I came across this odd landmark a few years ago doing geocaching. Having never seen or heard of one…read morein the UK before I found it rather intriguing. What it is, is a sulphur spring right beside the river tees. The smell of rotten eggs greats you as you approach down a small path but after about 5 minuets the smell no longer seems to be there however if you move away some distance and return it's back like a bad smell. Apparently it has some healing properties according to the Victorians who flocked to taste the waters. Having had a little taste my self it wasn't that inviting. The original fountain was replaced in 2000 but still looks the part (see images). If you are heading up teesdale via Barnard Castle then it's on the way. A small lay-by is provided to park in and then it's just a short 100m walk down a path.

The old town hall is another place which has really lost its sparkle over the last couple of years…read more It used to be a place where I'd go with my parents as a kiddie, savaloy in hand, I'd chase the pigeons then buy some mishapen sweets from the market. Now the market is virtually non-existent and S Shields is fast becoming a ghost town, I find the whole place quite sad and tend to avoid the place unless needs must. I doubt it will ever be restored to its former glory. Still the place has some good memories for me and it is one of last remaining bit of Auld South Shields.

There's a lot of talk about walls these days and that made me think of Hadrian's Wall. Built by the…read moreRomans to protect their conquered land? Sounds about right. Their engineering is quite something given that large parts of the wall is still standing after 2000 years. Some stretches of the wall you can literally climb over as if climbing over a garden fence, so I'm not sure how this could have kept anyone out. Very green landscapes all around and great hiking opportunities, when it doesn't rain.

It was kind of difficult finding a Yelp-specific page for Hadrian's Wall, so this seems as good as…read moreanything I've been able to find. Hadrian's Wall is expansive, so I'm sure Yelp has difficultly pinpointing any specific place for it. Hadrian's Wall was something I hadn't heard about until my traveling companion, Sara, talked to me about wanting to see it, and one day exploring the entire wall. It's a sort of pilgrimage people seem to undertake, and it looks like an amazing experience I'll never be able to do. Built by the Romans as a defensive wall structure, the wall as we see it today is just a small fraction of what once existed. Buried under dirt and rocks, the wall once stood at 16-20 feet (5-6 meters), and 10 feet (3 meters) thick . It was first constructed in AD122 (around 1800 years ago), during the reign of (you guessed it) Hadrian. It spans about 80 Roman miles, aka 72 miles. It consists of not only the wall, but milecastles, turrets, and earthworks. It was rebuilt from turf (yes, turf) to stone. And this stone is something you can tangibly touch now. We ended up just pulling over to the side of the road in our car, and following a few path markers through a pasture of sheep and cows; the sky was blue and the weather was perfect. There were large, fluffy white clouds unfurling above our heads, and the fragrant smell of grass and dirt and cows... Pungent and alive, but by no means unpleasant. Everything was lush and alive. Anyways, there were designated walkways through these pastures, so it's not like we just snuck onto someone's farm. We climbed up small wooden stairs to go over the fences, and through the pasture, and followed the trail into a wooded area, where the temperature around us cooled visibly, and we were dappled with shadows as we moved along it. The path bordered the wood, with the meadow on the other side of us, pitting up into a sort of precarious strip through shadows and light on each side of us. It narrowed, grew a wooden guardrail, and ended with a view of the rolling hills. I've never touched something so old in my life, and it is... beautiful. It was wonderful being around something so ancient, and I couldn't help but reflect on all the people who had been in that spot over the years. Through the hundreds of thousands of days, different weather, animals, and of course the life and death that that it's no doubt witnessed as the wall has slowly disappeared into the earth. And now, there's me... my fingers resting on the mottled stone. Cool to the touch, and roughed by countless seasons, gravity, and animals. And when I'm dead, this wall with remain. You gotta give it to the Romans... they could build a wall with longevity in mind.

This is taken car of by engloish heriotage but is a ruin and is free to walk around it is attached…read moreto a working church and there is plenty of free parking at bedes world which is next door to it It was started in 681 AD and was one of the first stone buildings in northumberland. There are some sound files on the english heritage website to download onto your ipod before you go so that you get a lot of history about the place as there is no one at the place it makes the visit really interesting

The Penshaw Monument is a tourist attraction, which is great for pictures and walking. Located a…read moregood 3 miles from the Tyne and Wear Metro system, the monument is a good afternoon trip from Newcastle or Sunderland. Pack a lunch and wear some comfortable clothes, this monument and the adjacent walking trails are hidden treasures of the Northeast.

We visited September 2024, on a Last Kingdom pilgrimage from London to Bamburgh. Whitby was a must…read moresee for us, having been established by the Abbess Hild, who was portrayed in TLK. Even though liberties were taken with her timeline in the show it made sense to add Whitby Abbey a stop on our tour. The Abbey is a typical medieval Norman structure, one of many torn down by the **** Henry VIII when he had enough of Catholics. The state of ruin though adds to the mystique of the place. Its magnificent unmistakable shape seen for miles around atop the cliffs of Whitby, looking over the mouth of River Esk. We were lucky with the weather, a cool but clear sunny day. I can imagine it gets pretty cold and blustery up here, so pack accordingly, just in case. Its a fair bit of walking too, much of it up hill, even from the adjacent parking lot. So leave plenty of time if you are a slow huff-and-puff walker like me. If you're feeling fit then theres the 199 steps up from the town below. There is a great museum that covers a great deal of history of the area and the Abbey. Of course all the Bram Stoker and Dracula associations are noted and observed. As are lots of the other literary dignitaries linked to this place. Theres a very nice gift shop too with a good array of nick nacks and local fare. One thing miss from the North East is the mead. We got hooked on mead on our trip and they have a good selection in the Abbey shop. While you are there St Marys Church is just across the way (see my other review of that). Its a must see. While we were there, the ticket machine at the parking lot was not working, so we went without paying for a ticket. We didnt get towed or anything, I don't know how much they patrol the lot. Other than that the lot is pretty huge, loads of open spots. We were there later in the day midweek after schools were back, and there were only a few people visiting. I cant imagine the Abbey on a busy Saturday, the solitude added to the isolated ambience so I'm glad for that. Overall a must see, wherever you are from or heading to, make a point of getting up here at least once in your life.

Whitby Abbey is probably the most impressive Abbey we've visited yet. Sitting high above charming…read moreWhitby. The location and the Abbey have a long and interesting history. Some facts: Communities have lived on this headland for over 3,000 years and it has long been an important holy place and seat of power. In AD 657 Abbess Hild founded a monastery for men and women at Whitby, on land given by King Oswiu. It was Whitby's first monastic site. The Benedictine monk Reinfrid established a new community on the site in 1078. The Benedictine monastery was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1539 and its ruins are the ones we see on Whitby headland today. And Bram Stoker set part of Dracula here. The ruins are nothing short of breathtaking. The architecture, the countless details. You can spend a whole day here is still find more things to explore. And to imagine how the Abbey must have been when it was still in one piece. It's already an impressive sight now. But back then it must have been incredible. You can walk on the grounds and inside the Abbey freely. Dogs are also allowed on the site. There's lots of room and space for all visitors. Never felt crowded. If you arrive from the carpark on Abbey Lane then you will get some spectacular views of the Abbey from the little pond. The whole site is also wheelchair friendly, it's all pretty flat and easy to get around. EH members enter free of charge. A fantastic visit. And make sure to visit Whitby itself. It's probably packed as usual, but worth a visit.

My wife and I visited Alnwick Castle on a cold blustery day in September 2024. It was one stop of…read moremany in a tour around Roman, Saxon, Viking and Norman historical sites across the country. I'm a sucker for castles me. What boy isn't. Alnwick is so well preserved its a real treat. In fact its a living working home to the Earl of Northumberland.  The history encapsulated in this venue is vast. Built by the Normans, owned by the Percy family and the site of battles and sieges during the Wars Of The Roses, captured by Yorkists, recaptured by Lancaster. The walls have many tales to tell. There are lots of activities outside of historical studies. DragonQuesting, Harry Potter themed events (having been filmed here), knights quest, archery. It's great for kids. But thats not why we were there. We were here for the history. And there are lots of small museum displays around the site. There was a great tour around the State House that went into some good detail of the lives of the Percy family through the years. Its a magnificent building. Stately and opulent. Whereas the outside has the battlements and the armouries. And the grounds are beautiful, alongside the River Aln. We parked on The Peth, luckily found a spot right next to the castle, avoiding the walk from paid parking lots. Spent an hour or two at the end of a long day here, but wish we had more time to leisurely enjoy all Alnwick Castle has to offer.

I especially wanted to visit Alnwick castle as some of the scenes from Harry Potter had been filmed…read morethere. Me and my friend travelled from Edinburgh for the day and it took us 90 minutes each way, but it was so worth it. When we arrived it cost £3 for parking. The car parks are a good 15 minute walk from the castle, so if anyone has walking issues then be prepared. The first bit you reach is the gardens which are beautiful. You pay for the gardens separately to the castle. You could spend a day in both as there is so much to do. You can get your castle tickets validated for a year, meaning you can visit as often as you want for the next year. This is brilliant as your ticket is only £14 per adult. We had been warned that broomstick training tickets sell out quickly so we headed straight there. The tickets are free but are very popular. We arrived at 12pm and the next tickets we could get were for 3pm. To be honest we went to do it, but it was more for kids. So we gave our tickets away and headed for the movie tour, I'll come back to this. We headed to the gardens to have lunch. We got some fish and chips which were reasonably priced and went and sat on the lawn to eat them. We were lucky as we had a lovely sunny day. We then investigated the gardens which included a fairy trail, where you had to find the clues to save the princess, a maze, a beautiful water feature, a maze made from bamboo and a Poisen garden. We never managed the Poisen garden but heard good things. Back to the castle, it is a beautiful castle with stunning views. we wandered about, there was lots of entertainment for all ages. As I said earlier we left the broomstick training to join the movie tour. This was fascinating and we were shown the different places that things had been filmed. I knew about Harry Potter but not about Robin Hood prince of thieves, Black Adder and more recently Downton Abbey. As they say, time passes when you're having fun and the day flew past. We'd didn't even manage to go into the castle or visit the tree house. I will defo be taking advantage of my years free entry. Definitely worth a visit whatever age you are. Oh and all the staff members where lovely and friendly. All me and my friend kept saying was this has just been a perfect day, and it really was..

Legend has it that the Abbey on Inchcolm Island in the Forth, began when King Alexander I was…read moreshipwrecked in 1123, and took shelter in a hermit's hovel. After the hermit saved his life, the King decided to build a priory on the Island. In any case it was definitely a priory by the mid 13th century when in 1235 it became an Abbey and grew from there. Inchcolm Abbey is regarded as one of the best preserved medieval monastic building complexes. It really is impressive. To get here you need to get one of two ferry services from Queensferry (make you sure you choose the option to get off at the Island and don't just pay for the cruise) which takes about thirty minutes. Once there you are free to explore the Abbey (and the rest of the island). It really is a great trip, if you're anything like me and generally like ruined piles of stone. But in all seriousness so much of it is still intact, that you really get a feel for the place. Actually it can become a bit maze like with all its stairs and many floors. One particular nerve racking part involves a steep climb up some very small winding stairs. These monks really were midgets! In fact I'm quite surprised Historic Scotland still lets visitors climb these precarious heights, but I'm glad they do. From the top of the tower you get a fantastic view of the Island and across the Forth. It also makes a great family day out, especially with the cruise to boot. Kids love to run around the Island and if its a nice day it makes a perfect picnic venue.

Just because we live in Edinburgh doesn't mean we can't enjoy the city. The folks who run the city…read morecentre (Waverley Bridge) bus tours also run a boat to Inchcolm Abbey. Go for it - an absolutely brilliant and fascinating day out. Couple of tips, buy coffee on board, if you get off at Inchcolm (do, it's amazing) either take a picnic or have a meal before or after the cruise. They only have very expensive bottled drinks and biscuits and chocolate on the island. Take your camera, wear flat shoes and comfy clothes and go for a paddle if its warm. Look out for the seals, so cute. Fantastic day out for all ages.

Standing at 75 meters tall, it is the largest sculpture of an angel in the world. The Angel of the…read moreNorth is a very impressive sculpture in Gateshead. You can get to the Angel via bus, the 21 Angel bus service between Brandon and Durham stops here, and also goes via Newcastle city centre and Gateshead Interchange, do be advised it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere and there are no food/drink or even toilet facilities nearby, so do plan ahead. The Angel is such a beautiful structure, it is actually viewed by approximately 33 million people a year, due to people passing on the A1 and East Coast Mainline, but it really is much better up close and in person when physically visiting the statue. The field it is located in is an ideal place for a picnic with a great review, especially when the weather is nice. 4*

His hair is shit but he has a massive huge cock. Honestly he does…read more He likes other things that I don't want to tell you!