The walk to these falls is lovely - not long, around 500 metres I'd say, through lush bush. It's a…read morepowerful waterfall and worth the stroll. It's very busy too. At first I thought it was weird to charge people to see a waterfall, but it makes sense as the track to the falls is well used so it needs to be maintained. The ticket price is minimal anyway (1.5 pounds). The car parking will cost you more. There's toilets, a cafe, ice cream shop and pub at the car park. The road to the falls is a nice drive.

A couple of friends took us to this local beauty spot and we were very impressed. Apparently it's…read morethe biggest waterfall in England; whilst it's big, it's not huge, but nonetheless it's certainly worth a visit. We went on a hot summer's day and it proved to be a great place for the kids to explore -- there's plenty of rocks to scramble over etc. Having said that, it's not a place without risk: the rocks can get slippy because of the vast amount of moisture in the air, and of course ther's a fairly big drop by the waterfall itself. There's a well-marked path down to the waterfall and the place is well cared for. All in all, a good place for a walk with the kids on a warm day. I notice Qype lists this place as a hotel; there may have been a hotel on the other side of the road, but if there was I'm afraid we didn't use it. Inevitably, perhaps, there was a place that sold ice-creams though!

Nice little pub and b and b in local village setting. A few miles away from centre of Durham in the…read morevillage of Croxdale. Located near to the A167 direct road into Durham. Easy access by road to Durham, Spennymoor and down to Darlington. Nicely kitted out pub, good standard of decoration. A really nice place for a quiet drink, a meal or an overnight stay. Friendly staff and locals. Good menu, nice honest home cooked food to a good standard. I would highly recommend this pub. The village of Coxhoe is a peaceful, quiet location just right for a midweek treat or lazy weekend outing. Give it a try.

While the food is good and the service efficient, neither are especially remarkable, for it's the…read moresame kind of fare as you can get at a 'pub lunch' in many other similar establishments. Where the 'Gretna Green' scores points is its 'child friendliness'; children's portions are available and a play area is provided, if required. Another factor is price if there are many of you, their 'meal deals' provide a substantial saving. So, naturally, the place was bustling not crowded. But, that was no problem; the food still arrived reasonably quickly. And, there was a more than adequate car park.

On the main road between Darlington and Aycliffe; The Gretna Green is a popular pub which is…read moreusually busy. It seems to attract a range of people and there are often groups of adults making the most of the 2 for 1 meals menu. This offer is all day every day and means that you can take advantage and grab a cheaper steak or mixed grill. Another great feature of the Gretna Green is that there is a Wacky Warehouse and small outdoor play area for children so weekend days sees a lot of young families. There is also a small children's menu with the usual popular kids meals. There is plenty of parking and is easy to see from the road. All in all it is nothing flash but very typical of this type of chain.

Wow!!! We stayed at Lumley Castle in December after a works Christmas meal in one of their private…read moredining rooms (seats 18-24 very comfortably). Food was pretty good considering it looked as though all the function rooms and bedrooms were fully booked! The bedroom in the old castle was amazing, high ceiling, 4 foot thick walls, a high comfortable bed, well equipped bathroom, all in immaculate order. Wonderful evening, good accommodation, great food. If you can get a good deal then make sure you go - or if you want to impress American visitors! We'll be back. :-D

Lumley Castle includes a posh hotel, restaurant and bar, as well as function rooms. I can't vouch…read morefor the hotel or function rooms but the restaurant is very impressive, and in how many bars can you take your drink out into the courtyard of a castle! As must be expected, it's expensive, but for a special occasion is worth it. For a quirky edge, they run 'Tudor Banquets', where parties sit in the great hall, at long tables, hosted by the staff in full costume, telling jokes and plying people with mead. It's a veryrare experience. I recommend it for large groups of friends who could lose themselves in the bizarreness of the situation and just get it. Because it is, and it's meant to be, very funny.

As of October 2014, The Mowden Pub is under new management and has been refurbished. As someone…read morewho's been visiting the pub on and off for 20+ years I can say, hand on heart, this is the best thing that has ever happened to the Mowden. The new owners have managed to refurbish the pub whilst keeping a lot of what made the The Mowden "The Mowden". Whilst still a pub, the emphasis is now on the food and what a pleasant experience it is. All the food seems fresh and is rather tasty. The staff are helpful and pleasant and the atmosphere is just right for a nice family meal or a romantic meal for two..if you can get a table (so ring ahead and book one). Whilst there isn't a huge choice of dishes on the main menu, there are special daily dishes and certain nights cater to certain meal types along with all the other pub activities you'd expect. Drink wise however, I'm not sure what to think. One one hand they have some nice ales and beers now but on the other they got rid of some of my favorite brands in the change over. Regardless, if you've never been or not been in sometime, now is the time to visit and enjoy a newer nicer Mowden in every sense!

great place for an afternoon pint or to watch the footy (i'm not a footy person but if you are then…read morewell done to you). the foods also great, two bowls o chips, yummy! not such a great place for a night out as its a good walk to anything else.

The Chilton lodge county pub and hotel is a lovely place to go for a family meal out especially on…read morea sunday when they do a spectacular carvery meal. My family and i really enjoy going here for a sunday lunch as the atmosphere is delightful and relaxed, the food is always delicious and piping hot and the staff are very friendly and attentive. I have never had any problems with the food here. If you intend to go here for a meal i would suggest that you enquire about reserving a table as it can get rather busy at 'peak' times.

My wife and I visited the Beamish Museum and booked in this hotel on the internet. When we arrived…read morelate Saturday night I was a little worried as there was a large wedding reception taking place. But I shouldn't have worried. We checked in and then went down for a meal. Service was good and the food great. Breakfast the following morning was first class. I'd recommend anyone to stay here, the rates were good and the only problem is that it is difficult to find if you haven't got GPS!

Fantastic route offering an escape from the city centre whilst taking in the beautiful scenery…read morealong the Tyne River! Often surrounded by greenery,alongside the river or under/over many lovely bridges. Whether I'm running,cycling or walking I just never get tired of moseying along the quayside either towards Tynemouth or Wylam. My sense of direction isn't always great but it's very well signposted so you can't go wrong. It can be a relatively short route or you can access to coast to coast cycle paths if you fancy exploring a bit further so it's ideal for people of all abilities. Everyone is so friendly. If you're on your bike suddenly you enter this private group whereby other cyclists say hello to you. As a pedestrian however you get ignored which makes me chuckle! I had a slow puncture and someone very kindly not only lent me their pump but assisted in the process too.

I was bored last Bank Holiday Monday, so I packed a small Picnic, some water, a fleece and a…read morewaterproof coat, and left my house in Fenham. I walked down Condercum Road and kept going. I hit Scotswood Road around the point where the Hadrian's Way joins the old rail route west, so I followed the signs. The route is well laid out and will take you as far as Wylam if you fancy, where you can cross the river and walk back to town. I crossed at Newburn Bridge, and was joined by some friends for a return along the South side of the Tyne and the Keelmans Way. The North Side is definitely prettier, but it is a good hearty walk, pretty well signposted and paved. There were a couple of points where we had to leave the edge of the river and go inland a little ( do not be tempted to go through any new housing estates as they were blocked) but we were soon back on track. All in all I did about 10 miles, with the others doing about 6. We crossed back into Newcastle at the Swing bridge, then it was a pint and a burger in Lloyds bar as the heavens opened. Marvellous! http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall/uploads/HadriansWay.pdf

Hansen Hotel is an excellent budget option if you are visiting Newcastle. The hotel was very clean…read morewith comfortable beds, had a good location within quick walking distance to a subway stop and about a 10 minute walk to downtown and customer service while I was there was excellent (the female supervisor of the hotel was friendly and made me feel welcome to be there). It is across the street from a small grocery/convenience store (a Tesco limited is about a 5 minute walk)-it is about a 30 minute walk from the main Newcastle train station (or a very quick subway ride from there). There is a free limited breakfast with free coffee, snacks and bananas and a small bar downstairs if you want to hang out. An excellent value for budget travelers to Newcastle.

Have stayed at the Hanson Hotel twice now and each stay has been comfortable and welcoming by the…read moresmall but friendly staff. Every thing the short -stay guest needs is provided. Meg and her team, I feel certain, would pull out all stops to make your stay as comfortable as possible. When visiting Newcastle again I would not consider staying anywhere other than Hanson's Hotel. Trish Bailey Nottingham