Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

Newcastle questions

35 replies

User562377 · 09/10/2023 17:59

Ds and I are spending a few days in Newcastle. We've booked a hotel assuming we're getting the train but now we're going to drive.

Plan is to arrive Saturday, drive to Beamish on Sunday, wander around Newcastle on Monday, drive home via some roman sites on Tuesday. This is why we've decided to take the car.

So question 1- what would be a sensible thing to do with the car? Can anyone recommend a relatively safe long stay car park? Hotel doesn't have parking.

Question 2- if you had 1 day, a car and a 14 yr old, which Roman site would you visit? Chesters roman fort or Vindolandia? Or something less well known? Could we visit 2 in one day? We're not in a rush to get home but would rather see one site well than 2 in a rush I think.

Question 3- is a tour of the Victoria tunnels worthwhile?

I think that will pretty much fill our time but id there abything amazing we shoild make sure we see? No interest in football or sport.

Evening recommendations maybe for a 14 yr old? The evenings can be long sometimes. We'll go to the cinema once probably.

Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
User562377 · 09/10/2023 18:00

My spelling is atrocious, sorry

OP posts:
TomAllenWife · 09/10/2023 18:29

If I ever drive there (rarely! I prefer to fly) I normally park near a metro station on a normal street.
West jesmond or south gosforth usually and then get the metro into the centre

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 09/10/2023 18:35

Times Square car park is open 24/7 - you can park there.

beamish is fabulous. Queue for fish and chips horrendous but there’s a cafe in the town and the 1950’s bit and you can buy snacks in the town / pit village.

no idea about the Romans

yes to the tunnels

cinemas in town - big multiplex at the gate but I would head to Tyneside cinema and support local cinema! There’s also an Everyman. there’s also a vue cinema in Gateshead just over the bridge.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 09/10/2023 18:39

The Baltic is well worth going to - it’s free.
Excellent Quayside market on a Sunday.

you could get the metro out to the coast - tynemouth? They have a fab market in the train station at the weekend too. Does he like seafood? Book Riley’s fish shack!

https://rileysfishshack.com/

centre for life is good if he likes science

discovery museum also interesting and also free!

Riley's Fish Shack

Riley's Fish Shack is a semi-portable fish bar and grill based on King Edward's Bay, Tynemouth, serving local, seasonal fish and seafood.

https://rileysfishshack.com/

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 09/10/2023 18:43

There’s also a lane 7 for bowling in the city centre and some sort of neon indoor golf thingy!

DementedPanda · 09/10/2023 18:46

Depends where you are staying. Some hotels give you a free pass for the nearest car park. There is loads to do in Newcastle. I second getting the metro to Tynemouth.

Raera · 09/10/2023 19:03

Where is home OP?
Vindolanda is quite a way along the A69 if you intend to go there on the way south.
Beamish can get REALLY busy so take some snacks in case the food queues are silly. Could you do Newcastle Sunday and Beamish Monday, might be a little quieter on Monday.
If you don't live near the coast, another vote for a trip to Tynemouth on your Newcastle day.

AutumnCrow · 09/10/2023 19:04

Assuming it's not pouring down and blowing a gale, I think Chesters is better (maybe a quick look at Houseseads on the way there, as you'll drive past it) as it's up on the beautiful central section of the Wall. (It's in Sycamore Gap country.)

Vindolanda is to the south of the Wall, one of the Stanegate forts. Worth seeing, but it's not up on the crags.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 09/10/2023 19:07

It’s such a gut wrenching shame that sycamore gap is now just… a gap. It really was beautiful.

NotCakeAgain · 09/10/2023 19:15

There’s plenty of on-street parking in the town centre; if you’re willing to say where your hotel is people can probably give you good advice for the best place.

For the cinema the Everyman is great, but if you’ve a teen then “The Gate” complex has the teen-freindly chain restaurants and a big Vue cinema.

SpamhappyTootsie · 09/10/2023 19:15

I prefer Corbridge and Chesters forts to Vindolanda. The finds at Chesters are a bit higgledy-piggledy, Corbridge has a more well set out museum. Housesteads is impressively situated, Birdoswald is interesting and you can walk to a milecastle then down to the river.
You’ll see a lot of the finds are from the other excavations - they were often taken from where they were dug up.

All are fascinating and would give you a taste of Roman occupation in that part of the country.

MoralOrLegal · 09/10/2023 19:17

Housesteads for the Wall, every time! Although Vindolanda has (I think) the best museum of all the Roman sites.

MoralOrLegal · 09/10/2023 19:20

My own DC at 14 would have preferred a day at Cragside to a day at Beamish! Or some of the castles. Shame not to see some of Northumberland while you're here.

IggyAce · 09/10/2023 19:24

Putter shack for adventure golf was a hit with my teens.
We always have brunch at Olive & Bean when we visit Newcastle.
Love beamish, we normally take a picnic. We always get treats from the bakery.

Mumaway · 09/10/2023 19:27

You'll love Newcastle and the coast.
Parking in the centre can be difficult and expensive but the metro (tram) super easy and there is lots of street parking not far out of town where it will be at least as safe as in a city car park. Jesmond and west Jesmond mainly permit parking, so go a stop just further (Ilford Rd or S Gosforth). Often the street where the actual station is permit but the next ones will not be.
Easy to spend a day in Newcastle, just wandering down to quayside, over the millennium bridge to the Baltic, but a trip out to Tynemouth on the metro also great.
One of our fav trips out of town is Alnwick gardens, with lunch (slightly pricey) in the treehouse.
For Roman stuff Vindolanda is well established and good for all ages.

Pixie2015 · 09/10/2023 19:27

The great north museum in city has good info on hadrians wall and other items of intrest and free entry - the discovery museum also very good for teenagers and free.

I like arebia fort in South Shields and again free and near beach / fairgrounds and curry houses.

https://arbeiaromanfort.org.uk/

last time we went to beamish in summer queues were horrible - take a greggs or m &s picnic with you.

Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort

Experience life on the edge of the Roman Empire

https://arbeiaromanfort.org.uk/

Mumaway · 09/10/2023 19:28

Btw, Beamish may not be a hit with teenagers.

NorthernGirlie · 09/10/2023 19:33

Beamish is fab! Where are you staying op? There are loads of parking options

Do you want food recommendations?

Original poster
User562377 · 09/10/2023 19:34

We're staying at the Hampton by Hilton on Neville Street (?)

Driving back up the A1 on the way home.

He's asked to go to Beamish so hopefully he'll like it. I thought we'd go there on Sunday because some Newcastle things might be closed on Sundays? We both like a potter round junk shops and the like. But maybe Monday is as good for that as Sunday?

Thanks everyone, local knowledge is so useful

OP posts:
NorthernGirlie · 09/10/2023 19:43

My 11 year old loves Beamish. We've been 4 or 5 times and not seen everything yet!

Consider Tynemouth market if you like a potter. You're right opposite the metro so would be mad not to if you like a rummage!

Nepopcorn · 09/10/2023 19:47

I would say stay in Newcastle on Sunday, shops will be open normal Sunday hours and you could walk down onto the quayside and see the market then cross the river and have a look at the Baltic and Sage (Glasshouse). You could also wander along the river to Ouseburn which is a nice walk.

Beamish is fantastic, I’m sure he’ll love it.

Parking wise, check out Times Square multi, Stephenson quarter multi and Grainger town multi. All big multi-storey car parks within easy walk distance of your hotel!

marketing101 · 09/10/2023 20:01

Op is he really into history?

Northbright · 09/10/2023 20:04

Hadrians Wall is wonderful if you want to be in the open air. The Roman Army museum is further along the Wall (Hadrians obvs) from Housesteads. I think your ticket lets you in to both so your son might like that. Definitely bring Waterproofs and walking boots as he might not want to spend the whole day looking at stones so a tootle along the incredible Wall is fab (although sad at the moment). I love Vindolanada...they think there's another 200 years of further excavation to do and it's a much larger town than they realised!

You say you're up the A1 from the Toon so Bamburgh on the way home?
Quayside is fun at night with the winking millennium bridge. He might like that. And the Sea Containers for grub.
The Gate carpark is in China Town or the Eldon Square carpark..all pretty central. You can also park for free after 6pm in some places like Grey Street for example.

There's also a cat cafe. I've not been....

Northbright · 09/10/2023 20:11

Northbright · 09/10/2023 20:04

Hadrians Wall is wonderful if you want to be in the open air. The Roman Army museum is further along the Wall (Hadrians obvs) from Housesteads. I think your ticket lets you in to both so your son might like that. Definitely bring Waterproofs and walking boots as he might not want to spend the whole day looking at stones so a tootle along the incredible Wall is fab (although sad at the moment). I love Vindolanada...they think there's another 200 years of further excavation to do and it's a much larger town than they realised!

You say you're up the A1 from the Toon so Bamburgh on the way home?
Quayside is fun at night with the winking millennium bridge. He might like that. And the Sea Containers for grub.
The Gate carpark is in China Town or the Eldon Square carpark..all pretty central. You can also park for free after 6pm in some places like Grey Street for example.

There's also a cat cafe. I've not been....

Edited

Vindolanda