Newcastle upon Tyne

📌 City in Tyne & Wear
★★★★★

Few other cities’ identities are so closely intertwined with their river. 2,000 years ago, Newcastle started life as a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne, known then as Pons Aelius or “Hadrian’s Bridge” after the emperor who also gave his name to that famous Roman wall. After the Romans withdrew and the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria became dominant, the settlement assumed its new identity of Monkchester. A few centuries (and a few Viking raids) later, a wooden castle was erected by William Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, and the name Novum Castellum was born – or in English, New Castle.

Newcastle has since been the de facto capital of northeast England, enduring despite wars with the Scots and the English Civil War. It became a cradle of the industrial revolution, a world-leading shipbuilding hub, and a pioneer of new technology in mining, the railways, the electric lightbulb and more. The heyday of many of these industries is now firmly in the past, but the city has reinvented itself as a science and creative hub, with a regenerated waterfront and extensive, attractively pedestrianised central shopping district. It perhaps doesn’t yet have a reputation as an obvious tourist destination, but rewards the visitor with excellent art galleries and museums, elegant buildings (old and new) and iconic views from the seven cross-Tyne bridges. Read on for a selection of attractions in the city centre; those further out in the suburbs are given separate lists. For places south of the river, see our separate Gateshead feature.

🌍 Location

📌 Grey’s Monument in the city centre is at:

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NZ 249644

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.973837,-1.613152

🚶 It’s about a mile between the Great North Museum and the Tyne Bridges, at the two extremities of the city’s most interesting, central district. Many streets are pedestrianised, making walking around quite pleasant.

🚆🚋🚌 As the biggest city in northeast England, Newcastle has excellent rail and coach connections, including to Edinburgh, Carlisle and southern England. Newcastle Airport serves destinations throughout Europe, with some flights to North Africa, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean. The region’s extensive metro system connects towns throughout Tyne & Wear, and there are scores of local bus routes.

🚗 City centre parking generally has a charge during the day. Driving between city centre attractions isn’t really recommended; inexpensive metro tickets make “Park & Ride” a good option.

City centre

>> Discovery Museum (not yet featured)

>> Great North Museum: Hancock ★★★★

>> Laing Art Gallery (not yet featured)

>> Leazes Park ★★

>> Life Science Centre (not yet featured)

>> Newcastle Castle ★★★★

>> Newcastle Cathedral ★★★★

>> Newcastle Town Walls ★★

>> St Mary’s Cathedral (Newcastle) ★★★

East Newcastle (Ouseburn)

>> Ouseburn ★★★

>> The Biscuit Factory (not yet featured)

West Newcastle (Benwell & Fenham)

>> Benwell Roman Temple ★

>> Benwell Vallum Crossing ★

>> Denton Hall Turret ★