42 Best Sights in The Northeast, England

Located 5 miles east of the city center, this fascinating site is home to a host of attractions, including the reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Village, 18th-century Jarrow Hall House, and intriguing Bede Museum. The latter reflects the long tradition of religion and learning that began here in AD 681, when the first Saxon church was established on the site. The Venerable Bede (672–735), deemed to be England's earliest historian, moved into the monastery as a child and remained until his death. The 11-acre Anglo-Saxon Village, re-created by modern historians using traditional methods, includes a farm with rare breeds of pigs and cattle. Jarrow Hall House is home to an excellent Hive Coffee Company café and a relaxing herb garden.

One of the Northeast's finest art museums merits at least an hour's visit for its selection of 19th- and 20th-century British art, including works by the Pre-Raphaelites and sculptures by Henry Moore. The Northern Spirit gallery on the ground floor showcases some of the great artists from the region, such as John Martin (1759–1854), who produced dramatic biblical landscapes, and siblings William and Mary Beilby, whose enameled-glass creations became highly prized in their 1770s heyday.

Bringing science to life with hundreds of kid-oriented exhibits divided into themed "zones" that highlight everything from research on genes to travel to Mars, this is one of Newcastle's best family attractions. Highlights include the "Space Zone," which shows how space technology is now a part of people's everyday lives, and the extra-interactive "Experiment Zone," which is full of hands-on scientific gizmos and fun experiments that make science learning feel more like a trip to the playground. There's also a giant 3-D replica of Earth with detailed NASA imagery, a 360-degree alien-hunting planetarium show, and a host of seasonal events and activities, among them an ice-skating rink in winter.

Reached during low tide via a causeway from the mainland, this "castle" (not actually a castle) appears to grow out of the rocky pinnacle on which it was built 400 years ago, looking for all the world like a fairy-tale illustration. In 1903, architect Sir Edwin Lutyens converted the former Tudor fort into a private home that retains the original's ancient features. Across several fields from the castle is a walled garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Opening times are notoriously changeable—especially on Monday other than midsummer—and are always dependent on weather and tides, so it's best to call ahead.

The repetition is deliberate: what you see today are the remains of a Norman castle built in 1080 by the Tyne River, the original "new castle" that gave the city its name. The gatehouse and stone keep are all that remain today, providing a sense of the city's earlier status as a defensive stronghold (although the effect is somewhat diminished by the railroad viaduct that thoughtlessly separates the two). The "black gate" remains the point of entry and has a small exhibition on the surrounding area of Castle Garth, but the most interesting sights—including the impressive Great Hall, the vaulted dungeon, and the rooftop views—are in the keep.

An ideal stop between Newcastle and Alnwick, this charming, open-air country park is home to the largest human-form landscape sculpture in the world. If you could survey the landscape from high above, you would see the abstract form of a reclining woman, dubbed "The Lady of the North," which stretches for more than a quarter of a mile. Back on ground level, you can follow the paths leading around her contours, enjoying views of the lakes below and the sprawling countryside from the peaks of her head and breasts. As well as walking freely around the sculpture, visitors can explore pleasant woodland trails around the rest of the park. The whole site is free, as are the parking lot and toilets, but you can contribute with a donation or by picking up a drink and snack in the on-site café. Northumberlandia is 10 miles north of Newcastle or 26 miles south of Alnwick via the A1.

England's oldest purpose-built prison, dating from 1330, houses fascinating exhibits about the history of the borderlands, including tales of the terrifying "reivers" and their bloodthirsty raids into Northumberland from Scotland during the 16th and 17th centuries. Photographs, weapons, and a reconstructed house interior give a full account of what the region was like in medieval times. A glass elevator takes you up and down four floors, including to the dungeon.

A 15-minute walk from the cathedral, this Durham University–owned museum displays fine art and craftwork from all parts of Asia and the Middle East. Galleries are ordered by culture, including China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Silk Roads. But perhaps the highlight is the Ancient Egypt gallery, which offers concise explanations of the culture's governing structure and belief systems while showcasing some extraordinary artifacts, including a 3,500-year-old wooden statue of a servant girl carrying a jar. Elsewhere in the gallery, look out for some exquisite Qing dynasty jade and lacquer ornaments, ancient tapestries and embroideries from the Himalayas, and a collection of Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo period.

Delightful views are the reward of a short stroll along the River Wear's leafy banks, especially as you cross this 17th-century stone footbridge, reached from the southern end of Palace Green. J. M. W. Turner adored the view from here and painted a celebrated scene of Durham from the bridge.

At the garrison fort of Carvoran, this museum makes an excellent introduction to Hadrian's Wall. Full-size models and excavations bring this remote outpost of the empire to life, with a host of historic artifacts including authentic Roman graffiti adorning the walls of an excavated barracks. There's also a flashy 3-D film that puts it all into historical context. Opposite the museum, at Walltown Crags on the Pennine Way (one of Britain's long-distance national hiking trails), are 400 yards of the best-preserved section of the wall. The museum is a mile northeast of Greenhead.

For a good introduction to Britain's Roman history, dip into this museum, which includes the remains of the substantial Roman fort of Segedunum, built around AD 125, as well as the easternmost section of the original Hadrian's Wall (there's a reason this part of town is called Wallsend) and a reconstructed Roman bath complex. Start your tour at the rather ugly observation tower for a good overview of the site, as well as an exhibition on local shipbuilding, before heading down to ground level. The collection of artifacts covers the whole 300-year period of Roman occupation in the region, and it includes pieces of weaponry, armor, and a Roman stone toilet—the only one surviving in the country. The site is a 10-minute Metro ride east of the city center.

Six miles southeast of Newcastle, this National Trust property is the ancestral home of the first U.S. president. George Washington's direct forebears, the de Wessyngtons, lived here between 1183 and 1288. Other family members resided in the house until 1613, when the property was rebuilt in its current form, using parts of the medieval manor. The stone house retains a Jacobean (17th-century) appearance, particularly in the fine wood paneling and the heavy furniture. The property's door is opened at 15-minute intervals, so take a stroll around the ornate formal garden while you wait.