Places to visit in Northumberland

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Posted this is UK travel but think more people will see this here. We've booked a self-catering cottage outside Hexham. Very random as have never been to the area but we all need a change of scene! I have on my list of things to see/do a National Trust gorge nearby, the Kielder national Park, then for a day trip Alnwick and castle... Anyone else go any good recommendations for things to do with teenage boys (other than lock them with devices in a darkened room)? Thanks in advance for all suggestions.

Warkworth castle is beautiful as is the village. Alnmouth is nice too. Basically up the coastline is lush.

You could go to the Romans wall too

Crab and Waltzer is opposite Spanish City that I mentioned, they do amazing sandwiches. If you're a meat eater then I recommend the Reuben.

I replied to your other thread, but here is the same list that I posted there. DH is from Northumberland, and we spend a lot of time there.

Towns
Morpeth, Alnwick, Hexham, Corbridge, Berwick upon Tweed, Rothbury, Warkworth

Castles
Alnwick Castle and gardens, Aydon Castle, Chillingham, Warkworth, Belsay, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Lindisfarne

Stately homes
Cragside, Wallington, Seaton Delaval, Belsay Hall & Castle

Other Attractions
Holy Island, Hadrian's Wall - Housesteads, Vindolanda and Chesters, Corbridge Roman Town, Howick gardens, Woodhorn museum, Farne Islands, Grace Darling museum, Brinkburn Priory, Warkworth hermitage, Hauxley nature reserve, Kielder, Ingram Valley, Coquet Island, Coquet Valley, Ford and Etal

Beaches
Druridge bay, Alnmouth, Embleton, Seahouses, Bamburgh, Newbiggin, Cresswell, Holy Island, Cocklawburn, Beadnell, Low Newton, Longhoughton, Boulmer, Warkworth, Seaton Sluice

Children
Whitehouse farm centre, Kirkley hall zoological gardens, Heatherslaw light railway, Eshott Heugh animal park, Northumberlandia

As you aren't far from County Durham I would agree that Beamish is definitely worth a visit, as is High Force waterfall and of course, Durham itself.

I think most places have been mentioned. I would add Heatherslaw to the list.
It's a mill with a light railway that does a return to Etal. You park in the car park at Heatherslaw, get the light rail to Etal and can explore the castle and visit the Lavander Tearooms and then get the train back to Heatherslaw. The shop at the mill has some nice stuff for sale (mostly baked items).
There's also Chainbridge Honey farm which is worth a visit. It's on the English side of the Union bridge.

Beamish is only reopening on Thursday and is taking bookings from tomorrow. I expect it will book up quickly.

If Seaton Delaval Hall is open and you visit it, go a little way up the main road into Seaton Delaval itself and they have a lovely ice cream shop on the corner where they make their own ice cream on the premises and they have a traditional sweet shop counter too. My DC always ask to visit when we're passing, I'm presuming they'll be open again now.

Not far from there is South Beach in Blyth, they have a WW2 Battery and small museum which is good for a couple of hours looking around. It's free and last time we were there they had costumed volunteers explaining what the various buildings and objects were for and giving information about their history. There is a chip shop and ice cream parlour there as well as beach huts and a land train.

At South Shields there is Ocean Beach Pleasure Park which is an open air fairground, arcades, bowling alley, and lazer tag complex. It's about as tacky as it sounds but your teens might like it. It's in South Tyneside rather than Northumberlsnd but easy to get to and it also has a lovely park with miniature train and boating lake opposite the fun fair, in the town centre is a small museum about local history and The Works which is the town library but it also has exhibitions on and a viewing deck where you can look out over the Tyne. Opposite this is the the Tyne ferry, it's a passenger ferry that does crossings throughout the day, it only takes a few minutes to cross but its weirdly entertaining if you've never done it before. It takes you to North Shields and from there you can get to Royal Quays outlet shopping centre which has a big Inflataspace which, again, may entertain your teens.

Also south of the river is Jarrow Hall which is an Anglo-Saxon farm and museum with replica buildings, costumed staff giving history lessons, demonstrations, and so on. We once went and they had mock viking battles on which was loads of fun.

We get honeycomb delivered from Chainbridge. They do this crunchy honey mustard that is delicious.

Woodhorn Colliery near Ashington is a nice day out, it's a former colliery and is now a mining museum. They sometimes have events on too and they have a railway that goes across to the QEII lake and back again, the trains are former mining locomotives and the cars are what they used to carry the miners in.

We take DGS to Woodhorn to wear him out. He can get round the lake in 40 minutes, not bad for little legs.

We usually go there for the Invasion X sci-fi weekend with the 99th Garrison and all the cos-players. The DC love it but it obviously wasn't on this year, we're hoping it'll be back next year.

Marking place as we are going up there in a few weeks. Staying in Alnmouth. Can’t wait!

I love Alnmouth

If you like walking check out the College Valley. There is also Ingram Valley, and Harthope. All stunning. College the quietest. You could go up Cheviot.

Barter books is amazing, if you're in Alnwick don't forget to go and have a look at the cursed 'Dirty Bottles' in the sealed window of a pub.

Etal is worth a visit. You could park at Hetherslaw Mill ( maybe visit ) and then get the little train to Etal. There's a castle there and a thatched pub which serves food. Etal is very pretty. There's a gorgeous river walk too, and an excellent paddling spot if you want to cool down. If you want spectacular but quiet beaches, head north, Goswick, Cockleburn etc.

If you get as far north as Berwick walk the walls. You can go around in a complete circle like York but much smaller. Hit Bridge Street for independent shops and eateries.

@Ginfordinner

I replied to your other thread, but here is the same list that I posted there. DH is from Northumberland, and we spend a lot of time there.

Towns
Morpeth, Alnwick, Hexham, Corbridge, Berwick upon Tweed, Rothbury, Warkworth

Castles
Alnwick Castle and gardens, Aydon Castle, Chillingham, Warkworth, Belsay, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Lindisfarne

Stately homes
Cragside, Wallington, Seaton Delaval, Belsay Hall & Castle

Other Attractions
Holy Island, Hadrian's Wall - Housesteads, Vindolanda and Chesters, Corbridge Roman Town, Howick gardens, Woodhorn museum, Farne Islands, Grace Darling museum, Brinkburn Priory, Warkworth hermitage, Hauxley nature reserve, Kielder, Ingram Valley, Coquet Island, Coquet Valley, Ford and Etal

Beaches
Druridge bay, Alnmouth, Embleton, Seahouses, Bamburgh, Newbiggin, Cresswell, Holy Island, Cocklawburn, Beadnell, Low Newton, Longhoughton, Boulmer, Warkworth, Seaton Sluice

Children
Whitehouse farm centre, Kirkley hall zoological gardens, Heatherslaw light railway, Eshott Heugh animal park, Northumberlandia

As you aren't far from County Durham I would agree that Beamish is definitely worth a visit, as is High Force waterfall and of course, Durham itself.

Don't forget North Northumberland too! Particularly if you want it quieter. Berwick, Etal, College Valley, Cockleburn Beach, Goswick Sands 😊

Skyliner don't you mean the Coquet valley?

We walked up Simonside the other week. It is stunning.

We went a couple of years ago and enjoyed:

Hareshaw Linn waterfall short walk

Housesteads, Roman Army Museum, Vindolanda - all have good exhibitions/guides etc

Alnwick Gardens (especially the Poison Gardens talk - teenagers will enjoy this!)

Alnwick Castle (there are talks about which films and TV series the castle has been in which teenagers might enjoy)

Warkworth Castle - ruins so great for wandering and clambering around.

Cragside is a national trust place that's fab! You can easily spend a day then, we enjoy the anglers arms in rothbury for food after!

Bamburgh castle and beach..

Placemarking as due on a coach break mid September, really hoping it goes ahead. Thanks for the tips.

Wow this is amazing - thank you everyone, especially @Ginfordinner for posting everything twice! I'm not sure 6 days will be enough!