northumberland in november - help!

[Tortycat]

We're on holiday at the moment. After gorgeous weather this summer and autumn we decided to risk a uk break. Our cottage is lovely, but its rainy and cold everyday and all the places i was looking forward to (lindisfarne, bamburgh, alnwick castle etc) are shut midweek and gardens are freezing. We've done Cragside and Newcastle. Any other ideas, esp indoor ones?? dc are both pre schoolers...

Spanish City, Whitley Bay.

Whitehouse farm is mostly indoors . As is Woodhorn museum ( the miniature steam
train is outside though but worth a go!) . There's also Pots and paws pottery classes at rothbury , centre for life at Newcastle , Beamish museum ?

Yes definitely beamish though there's a lot of being outside still.

There is a sea life centre in tynemouth. Museums and winter gardens in Sunderland.

The seven stories in Newcastle is great for preschoolers. And all indoors.

Yes seven stories is amazing

Durham cathedral

There is a "natural" adventure playground in the grounds of Seaton Delaval Hall (Seaton Sluice) good for small children to run about.

It's National Trust, so worth giving them a ring first to check it's open, as the Hall itself is being renovated ATM.

Beamish Museum is definitely open mid-week and has Santa, reindeer and ice skating in November

Good swimming pools in Prudhoe and Hexham and both have soft play areas (worth ringing to check availability). Hexham also has a place you can paint pots etc and lovely cafe nearby that does waffles (Milli moo's). Prudhoe has a nice castle (EH).

Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum seems to be open all winter, the website is packed with information so check out opening times before you go.

The Sill has some lovely learning activities and a great cafe. There's a nice friendly cinema in Hexham. If it gets drier look on the English Heritage app and see what's near you, Warkworth and Dunstanburgh are great. Also, Kirkley Hall is small and easy to get around with little ones.

The huge old bookshop in Alnwick in the old train station, especially the kids' section (not just for kids), if you want a nice lunch or dinner then the potted lobster in Bamburgh is lovely or the treehouse at Alnwick, if the rain subsides then a walk on the beach at Bamburgh - absolutely stunning.

The bookshop has a model railway running all the way round it.

If you go to Alnwick bailiffgatemuseum.co.uk

There is an indoor softplay at Seahouses.
Metrocentre.

Ice ream at Di Meo's in Whitley Bay.

Look for seals at St Mary's Lighthouse.
Definitely Beamish.
Fenwick's have their Christmas windows done - it's The Snowman this year.
Heatherslaw Steam Train - don't know what their timetables are like at this time of year, but they do Santa trips etc.
Locomotion at Shildon is fantastic , but might be a bit far for you.
Town walls walk at Berwick.

Wallington is another National Trust Property with a good play area and house to explore. There is soft play in Morpeth, Hexham leisure centre and Cramlington.

Centre for Life in Newcastle has some good interactive things for kids and a planetarium although it is quite expensive.

Thanks all. darcybussell funnily enough we were in the alnwick bookshop today! Will try 7 stories in newcastle tomorrow as more rain forecast!

The Sill, Vindolanda & Roman Army Museum. Can drop into Hexham (Abbey) and also Leisure centre (soft play / pool) - will fill a day!

Wheelbirks Ice Cream parlour near Stockfield too !

I think the Roman Army Museum is only open to groups at weekends ATM, so check the website.

Alnwick castle is closed until March now. Seaton deleval Hall is closed until February.
Definitely visit Beamish, we were in Northumberland at the start of the month and actually saw dolphin off the coast at Bamburgh.