My wife and I visited the town and museum in September 2024. It was a fascinating glimpse at our…read moreancient histories and well worth the time spent. If, like me, you are a Roman nerd then you must get up to Corbridge. I spent many minutes reading every placard and sign, listened to every story on the audio tour and walked every inch of the ruins. You enter the museum first, where the ticket sales are and you pick up the audio tour to go outside into the remains of the town. Before that there is a vast display of artefacts in the museum to enjoy. I'm a total nerd for anything Roman, it's a phenomenal era of our history. And there some really special pieces on display in this museum, all excavated right there on that site of the old town. It's a real glimpse into life in the antiquity on our little island. The museum is really well laid out with lots of context tying the artefacts back to Roman life along the wall. I spent well over an hour , but could have spent more. Having only managed to do a flying visit of the British Museum Roman floor, this more than made up for that though. One of the nice things about this ruin is you can climb all over the remains, nothing is behind a wire or plastic case. You are right there walking where the Romans walked. And the ruins do cover quite a large area. It's a good hour wandering around listening to the detailed audio tour. Having been to Pompeii and the Colosseum, those are magnificent, far-away places from a far-away time. It's just awe-inspiring to visit that same era of history and culture right here on our brilliant little island. There is a nice little gift shop and cafe area with some interesting objet d'art for sale, as well as the obligatory guide book. Beware the entrance; its a tiny little path off Cycle Route 72 country lane and easily missed. Its also barely wide enough for one vehicle, so you may have to reverse up to let someone else in. Not quite treacherous, but defo a bit sketchy. Once you are done with this, next stop should be the mithreum.

We have visited many historical excavations as an interest in our, and others, past is important…read more Some have been good and others, abysmal. Corbridge comes in the fantastic band of our visits. Well laid out and extremely interesting, even though it was pouring with rain. The audio description was well thought out as it didn't overcome you with history but told, exactly the same, with the thoughts of the Romans and their thoughts on the British tribes. An interesting couple of hours and, unusually, a reasonable cost taking into account the work bringing this town back to the surface.

This would once have been a beautiful building. Unfortunately, after Henry VIII disbanded monastic…read morecommunities in England, Wales and Scotland in the 1500s, all that remains is the gatehouse. This functioned as a vicarage to the local church and is now in the care of English Heritage and probably dates back to the 1100s. Definetly worth the walk, or the drive.

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.

Be prepared for a hidden gem is the back of beyond. A totally tranquil experience to explore the…read moreempty Manor House & Priory. It's a short walk from the free car park down hill to the banks of the coquet river. Plenty of places with seating to have a picnic & rest before heading up hill. A gentle atmosphere pervades all. The English Heritage Staff, extremely helpful, as always. Well worth a visit on any day of the week.

A lovely little place you park at the top of the hill and its a walk down - not too hard a walk…read moreback up afterwards It is a 12 century priory with a manor house attached There is room on the grounds for a picnic where there is a pretty view of the river It was valued at £69 in 1635 abnd dissolved in 1636 the roof was put back on in 19th century It is not a ruin it has its lovely stained glasses windows alters and an organ You can have a look around the manor house as well It is closed now for winter but opens up in march It is english heritage and has a little shop there with a good guide book

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.

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..

Beautiful setting and views I love castles. This one was so…read moresweetly remade as a home and is now being cared for so well by the National Trust it was a very pleasant tour. Take the time when you go to savor the layers of history and to see the other areas like the lime kilns , labyrinth and gardens. Do not let yourself be rushed by not leaving enough time. There is also little need to recommend it; if you are on Lindisfarne there is a limited number of sites!

This is a 15th century castle which was built from stones from the priory. It was converted into a…read morecastle that could be lived in at the start of the 20th century so the rooms are full of edwardian furniture It is quite a walk up to the castle so I would try and get the bus that goes there and back. My fav part is the room to the left when you go in kind of a scullery really dark A really interesting castle with quite a few rooms to look at a walled garden and great views from the roof Check the tide times before you go though as you dont want to get stuck on the island

Shap Abbey is 1 mile out of the village of Shap, in the valley of the river Lowther. It was mainly…read morebuilt in the 12th century, except the last building which remains intact. The west tower was built in the 15th century. the canons who started the Abbey were Premonstatensian. this was a group who looked for remote locations to 'commune with God'. Boy, did they find one here. Before the modern ease of transport they would have been very isolated in this beautiful place. Dates apart this is a fascinating place. you can see the remains of the loos and the bakery, and a good deal of the floor plan of the Abbey.

Take no notice of the mini-map - it is wrong. The museum is located on Grand Parade. The address is…read morecorrect. We visited on a drizzly June Sunday in 2010 and were pleasantly surprised. Admission was cheap and it passed an hour or so. The exhibits remind you of a bedroom quickly tidied with the arrival of visitors. There is no logic to the displays, they simply are. Famous names sit next to anonymous teddy bears. Virtually every type of toy is represented. Modern toys and games sit alongside favourites of days gone by. We were able to show our 11 and 8 year olds toys which we had as children. The museum is well worth a visit.