military rd, it's amazingly straight and you can stop at Matfen and call into the brewery  http://www.highhousefarmbrewery.co.uk/

And as for fish and chips, the best place I know of is South Shields http://www.colmansfishandchips.com/reviews.htm

I had never been here until we moved to newcastle in 2001 and I love it - so much to see and do and so few people - you'll have a great time


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## soulman (May 24, 2009)

Cheers I'll certainly check out that chippy!


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## not-bono-ever (Jun 2, 2009)

the drive form Hexam to Alston can be fantastic

Dunstanburgh castle

a get carter mini tour


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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 2, 2009)

mrkikiet said:


> i assume you mean longsands?
> 
> cullercoats bay, where the lifeboat and university marine research centre is, is tiny.



I actually meant the Cullercoats Bay.  It was so peaceful and tranquil on the day i went there.

But yesterday we were on the big main beach.  That was good too.


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## Spion (Jun 3, 2009)

The coast up from Beadnell thru Seahouses and on to Bamburgh, with Holy Island a bit further on, is all superb


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## Pieface (Jun 3, 2009)

I'm from Northumberland - it's the least populated county in England  

Go to Kielder if the weather is good and you like forests and lakes and walking and stuff - there's a new observatory there as well but I'm not sure how often it's open as it's run by volunteers.

The North Northumberland coast is good as Spion says (if you like bleak) - I went walking up there a couple of months ago.  It's a big county so you'll need to drive to really get about rather than rely on trains.


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## TitanSound (Jun 3, 2009)

Alnwick is beautiful. My mum is from there so I spent a lot of time as a kid there when visiting my grandparents


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## Pieface (Jun 3, 2009)

Alnwick has a fishing rod museum


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## zenie (Jun 3, 2009)

It is right beautiful up there 

Too many fuckin hills mind! 

Oh yeh and public transport never really caught on did it?  It cost a fortune to get to Necastle by bus!!!


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## isitme (Jun 3, 2009)

public transport was ok back in the day when it was the northumbria council bus. it was shit, but you live in the countryside so what u expect

it was arriva who bought it and got rid of it


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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 3, 2009)

The fucking public transport even in Newcastle is fucking shit and expensive!


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## Maidmarian (Jun 4, 2009)

pogofish said:


> Northumbria is the historic name for tha area/kingdom, which also encompassed parts of the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and Yorkshire, wheras Northumberland is the name given to later and smaller English Earldom and later still the county that continued tis name.



Usually used to describe Northumberland & County Durham


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## zenie (Jun 4, 2009)

RenegadeDog said:


> The fucking public transport even in Newcastle is fucking shit and expensive!


 
I just couldn't belive they didn't have ticket barriers on the Metro, and I was in the North!


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## mrkikiet (Jun 4, 2009)

zenie said:


> I just couldn't belive they didn't have ticket barriers on the Metro, and I was in the North!



they have, or at least used to have, lots of inspectors.


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## pogofish (Jun 4, 2009)

Maidmarian said:


> Usually used to describe Northumberland & County Durham



OK, I know its a very brief attempt at an explanation - You could be there a long time trying to explain old Northumbria and probably still be arguing about it!


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## Wilf (Jun 4, 2009)

PieEye said:


> Alnwick has a fishing rod museum



Also, a massive second hand book shop - in an old railway shed

http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/

Could easily spend a few hours there


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## Pieface (Jun 4, 2009)

Me and my dad used to go there a lot - it's great. I like the little model railway that goes around above your head


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## neonwilderness (Jun 4, 2009)

Also if you're feeling frivolous, lunch in the Treehouse is supposed to be good.







I'd probably go to the chippy by the market instead though


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## soulman (Jun 6, 2009)




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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 10, 2009)

mrkikiet said:


> they have, or at least used to have, lots of inspectors.



Still do.  You get fined 20 quid if you get caught.  I'd say a regular patron encounters inspectors about 3 times a month.  A monthly all-inclusive travelcard costs about 75 quid.

You do the math, as the septics say.  Seems they've calculated it to make it not worth anyone's while to try to dodge on a regular basis, while not actually making the simple effort to make every station fully manned. 

And then there's the fact that you can only buy said travelcard at certain stations, between about 10 and 5, meaning if you're working, it's fucking hard to get hold of one in the first place.  You can spend more like 200 quid a month if you're buying separate bus companies travel tickets, etc.


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## coccinelle (Jun 11, 2009)

pogofish said:


> Its a superb part of the country .... and particularly north and west of Hexam,where there are lovely empty upland areas and great wee villages to explore.
> 
> Have fun.



I've just come back from a little place called Greenhaugh which is due west of Otterburn.  The whole area is so remote and beautiful with national parks and red squirrels and little villages all over the place.  The people are really easy-going and friendly and I saw my first Nuthatch!


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## Totoro303 (Jun 11, 2009)

RenegadeDog said:


> Still do.  You get fined 20 quid if you get caught.  I'd say a regular patron encounters inspectors about 3 times a month.  A monthly all-inclusive travelcard costs about 75 quid.
> 
> -As a newcomer to Newcastle (moved up in the new year) and a regular traveller on the Metro I would back this up. They seem to go in for the blitzing approach at the bigger metro stations   - Central , West Jesmomd, the Monumnet where at the gates you're confronted by about ten inspectors all stragetically placed around the exit points  so thers no escape. Then at other times you can go 2-3 weeks without seeing one.
> 
> You can spend more like 200 quid a month if you're buying separate bus companies travel tickets, etc.



-£200 a month aint an extravagant figure. Different operators tend to concentrate on one area , and if youre going from one part of the metropolis to another you often have no choice but to use two different bus companies. Their much praised metro rail system only operates in certain areas too.


Although Greater Nottingham is a smaller area , they had a much simpler system of a flat £45 (or thereabouts) a month 4 week bus pass when I lived there,  operated by Nottingham City Council who still have a monopoly on most main roures. More egalitarian , fairer, and a much more transparent transport system than the one Newcastle operates with its myraid zones, and operators.  

Moan over - as I am acutely aware the above sounds like the peevish whinging of a grumpy middle aged man (which I am!) 

Ultimately capitalism with its light touch deregulated public transport system . which puts money and profits before  the needs of people is to blame!


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## Totoro303 (Jun 11, 2009)

On a more positive note after that last whinging post, there are two great coastal walks within striking distance of Newcastle both easily accessible by Metro.

A splendid 4-5 mile walk can be had from St Marys island Lighthouse near Whitley Bay, to Tynemouth with its striking castle and north pier which juts out into sea and is nearly a half mile walk in itself.. From there you can see where the Tyne meets the sea , which always makes for panoramic views.  

Another other time I walked from South Shields which has loads of ice cream vans and Chip shops which I could not resist,  and then carried along a cliff walk to Marsden which is really impresssive , where you can see Marsden Rock which is home to approx 8% of UKs cormorants allegedly....


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## pogofish (Jun 11, 2009)

coccinelle said:


> I've just come back from a little place called Greenhaugh which is due west of Otterburn.  The whole area is so remote and beautiful with national parks and red squirrels and little villages all over the place.  The people are really easy-going and friendly and I saw my first Nuthatch!



I know it.  We used to do environmental work in that area.  I stayed in Bellingham when I was down.  Great wee village.


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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 11, 2009)

Totoro303 said:


> On a more positive note after that last whinging post, there are two great coastal walks within striking distance of Newcastle both easily accessible by Metro.
> 
> A splendid 4-5 mile walk can be had from St Marys island Lighthouse near Whitley Bay, to Tynemouth with its striking castle and north pier which juts out into sea and is nearly a half mile walk in itself.. From there you can see where the Tyne meets the sea , which always makes for panoramic views.
> 
> Another other time I walked from South Shields which has loads of ice cream vans and Chip shops which I could not resist,  and then carried along a cliff walk to Marsden which is really impresssive , where you can see Marsden Rock which is home to approx 8% of UKs cormorants allegedly....



Tynemouth is lovely.  We were down there on one of the recent outbreaks of warm weather.  The beaches in this bit of the world are very underrated.


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## coccinelle (Jun 13, 2009)

I was brought up in Tynemouth, at a time when British seaside resorts were where you went on holiday.  The beaches are glorious but the sea is so cold.... I've swum in the sea on Boxing Day and I think (because of the Gulf Stream) it may have been warmer than mid/late Summer!

Just up the coast, poor old sad, forgotten Whitley Bay now looks like a scene from a Mad Max film...


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## Paraletic (Jun 14, 2009)

www.northumberland360.com


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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 14, 2009)

Yeah I went to Whitley Bay first thinking it was the main beach and thought the beach was nice but it was a bit deserted.  Then I didn't find out about Tynemouth for another three months *facepalm*


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## northeastoipunk (Jun 14, 2009)

i back you up on cullercoats bay my sister lives there and i visit regular , its a nice sheltered cove with little caves . very safe for the kids they can play for hours and they cant really leave your sight , regular coast guards patroling for bathers too , i dont recomend the chips in cullercoats but tynemouth chips are fabulous


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## northeastoipunk (Jun 14, 2009)

cragside and rothbury fills the day in nicely very beautiful area


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