Newcastle upon Tyne

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Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Where is it – England, North East England

Who looks after it –  Local Authority 

What is it –  Free access, Town 

When is it from – All or N/A

Newcastle occupies the north bank of the Tyne, opposite the town of Gateshead. It was a fortress town, named for its 11th century Norman castle. A thousand years earlier, the Romans built a fort to guard their bridge over the Tyne – Pons Aelius. From the Middle Ages, it became known for its coal exports, and in later centuries came engineering, steel and shipbuilding; Tyneside was famed throughout the world for its ships.

In modern post-industrial times, Newcastle upon Tyne has become renowned as a party town, with lively clubs, pubs and restaurants making it a magnet for hen parties and stag nights. But it also has a thriving and less boisterous cultural side, with dynamic music, theatre and art scenes and noteworthy museums. The Discovery Museum explores the area’s maritime, scientific and technological significance; The Life Science Centre is an interactive science village with a planetarium, themed shows and a 4D ‘motion ride’; The Great North Museum is a refurbished Victorian museum with natural history and Hadrian’s Wall displays; The Centre for Contemporary Art occupies a former grain warehouse on the Gateshead side of the river. Then there’s the medieval castle (bizarrely bisected by the main north-south railway line), St Nicholas’ Cathedral and Bessie Surtees’ House (two houses dating from 16th and 17th centuries). Or wander through the elegant city centre to Earl Grey’s Monument, or take in the family-friendly Sunday market along Quayside.

 


Address
Tyne and Wear NE1 1RQ 

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