Cragside House

We visit Cragside House (National Trust, admission extra) where we discover the world of Lord Armstrong – Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius (also owner of Bamburgh Castle). Cragside House was a wonder of its age. Built on a rocky crag, it is crammed full of ingenious gadgets and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. The gardens are incredible. One of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge, which in turn leads across to the formal garden. 

Newcastle River Cruise

We enjoy a memorable three hour boat trip on the Tyne. The ‘Quay to sea’cruise is a fantastic way to see the changing face of the River Tyne from the best vantage point in town! The cruise takes you under the magical Gateshead Millennium (‘Winking Eye’) Bridge, which opens especially for the cruise and enjoy the panorama of the Tyne Gorge, before returning downriver as far as the river mouth. On your cruise you will see the legendary shipyards of Tyneside, the Fish Quay, Tynemouth Castle and Priory and the beautiful sandy beaches of South Shields. The cruise turns at the piers, where seals and dolphins are regularly seen. 

Holy Island of Lindisfarne

We travel to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, one of the foremost religious sites in the world, where Saint Aidan established a monastery in 635AD. Lindisfarne Priory was the home of St Cuthbert and the birthplace of a true national treasure - the Lindisfarne Gospels, a unique illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospels of Mark, Luke and John.