10 places in the North East to visit #fathersday

1. This not the combination you hear of everyday but the Vintage Transport and Real Ale Festival @tanfieldrailway sounds a day out that is going to hard to beat  – the chance to be a driver for a fiver too?

https://northeastwithkids.wordpress.com/?s=tanfield&submit=Search

 

 

2. If you weren’t at the 150th Miners’ Picnic today, head to Woodhorn Museum, near Ashington tomorrow and mix mining heritage with coming face to face with the daddy of all dinosaurs the T-Rex himself and a train ride too

http://notedpr.co.uk/uncategorized/a-roaring-good-time-at-woodhorns-dinosaur-encounter/

 

 

3.  Uncivilised… like humans only different? Find out about the Wild Man of @belsayhall, have a lovely walk through the beautiful gardens and quarry and climb a castle …

Echoes and rhododendrons at Belsay Hall

Walk at Belsay Hall

 

4. Any excuse to visit Druridge Bay….

Taste of summer: Druridge Bay and Morpeth

http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/do/druridge-bay-country-park-p26011

 

 

 

Holy Island

5.  I had magical happy memories of visiting Holy Island as a child and my first return visit with my family didn’t disappoint

Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle

 

 

 

6. A cycle around The Rising Sun Country Park – who’d have thought all this was just behind the Asda?

Cycling and brambling in Rising Sun Country Park

 

 

 

7. Treat yourselves to breakfast/brunch or lunch on the beach at Tynemouth#

Sandcastles and a latte at Tynemouth

 

 

 

8. Cycling at Kielder Water

Cycling, squirrels and fairies at Kielder Water

 

 

 

9. There’s something “other worldly” about Cragside, near Rothbury – visit Lord Armstrong’s famous home – the first to be lit by hydroelectricty, learn about Sir Jospeh Swan and the lightbulb, ramble through the craggy woodland and have a cheeky zip wire in the playground

Water poking on the lakes walk at Cragside

 

 

10. Get in touch with your inner Roman geek and take a walk on Hadrian’s Wall or visit Vindolanda

Picnic and wall climbing Roman Style at Vindolanda and Hadrian’s Wall

 

 

 

 

 

Scooters, slides and fine feathered friends at Saltwell Park

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Echoes and rhododendrons at Belsay Hall

I doubt that Sir Charles Monck had in mind Frozen-mad five-year-olds when he designed the romantic Belsay Hall. But if he had, he couldn’t have come up with a much better acoustic paradise for their off-key “Let it Go” renditions than his underground wine and beer cellars.

For those of you who don’t have a school-age daughter, count yourself lucky as those of us who do are enduring the constant warbling of the central ballad: “Let it Go.”

So when a very kind, if possibly unsuspecting, member of the English Heritage staff suggested  that we make sure we visit the cellars under the hall, to try out the incredible echo, there was only one song on my daughters’ minds.  I would like to apologise to any other visitors to Belsay on the weekend for putting an end to any idea of  them having a peaceful stroll. But the lady was right, the echo was fantastic. The children were absolutely captivated by the sounds of their voices being repeated back at them again and again and we were there for ages “letting it go” along with singing nursery rhymes too.  Unfortunately, like their mum, they are pretty much tone deaf, so I won’t inflict their Frozen, the cellar version, soundtrack on you, but I’d recommend giving it a go. I  can only imagine how beautiful the underground rooms sounds when, as we were told, the choirs go there to practice.

 

We’ve made a number of family outings to Belsay over the last few years, but one of the quite handy things I find with young children, is that it’s not long before they have almost completely wiped it from their memory and every visit carries with it the excitement seeing things a new all over again.

With the weather threatening a serious downpour, we headed straight for the former hall. It may look very grand, but one of the things I find that makes it a great place to visit with children is that there is nothing in it. There’s no need to worry about them breaking any invaluable objects or knocking over a piece of prize china, there’s just great, empty rooms and towering Greek pillars that allow for plenty of imagination to picture how they would have been filled all those years ago.

You can also learn more about the Wild Man of Belsay – a loner, a family man, an enigma, an free spirit…

 

 

With the odd spot of rain beginning we had a quick picnic on the lawn outside, against a backdrop of stunning rhododendrons, before having a swift walk around the garden then heading back to the car.

On a brighter day, or if we had come more prepared, from the hall you can then walk along through an old quarry, filled with prehistoric-sized flora and fauna that reminds me of scenes from Jurassic park, before arriving at the ruins of a medieval castle. This is another great picnic spot and the children have enjoyed climbing in the ruins and up the staircase to the top of the tower.

The walk then takes you back to the hall, via a slightly different route, which makes a lovely circular walk – suitable for pushchairs.

On a practical note, there is a cafe and toilets at the Hall and more toilets by the castle, always handy with littleones.

 

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/belsay-hall-castle-and-gardens/