Nice country park with large lake not 200 meters from a massive unused by many beach, lots of wild…read morelife to see. Cycling and walking paths around the lake & acces to coastal route north to Amble (4 miles) south to cresswell (4 miles). Large pay a display car parks, £3 all day. A visitor Center with small shop, cafe & toilets available. Large children's play park beside Center. Water sports available. Would return at any time of year.

This faculty overall is quite good. The staff are friendly and helpful. I can comment on thé…read morefollowing: *children's soft play area - this was great. £3 each and the kids can play until they are exhausted or hungry. Since I was there when no one else was, my kids took me up to the top and we went down the slide together. I can say from personal experience that it is a fun place to play. Note that it can get loud when a group exercise class is in session next door. *kiddie small pool - this is a nice pool that is shallow enough to suit most younger kids. It is warm and there is a box of pool toys, including pool noodles. There is a lifeguard on duty though children must also be accompanied by an adult. My kids enjoyed this several times over the last few weeks. *larger lap pool - this pool is also great. It is kept at a perfect temperature that doesn't shock the system when you get in but isn't too warm if you are doing laps. Lane swim times can get crowded on occasion, so reserve your spot by calling or fumbling through the awkward website. *bouldering climbing area - this is alas the one downside to the whole facility. As someone who boulders at a bouldering gym several times a week I have to say that this is not a bouldering wall. It is an area with some holds screwed into wall completely higgly-piggly by someone with no experience setting climbing routes. There are no set routes. The colors mean nothing, the holds are not set appropriately to climb from floor to ceiling in any fashion, and you can't climb the overhang ceiling section at all as the holds are incorrect for that type of slope. I also feel that the mat underfoot is too hard to appropriately break a fall from the top of the walls. I strongly recommend to the staff of the facility to invite a bouldering route setter in to re-do the walls with coherent routes that abide by climbing conventions for route colors.

Lots of nice facilities, but fairly expensive.read more

I took my 2 kids for a day-trip to Diggerland, from Glasgow. My 14 year old son loved it but as…read morethere's nothing for teenage girls, my daughter hated it. They should have a reduced price for entry only £17 for everyone (even if you don't go on anything ) is a bit much. That aside, the people of Northumberland are the nicest people I've ever come across. I got lost around the villages and had to ask for directions many times and they couldn't have been more helpful. Diggerland should have more signage in the surrounding countryside ( best views ever, though! ). The staff at Diggerland were helpful and polite also. I'll go again but with just my son.

Diggerland is located in Langley Parknot far from Durham City…read more It offers both Children and Adults the chance to drive real life dump trucks, mini diggers and full size diggers in their purpose built site. Everything is very safe and there is strict supervision at all times. There is also static displays and competitions for children. They also have a cafe and a shop. To be honest, I wasn't very impressed with the whole concept. Driving about in farm machinery isn't my cup of tea and it wasn't very exciting at all. You're better off spending your money elsewhere!

Wet n' wild! It's…read moreall in the name. A water slide park inside a dome of fun! Very straightforward design. You pay, lock up your stuff for £2 that is returned to you when you return you key. Cover charge was £10 for an adult all day. They have a cafe that is moderately priced. I was really shocked by how cheap it was. The staff weren't so fantastic. Very rude. No clear order pickup. They just shout at you. They are always right also. Waited a long time and saw people who got the wrong orders. The staff didn't care. I however didn't have these issues. The slides are good! You walk up to one of 3 floors and each floor has a selection of slides. Some require tubes. It's important to know that double tubes MUST have two people. There was no exception made to this during my visit. It gets quite packed and loud when it's busy due to the fact that everyone is inside a dome. Hot temperatures inside make it feel like a hot summer day outside. Overall I was impressed with my visit. I will return when it's not a busy next time.

Alaways take my kids here.They love it and it keeps them occupied so can't be bad.Near the Ferry…read moreport in North Sheilds it's easy to get too by car and the parking is free.There's also the metro and bus stops near. Good sizes changing rooms and locker hire. I've been told by the kids the water chutes are fantastic.Good sized cafe selling basic fast food and snacks. All in all a good day out in the holidays or anytime with the kids.

Killingworth Lakeside Park is a lovely local escape, with, as its name suggests, a good-sized Lake…read moreat its centre! The Lake is a well-stocked resource for local fishermen, and there is a lot of lovely wildlife to see in and around the park. You'll regularly see wildlife photographers taking snaps. Check out the visitors boards describing the wildlife around the park. The park also has a model boating club, a small café shack (open only during popular hours) and a good play area for kids, with a wire slide, roundabout and other apparatus to keep the nippers amused. There is ample parking for visitors, and it's a good walk around the lake. In short, I love visiting the park here to take a walk, relax and unwind! How lovely to have these kinds of parks on our doorstep.

A delightful little animal farm with a wide range of animals from camels to wallabies. The petting…read morezoo is well organised with rabbits, mice, hamster, and guinea pigs.There are some great birds of prey.A large part of the facility is under cover so if the weather does turn nasty all is not lost. The two snack catering areas have difficulty coping in busy periods but a new cafeteria is under construction. The kids play area is looking a bit tatty but the kids don,t seem to mind. There are ample hand washing facilities all over the sight so you can sanitise after handling or stroking the animals, probably as clean as some NHS Hospitals

Kaskada Bowling Alley was commonly referred to as 'the bowling alley' and used to be the ultimate…read morehot-spot for college students such as myself. I only actually bowled there a handful of times, but I frequented the place several times a week for many a year. My friends and I would meet there, although looking back, there was little to do. There was twenty lanes for bowling - these are the same as they are everywhere, around £5 a game per player, and up to 4 players playing on one lane. You bowl ten rounds after inputting your name into the computer, and the computer takes great delight in laughing at you when you fail to knock down any pins, or when you manage to aim the bowling ball directly into the centre of the pins, but only knocking down a single one from the back row. It also cheers on the odd occasion you get a strike or a half-strike. The bowling alley is rarely very busy, with maybe 4 lanes being used at any one time, unless it's around the Christmas period where work parties take over the entire row of lanes. In front of the actual bowling lanes there's a games area with shuttle hockey and pool tables, fruit machines and a few ride-on motorbike racing machines. I have frequent memories of the 'Day-ton-ah' tune from a few of the machines from hanging around there so much. Also towards the front of the lanes, against the back wall, there's a small burger bar, and a shop for the purchase of bowling balls, shoes and other little souvenirs. At one end of the bowling alley there's a bar with some comfy leather chairs and the kind of dark-wood decoration popular in many bars today. There's also a terrace in this area. I often wonder what made this place so popular with the teenagers - we weren't allowed in the bar or near the bowling lanes (unless bowling) so were left to hang around the games area, playing pool when we could afford it. I guess it was because it was warm inside - there was nowhere else in Durham city like it.

New Eldon Leisure is underway!…read more The gym has gotten a huge update. It's about 4 times the size and growing. A massive free weights room. A functional training rack with battle ropes and boxing! Many more machines and cardio equipment. Really a great gym in the city centre. They also have 10 pin bowling! About 8 lanes and a full stocked and licensed bar with food! I personally think it's a good deal price wise. About £5 to bowl £3 a beer. They have a coffee breakfast combo. I M yet to eat here. There is also a new rock climbing and kids soft play. I have never used either. I did however use the old bouldering gym and for a novice like me I found it really good! Worth checking out!

From the owner: At the heart of the city, Eldon Leisure in Eldon Square, Newcastle is a hidden treasure. With a…read morehuge new (2015) fitness gym and a great choice of classes, squash, badminton and climbing, there's plenty to keep you fit and active. There's also a fantastic 8-lane tenpin bowling area with fully licenced restaurant, superb soft play for under 8s and Vertigo Adventure Climbing for all the family.

This is a fantastic park and one of my favourite spots in Newcastle-also the oldest green space in…read morethe city! The main attraction is definitely the beautiful and secluded lake that provides a lovely walk and ample benches for soaking up the sunshine. This also proves popular with runners and fisherman! Great for wildlife but be careful of the birds as they can be overly protective when they have chicks. If you're looking for a tranquil haven away from the city centre then this is perfect. Multiple green spaces for lounging around or having a barbecue as well as having tennis courts,a basketball court and a bowling green. It is usually the venue of choice for certain summer events too like gay pride and the Newcastle green festival.

Wonderful park! When I first saw this place, I was amazed right away!…read more If you want peaceful, there are areas for that. This is where I always stay every time I wish to unwind. This park is very popular for runners. There are four tennis courts and a basketball court. There is a playground for children as well, which makes it popular for families. The best feature of this park is the pond.