Activities for teens on family holiday in Northumberland

[LadyofLansallos]

We have a week in Northumberland coming up with DH’s sister & her family. DC2 and DC3 each have a cousin to pair up with & are looking forward to it, but DC1 who is 15 is really not happy about it.

She’s at that age anyway when she’d rather be at home, & she isn’t close to her cousins really.

Anyway we are staying near Ross Beach, & wondering what really exciting thrilling things I can offer for DC1, even if I take her away from the madness occasionally for something she can enjoy.

Barter books in Alnwick, Alnwick gardens and Alnwick castle. Amble on a Sunday has a bustling market down by the harbour. Have a hig tea at running fox cafe (several in Northumberland). You can paddle board down the river from warkworth to amble. Cruise around Coquet island, puffin cruise. Vue cinema at Cramlington if it's raining. Walking along all the lovely beaches. Paddle boarding in the bay at beadnell.

Following as going next week! Had a lovely time there c 10 years ago but it was sunny all week which looks unlikely for the forseeable

We did coasteering there. That was pretty thrilling!

Boat trip to see the seals and puffins from Seahouses? Maybe on the way up you could stop at Whitby..lots of cool gothic shops .

Metro centre (Gateshead)
Clip n Climb in Metro Centre - they can all do it
Crazy golf at Alnwick Gradens

Depends what her interest are.

It's around a 70 minute drive from Ross Beach area to the MetroCentre and the MetroCentre will be absolutely heaving because it's the summer holidays and the weather is rubbish. Unless your DC are mega-bored I'd give it a swerve.

If they really want to climb then either Concordia at Cramlington or Ponteland Leisure Centre both have Clip n Climb. At Concordia there are various facilities, you could go bowling, climbing, for a meal and to the cinema.

You could go over to Holy Island, into Seahorses or even up to somewhere like Kelso or Jedburgh for the day. It really depends what they're into and what they like doing.

Get the train from Alnmouth (which in itself is well worth a visit) or Berwick to Edinburgh for the day.

Farne island boat trip. Hay farm heavy horse centre. Heatherslaw light railway. Barter books. Harry potter related stuff anlwick castle and garden. RNLI Grace darling museum. Look for market days in berwick, anlwick, ect. All the beaches and all the restaurants!

Trip to Edinburgh. It depends what kind of teen she is. One of mine is happy to muck in the other was a nightmare at that age and would have rolled his eyes at activities. He would have liked a trip to Edinburgh and a wander around the Old town and vintage shops. The train trip up the coast is lovely.

But the coasteering that I mentioned earlier was really fun.

What’s your teen into? Weather up here at the moment isn’t great. There’s mini golf (Junkyard golf), barter books in Alnwick, lots of options for sea cruises, download the active Northumberland app if you want to swim, bowl or do clip and climb. There’s also Newcastle climbing centre, Alpaca walking, Tynemouth market.

Btw, I would dodge Edinburgh in August, especially with a grumpy teen!

@Tighginn really why? If you choose where you go you can avoid the bulk of the tourists. I live in Edinburgh and have teenagers. There’s a great atmosphere if you’re not in a rush

International festival...It's a madhouse.

@Tighginn Yes and fun! 😁

It is a madhouse, and can be a nuisance if you live there, but being amongst lively crowds out to enjoy themselves can be a positive, energising experience.

@Alighttouchonthetiller exactly. OP - You could take a day there and do a show and go shopping. As long as you give yourself plenty of time, it’s fun just being swept along with the madness.

Certainly more fun for a 15 year old than looking at shire horses 😁

The observatory at kielder looks good!

I have tickets myself.

There is also free range Indian runner duck😉

@Tighginn 😁

With teens we did:
Boat trip from Amble to see the puffins and seals - so many seals - so cute!!!
Horse riding and pony trek
Alnwick castle with poisoned garden tour, dodging the fountains and tea in the tree house
Barter books in Alnwick
Bamburgh Castle
Holy Island trip

I'd love to have done Kielder observatory but it was so cloudy when we were there that we didn't bother. Kielder is gorgeous for walking too.

It depends what your teen is into, it's not the most exciting or edgy location for a youth!

You could look at the poles walk across to lindisfarne, messy and engaging and fun (to be done with a guide if you're not sure about tides). Edinburgh is a good shout for a day trip. The milk bar at Wooler makes the best sundaes ever, but there's not much else there.

Maybe just accept that there might not be that much that looks fun to a 15 year old.... our last visitor of that vintage was unimpressed by everything, but I think that's standard. 😁

I went coasteering near Craster with my 16 year old - it was amazing fun - we both thought it was the best activity of the holiday.

It's around a 70 minute drive from Ross Beach area to the MetroCentre and the MetroCentre will be absolutely heaving because it's the summer holidays and the weather is rubbish. Unless your DC are mega-bored I'd give it a swerve.

I agree. If you really wanted to go shopping I would drive down to the Park and Ride at Kingston Park and get the metro down to Haymarket and visit the shops in Eldon Square.
Another suggestion is the Saturday and Sunday markets at Tynemouth Station. It is a bit of a trek from where you are staying but hey are brilliant. DD (23) lives in Newcastle and it is one of her favourite things to do. Tynemouth is lovely anyway. Morpeth has a number of shops and IMO is better for a mooch around than Alnwick for shopping.

DH is from Northumberland so I have a list of various things to do and places to see here:
Northumberland Attractions* *
Towns
Alnwick, Amble, Berwick upon Tweed, Corbridge, Hexham, Morpeth, Rothbury, Warkworth

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

Stately homes
Cragside, Seaton Delaval, Wallington – all NT

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

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

Children
Northumberland Country Zoo, Northumberlandia, Whitehouse farm centre