STEP BACK IN TYNE - DISCOVER THE NORTH EAST BLOG SEPTEMBER 2023

By Les Snaith

 

Day 1 - We arrived at Newcastle where we made our way to the Copthorne Hotel, situated on the banks of the River Tyne where all rooms look out over the river.

 

 

Day 2 - We made our way by coach to Alston for a trip on the lovely South Tynedale Railway to Slaggyford and back. Then we travelled on to Vindolanda, one of the largest and best preserved Roman towns / forts in Britain with an amazing collection of relics including shoes, weapons, cooking utensils, clothing and the amazing Vindolanda tablets, a set of wooden leaf-tablets that were, at the time of their discovery, the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.

 

 

 

Day 3 - We had a full day at the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish where there is so much to see and do. Riding on the trams and vintage buses, visiting the colliery village with its miner's cottages, school, chapel and you can take an underground tour at the museum's Drift Mine. In the market town, we experienced the co-operative shops, sweet factory, motor & cycle Works, dentist's Home & surgery, the Sun Inn and much more. There are also two farms representing different eras.

 

 

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off at the Angel of the North to get a close up view of this iconic statue.

 

 

Day 4 - Today was a full day starting with a visit to the magnificent Bamburgh Castle. From there was a short hop to Seahouses where we caught a boat out to the Farne Islands. We were not allowed to land because of Avian Flu but the boat took us in very close giving us fantastic views of the scores of seals and the many different birds including gannets and puffins. Finally, we had a return trip on a steam hauled 15" gauge Heatherslaw Light Railway.

 

 

 

 

Day 5 - Time for quick wander to view the seven bridges over the Tyne and we bid farewell to Newcastle and made our way back home.

 

Book your place on our Step Back in Tyne - Discover the North East now.