Newcastle upon Tyne

Understand

The Iraqi and Syrian occupation of town is nowadays forgotten, let bygones be bygones. But in 200 AD the Roman army recruited from those territories and brought so many to serve here that the depot fort was called Arbeia, the Arab place. Their job was to tote supplies from the ship wharves to the old castle of Pons Aelius, then up the military roads west along Hadrian's Wall (built 80 years earlier) or north into the bandit lands of the Picts. The Romans left around 400 AD and in their wake eventually grew up a kingdom of Northumbria, which knew the town as Munucceaster. But again and again, the region was devastated by Viking raids: what it needed was a new castle. Robert Curthose obliged in 1080, fearing attack by Scots or rebels, though he mostly warred with his own family. (He was the eldest son of William the Conqueror but was disinherited, to spend his last 20 years in dungeons.) His wooden Novum Castellum was soon replaced by a stone castle, then another in 1172 which is the ruin you see today. Its walls were extended to protect the entire town, which stood out against the Scots and for several months against Cromwell; the region was Royalist in the Civil Wars then fell to assault. Newcastle became industrial early in the Middle Ages, from salt-panning, coal that was shallow and easily mined, limestone quarried for masonry and quicklime, and farm produce from the fertile hinterland. Trade and transport by sea were important, including from London in an era when roads were miserable cart tracks, but it was only one of many ports along the Tyne, and small sailing vessels didn't need much harbour facilities. The burgesses of Newcastle set fire to the rival port at North Shields, but their masterstroke in 1290 was to win a Royal monopoly on local mining and export of coal. This lucrative cartel was only busted in 1750, while the other ports subsisted on other trade such as fish. The city's industrial heyday was in the 19th century, with deep mining of coal, smoke-stack industry including shipbuilding, and a busy port. Urban squalour co-existed with the elegant central district of Grainger Town and Grey Street, nowadays one of the finest cityscapes in Britain. There were horrible accidents, cholera and a devastating factory explosion, but there was also electric lighting, steam-hauled railways and turboprop ships. The 20th century brought the slump of the miners' strike, the Depression and wartime bombing. There was enough variety and innovation of trade for the city to recover, with a growing public sector, two universities and attractive new architec

Getting there

By plane 1 Newcastle International Airport (NCL IATA). This has flights from London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Paris CDG, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, other European cities and the Mediterranean: Ryanair, Jet2 and Easyjet all fly here. Dubai is the only intercontinental route. Train easily beats plane for London, so you'd only use the British Airways flight to connect. Other UK destinations are Belfast, Aberdeen, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton. The airport is a compact single terminal with the usual facilities. Currency exchange is by Travelex, with poor rates, change money downtown if possible. Car rental desks are Avis, Enterprise, Europcar and Sixt, with others available to pick up or drop off by booking. See "Get in by car" below for contact details. (updated Jan 2022) Manchester Airport (MAN IATA) has a great range of long-haul flights, saving the hassle of a change in Heathrow or Amsterdam. From the airport railway station, it's 3 hours to Newcastle: you may need to change at Manchester Piccadilly or York.

To and from the city By Metro: A journey on the Tyne and Wear Metro takes around 20–25 minutes, with up to 5 trains per hour running during the day and up to 4 trains per hour running in the evening and on Sunday. As of July 2022, a single three-zone ticket costs £3.90 and an all-day three-zone ticket costs £5.70. By bus: Stagecoach operate the half-hourly X78 service, which runs express to Eldon Square via Ponteland Road, with an average journey time of around 20–25 minutes. By taxi: There is a taxi rank at the airport, with an average fare of around £15.00–£20.00. By car: The airport is situated off the A696, which can be reached easily from a number of principal routes, including the A1, A68 & A69. The estimated journey time to the city centre from Newcastle International Airport is 15–20 minutes, with an increased travel time during peak hours.

By train

2 Newcastle Central Station. A confident piece of Italianate Victoriana, opened in 1850 to link the English and Scottish rail networks. (The financial house-of-cards of legendary developer George Hudson almost saw it to completion.) A quirk is that trains from the south may enter from either side. The original Tyne bridge track bends through the castle, so you get a free tour of the ruins and then enter from the east. But the track to Scotland also enters from the east so the train becomes reversed. In 1906 an upstream bridge was built so trains towards Edinburgh usually enter from the west. The station has staffed ticket offices (5AM-9:20PM), cafe-bars, The Centurion pub (see Drink), t

Getting around

Walking is always first choice for city centre, the university main campuses, Quayside and the opposite river bank of Gateshead.

By bicycle Newcastle is a reasonably cycle-friendly city, with cycle lanes and lock-up points. A few Metro stations have secure storage for bicycles, but only fold-away bikes are permitted on Metro trains. You don't need a bike in town, but might use one to explore Hadrian's Wall path or venture out to the coast. See Tyne and Wear#Get in for long distance bike routes. Newcastle doesn't have a bike-share scheme, and the shops sell bikes and kit but don't hire, however there is one rental facility: 1 Cycle Hub, Ouseburn NE61BU (east bank of Ouseburn outlet), ☏ +44 191 276-7250, [email protected]. M-W 8:30AM-4:30PM, Th F 9:30AM-2PM, Sa Su 10AM-4:30PM. A full-service place with a cafe, a shop, a workshop, and bike hire with a good selection. Pricey, but knowledgeable friendly service. (updated Dec 2021)

By bus Newcastle is served by a network of bus services operated by Arriva, Go North East and Stagecoach. Popular attractions accessible by bus include: Angel of the North (21), Beamish Museum (28 & 29), Quayside (53, 54 & Q3) and Saltwell Park (53 & 54). Cross-city services operated by Stagecoach generally operate from streets within the city, rather than one of the city's two bus stations: Eldon Square and Haymarket. See the Get around section for further information on bus services. The Transport North East Day Ticket covers bus, Metro, rail and ferry services within Tyne and Wear for £6.00 per day, or £6.80 including County Durham and Northumberland. Plusbus is a supplement to your rail ticket and is valid on local buses. A one-day ticket costs (as of Sep 2024) £4.60 (adult), £2.30 (child) or £3.05 (railcard holders). Weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual tickets are also available. Plusbus is not valid on Tyne and Wear Metro.

By Metro Tyne & Wear Metro is quick and inexpensive, and is the best option for outlying areas. There are two lines, mostly overground, but running together underground through the city centre.

The Green Line runs from the airport to South Gosforth, the city centre, Gateshead, Heworth, Sunderland and South Hylton. The Yellow Line makes a great loop north from St James in the city centre to Wallsend, North Shields, Tynemouth, Whitley Bay then South Gosforth, back through the city centre (crossing itself at Monument) then Gateshead, Heworth, Jarrow and North Shields. So for the north bank of Tyne always take the anti-clockwise loop, but for Whitley Bay, you could go either way.

Trains ru

See

The River Tyne north bank has a footpath and cycleway. It's called "Hadrian's Way" but is entirely modern, as the Roman original is lost under the city centre. 1 Tyne Bridge, completed in 1928, has a striking steel arch similar to Sydney Harbour Bridge. It carries A167 and has sidewalks on both sides. 2 Gateshead Millennium Bridge, opened in 2001, is a cyclist and pedestrian tilting bridge. It's often called the Blinking or Winking Bridge for the way the footpath deck tilts up to allow river traffic to pass. That's an infrequent occurrence: Gateshead Council lists upcoming tilts. Gateshead: the south bank of the Tyne is a separate city, but its main sites are along the riverside a short walk from Newcastle. For instance BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art is by the Millennium Bridge, and Gateshead also has Sage Music Centre, the Athletics Stadium, and Metro shopping centre. Angel of the North stands at the south tip of the city. 3 Newcastle Castle, Castle Garth NE1 1RQ, ☏ +44 191 230-6300. Apr-Sept daily, Oct-Mar Th-M 10AM-5PM. Only in England does a "new" castle mean from 1080 AD. The old one was Pons Aelius, the 2nd century Roman bridge and fort, later the site of a Saxon monastery. The new structure was a motte and bailey, a wooden fort perched on an earth mound, built when Robert (son of William I) had been bashing the Scots and reckoned there might be some comeback. In the 1170s, Henry II replaced this with a stone castle. The Black Gate was added in 1350 then the walls were extended to protect the whole town. It fell derelict in the 16th century, was repaired for the Civil Wars nicely in time to be wrecked again, then again restored in the 19th century. It finally suffered an unforeseen and devastating invasion: in 1850 the railway came through, as this was the most practical route to cross the Tyne and link up with the railway from Edinburgh. Only the Keep and Black Gate survived this assault, with the tracks between them, so you get a good panning view as your train slows on the tight curve into Central Station. Adult £9.95, conc £8.95, child £6.50. (updated Apr 2023) 4 Grainger Town is the elegant heart of the city, built by Richard Grainger between 1835 and 1842. It includes the indoor Grainger Market (see Buy), Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street. Grey Street is sublime, a curving classical facade along the line of a culverted stream. It's named for Charles Grey (1764-1845), the 2nd Earl Grey and liberating, modernising Prime Minister who passed the Great Reform Act of 1832. 5 Grey's Monument at the top of Grey Street

Do

What's on? Read The Crack magazine. River Escapes. Apr-Oct: Su; Jun-Sep: Tu Th Sa. In summer they have 3-hour boat trips upriver to the countryside or downriver to the sea, embarking from St Anne's Quay near Premier Inn. Weekends they have one hour city trips, embarking from City Marina beneath Tyne Bridge. (updated Dec 2021)

Theatre

1 Theatre Royal, 100 Grey St NE1 6BR (100 yd (91 m) south of Monument), ☏ +44 191 232-7010, [email protected]. Opened in 1837, with a year-round programme. It's one of the bases for the Royal Shakespeare Company, which usually do several shows here in autumn. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Tyne Theatre and Opera House, 109 Westgate Rd NE1 4AG, ☏ +44 191 243-1171. Grand old theatre opened in 1867, seating 1100. It hosts opera, theatre, concerts, comedy and panto. (updated Dec 2021) 3 Live Theatre, 27 Broad Chare, Quayside NE1 3DQ, ☏ +44 191 232-1232. Small independent theatre producing new works by writers from the North East. (updated Dec 2021) 4 Northern Stage (Gulbenkian Studio Theatre), Barras Bridge NE1 7RH (NU campus next to Hatton Gallery), ☏ +44 191 230-5151. This has three performance spaces and hosts various independent productions. (updated Dec 2021) 5 People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Heaton NE6 5QF, ☏ +44 191 265-5020, [email protected]. Long-established amateur theatre company with 500-seat auditorium and 90-seat studio. (updated Dec 2021)

Music

See Gateshead for Sage Music Centre. It's easiest accessed from Newcastle by walking across the low-level swing bridge. 6 Utilita Arena (formerly Metro Radio Arena), Arena Way NE4 7NA, ☏ +44 844 493 4567. This is the largest music venue in Newcastle with capacity up to 12,000. It's south of the station near the Centre for Life. (updated Dec 2021) 7 NX Newcastle, Westgate Rd NE1 1SW, ☏ +44 191 260-2020. 2000-capacity venue in a former bingo hall hosting musical acts. (updated Dec 2021) 8 O2 City Hall, Northumberland Road NE1 8SF, ☏ +44 191 277-8030. This concert venue is now managed by Academy Music. (updated Dec 2021) Northumbria and Newcastle University have large venues in their unions' for mainstream and indie acts alike and attract some of the biggest names from across the UK and abroad. For smaller, indie gigs check out Head of Steam, The Cluny and Tyne Bar

Sport

Aal the lads and lasses there, aal wi' their smiling faces, gannin' alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races. - Racing at Blaydon closed in 1916, but Newcastle United fans will appreciate you knowing the words and singing along 9 Newcastle Racecourse is nowadays to th

Buy

1 Northumberland Street is the city's pedestrianised main shopping mall. The flagship is Fenwicks; others include JD Sports, Primark and Marks and Spencer. 2 Eldon Square is the block west of Northumberland St. It has John Lewis, Argos, Boots and Next. 3 Grainger Market, Grainger St. M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM. A bustling indoor market in a hall from 1835. (updated Nov 2023) Cloth Market, west of Grey St, has vintage clothing shops. 4 Metro Centre. Built in the 1980s and expanded in the 1990s and again in 2005, this is Europe's largest shopping centre and leisure complex. Flagship stores include Marks and Spencer. Parking is plentiful and free, but traffic can be heavy, so use public transport if possible. Despite its name, it's not served by the Metro, but the Carlisle-Hexham-Newcastle trains stop here plus several bus routes. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat

Chinatown is along Stowell St, and Bigg Market has an eclectic mix of eateries. The Quayside and Central Station areas have plenty more.

Budget

City centre 1 Frankie & Tony’s Sandwich Bar, 19 Ridley Pl. Generous portions. Quick service. Worth waiting in the queue. A sandwich is for about £4. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Pani's Cafe, 61-65 High Bridge, ☏ +44 191 232-4366. M-F noon-3PM, 5-9PM, Sa noon-10PM. Italian specialising in Sardinian. (updated Feb 2023) 3 Uno's, 18 Sandhill, ☏ +44 191 261-5264. Cheerful trattoria on Quayside. (updated Feb 2023) 4 El Coto, 21 Leazes Park Rd, ☏ +44 191 261-0555. Daily 11AM-11PM. Lively tapas restaurant near the football stadium. (updated Feb 2023) Zapatista Burrito Bar. Good quality Mexican, great value. (updated Feb 2023) 5 Zapatista Grainger St. (updated Feb 2023) 6 Zapatista Ridley Pl, 28 Ridley Place, ☏ +44 191 261-7769. M-Sa 11AM-8PM, Su 11:30AM-7PM. (updated Feb 2023) 7 Pizza Express, 7 St George's Way (within Eldon Sq Shopping Centre), ☏ +44 191 232-3228. Daily 11:30AM-9PM. Reasonably priced Italian chain. (updated Feb 2023) Otherwise there are also found the chain restaurants JD Wetherspoon, eat4less, Chicken Cottage, Wok Inn, Tortilla and Chicken Shack.

North Newcastle 8 Francesca's, 134-136 Manor House Road, Jesmond, ☏ +44 191 281-6586. M-Sa noon-2:30PM, 5-9:30PM. Friendly Italian restaurant. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range 9 Zizzi, 42 Grey St, ☏ +44 191 261-8360. Daily 11:30AM-11PM. Reliable mid-price Italian chain. (updated Feb 2023) 10 Marco Polo, 33 Dean St, ☏ +44 191 232-5533, [email protected]. M-Th noon-11PM, F Sa noon-midnight. Stylish and popular Italian. (updated Feb 2023) 11 Khai Khai, 29 Queen St. Indian restaurant opened in 2021. (updated Feb 2023)

Splurge 12 Blackfriar's Restaurant, Friars St, ☏ +44 191 261-5945. M-F noon-2:30PM, 5:30-10PM, Sa 9:30AM-10PM, Su 9:30AM-4PM. Great reviews for what may be the UK's oldest restaurant. You sit at long tables in a 13th-century monastery refectory, and consume better monkfish than ever the locally-sourced freshly-shrived Black Friars got to eat. (updated Feb 2023) 13 Sachins, Forth Banks (south side of Central station), ☏ +44 191 232-4660, [email protected]. M-Sa noon-1:30PM, 5-9:30PM. Upscale Punjabi restaurant, gets very busy with the post-match crowd. (updated Feb 2023) 14 21, Trinity Gardens, Quayside, ☏ +44 191 222-0755. Tu-Sa noon-2:30PM, 5:30-9PM. Slick restaurant serving quality British and French bistro food. The same group runs Café 21 within Fenwick's on Northumberland St. (updated Feb 2023) 15 Landmark Oriental, 20 Stow

Drink & nightlife

The main drinking strips are Bigg Market, Quayside and around Central Station.

Bigg Market 1 City Vaults (Idols), 13 Bigg Market NE1 1UN, ☏ +44 191 221-0850. Th-Su 8PM-3AM. This spacious club features three bars, different music in different rooms, and big screens for showing football on match days. Topless dancers and scantily clad bar staff abound. As if all that wasn't enough, they serve food, including sandwiches, burgers, salads, and curries. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Popworld, 14 Bigg Market NE1 1UW, ☏ +44 191 260-2919. Su-Th 8PM-1AM, F 7PM-2AM, Sa 5PM-2AM. Fizing atmosphere for cocktails and music. (updated Dec 2021)

Central Station 3 Centurion, Neville St NE1 5DG (within Central Station), ☏ +44 191 261-6611. Daily 8AM-11PM. An impressively designed bar and restaurant in the restored Victorian lounge of the Central Station, the Centurion is a favourite stop for commuters. Live sports on a drop-down big screen. Choose from the bustling main bar or the more intimate cafe-deli. (updated Dec 2021) 4 ChachaBuchi (formerly Floritas), 28 Collingwood St NE1 1JF, ☏ +44 191 261-8271. Su-Th 11AM-1AM, F Sa 11AM-3AM. Split-level cocktail bar with outdoor garden bar. (updated Dec 2021) 5 The Dog And Parrot, 52 Clayton St West NE1 4EX, ☏ +44 7512 350561. Daily 11AM-1AM. Rock n' roll themed bar with good live music and cheap drinks. (updated Dec 2021) 6 Revolution, Collingwood St NE1 1JF, ☏ +44 191 261-8901. M-Th noon-midnight, F-Su noon-1AM. Spacious, ultra-modern vodka bar with cool architecture (pillars, high sculpted ceiling, stainless steel bar and huge windows) and great selection of flavoured vodkas and cocktails. Dress is "smart casual", which means no baseball caps or hoodies. Music ranges from pop to indie to R&B to house. (updated Dec 2021) 7 The Bodega, 125 Westgate Road NE1 4AG (next to Tyne Theatre), ☏ +44 191 221-1552. Su-Th noon-11PM, F Sa noon-midnight. A beautiful Victorian pub with ornate stained glass domes, friendly bar staff and a great selection of real ales and premium lagers. (updated Dec 2021) 8 Forth Hotel, 17-23 Pink Lane NE1 5DW (by St Mary's Cathedral), ☏ +44 191 232-6478. Su-Th noon-11PM, F Sa noon-1AM. Cosy pub with a great selection of real ales, imported beers and wine, serves food. It doesn't have accommodation. (updated Dec 2021) 9 The Head of Steam, 2 Neville St NE1 5EN (within Hampton by Hilton), ☏ +44 191 230-4236, [email protected]. W-Su 5PM-2AM. On the first floor, you'll find a wide selection of real ales, lagers, cider, wine and spirits in a comfortable atmosphere. The basement, which holds 50-some, is a li

Sleep

See Gateshead for accommodation south bank of the river, and Tynemouth for the strip along A19 the eastern bypass. If your schedule allows, stay mid-week rather than at the weekend. Some hotels charge more for a two night Friday and Saturday stay than for five nights from Sunday to Thursday.

Budget 1 Albatross Hostel, 51 Grainger St NE1 5JE, ☏ +44 191 233-1330, [email protected]. Large youth hostel in a former bank near Central Station. Basic but clean, 24 hr reception. Dorm from £17 ppn. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jury's Inn), Scotswood Rd NE1 4AD (west side of station), ☏ +44 191 201-4400. Boxy modern hotel, usually clean. They have another in Gateshead. B&B double £60. (updated Dec 2021) 3 Premier Inn Quayside, Quayside NE1 3AE, ☏ +44 333 321 1347. Budget chain offering, very central, a bit grubby. They also have two other city hotels, one in Gateshead, one at Metro Centre and two next to the airport. Double (room only) £70. (updated Dec 2021) 4 Rooms Inn, 40 West Parade NE4 7LB, ☏ +44 191 273-3034. Basic hotel in a residential area, value for what you're paying. Double (room only) £45. (updated Dec 2021) 5 Hansen Hotel, 131 Sandyford Road NE2 1QR, ☏ +44 191 281-0289, [email protected]. Small budget hotel near Jesmond metro station. Poor reviews 2021-23. (updated May 2023) 6 YHA Hostel, 17 Carliol Square. Hostel with dormitories, private rooms and cafe. There is no self-catering kitchen. (updated Dec 2021) 7 Sleeperz, 15 Westgate Road, NE1 1SE (Rail & Metro: Newcastle Central, 300 m). Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Basic, but smart and comfy, city centre hotel. Ask for a room with a view, as the castle, Tyne Bridge and railway tracks are all in sight. Good buffet breakfast, but very limited vegan and vegetarian options. £50 pppn. Breakfast £9. (updated May 2023)

Mid-range 8 Britannia Hotel, Ponteland NE13 8DJ (by the airport), ☏ +44 871 222 0028. A business hotel equipped with wireless internet and a 400-person conference hall. Double (room only) £40. (updated Dec 2021) 9 Holiday Inn Express, Waterloo Square, St James Blvd NE1 4DN (west side of station), ☏ +44 191 224 685, fax: +44 870 428 1477, [email protected]. Comfy central place, pet-friendly. Parking is in the public multi-storey. B&B double £50. (updated Dec 2021) 10 Hotel Novotel Newcastle Airport, Ponteland Road, Kenton NE3 3HZ (junction of A1 and A696, 3 mi (4.8 km) from airport), ☏ +44 191 214-0303, [email protected]. In 2021 this is acting as asylum-seeker accommodation. (updated Dec 2021) 11 Royal Station Hotel, Neville St NE1 5D

Go next

Tynemouth, a short Metro ride east, stands on the coast with a ruined priory and castle. Hadrian's Wall starts just east of the city at Wallsend, but the best of it is 25 mi (40 km)-40 mi (64 km) west between Hexham and Brampton, with sites such Vindolanda and Housesteads. Alnwick is a charming small town with a fine castle and gardens, and Alnmouth is a picturesque village on the coast. The railway station is between them, with a connecting bus. Durham is only 20 min by train. Its castle and cathedral are set in a well-preserved old town centre. Beamish has an extensive Open Air Museum depicting northern town life circa 1913. Northumberland's coastal highlights are Dunstanburgh Castle north of Alnwick, Bamburgh castle near Seahouses, and the tidal Holy Isle of Lindisfarne. Northumberland National Park has forests centred on Kielder reservoir, with activities such as abseiling, canoeing, hiking and mountain biking.