Hadrian’s Wall- the World Heritage spectacle in the North East

One of the renowned historic landmarks that stretch far and wide across Northumberland is Hadrian’s Wall. Known to have been built in 6 years by 15,000 workers, this World Heritage Site dates back to the Roman Empire, demonstrating a great example in construction engineering.

The construction of this site came about in 117AD, where Roman emperor Hadrian had decided to build the Wall to make his empire more secure, resulting in the separation of Roman and Barbarian territories.

The Wall stretches from the banks of the River Tyne to the Solway Firth and forms part of the border between England and Scotland. However, a common misconception about the Wall is its location; it is not situated in the English-Scottish like many people would believe but the Wall is situated entirely within England.

The Wall had consisted numerous mile-castles, forts, and observation towers that were mainly made of stone, and stood six metres high and three metres deep. It also became an active military line for about 300 years, comprising of groups of men from the auxiliary army’s infantry, where they manned one fort each. These units could contain between 500 to 1000 men.

There were also camps of people that would accompany each unit in communities called Vicus in which they provided soldiers with goods and produce from the empire for them to spend on.

It took the British army, which consisted of three legions of infantrymen (with each legion consisting of 5,000 men), to finish the Wall’s construction which spanned across 73 miles in northern England, becoming the longest Roman artefact in the world and one of Britain’s most famous tourist attractions today. The stones from the Wall were also repurposed to build homes and other buildings around it when Rome had given up on Britain.

Today, many remains of Hadrian’s Wall are still standing. The Housesteads Roman Fort has been well-preserved, which houses a hospital, barracks and loos. Huge parts of the Wall is located in the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall where it expands into the east of the city of Newcastle. The ruins of the Roman bridge that leads to the Wall can still be seen across the River Irthing.

The marvellous architecture of Sage Gateshead in the North East

Sage Gateshead is one of the spectacles that anyone in the North East – whether a visitor or resident– should know about. This £70m building looks like a bank of low-lying cumulus clouds, or the gun-blisters of a second world war RAF bomber, as architecture critic Jonathan Glancey wrote. It is situated on the banks of the Tyne River and is the finest landmark for music in the region.

Built by one of the British Kings of architecture Sir Norman Foster in 2004, Sage Gateshead has enriched the musical and cultural life of the North East. Its three music venues, with capacity for more than 2,000 people, hosts around 360 concerts a year and brings more than 165 artists — from the stunning voice of Britain pop singer Sophie Ellis Bextor, to the remarkable music of the Cranberries; from the aged electronic sounds of the Pet Shop Boys to the resurrected 1990 Pink Floyd marvellous shows played by Liverpool’s Brit Floyd.

But this spectacle of the North East is not only a venue for national artists. Sage Gateshead is proudly home to both the Royal Northern Sinfonia –the North East orchestra—and Folkworks, the region’s folk development agency, encouraging the very best creative talent to stay in the North East after 14 years. It also brings music to those with the fewest opportunities in the North East.

“The North East is a centre of creativity. Income donated allows us –Sage Gateshead– to run our extensive Learning & Participation Programme ensuring people of all ages have access music,” Cellist and member of the Royal Northern Sinfonia Gabriel Waite said.

Before opening in December 2004, the area where Sage Gateshead now stands was a derelict plot of industrial wasteland. It was land with no value to the North East. But with the discipline of a regiment, Gateshead Council, along with three-partner organisations, embarked upon an undreamed of a project for the benefit of those who enjoy music and culture in the North East.

“That vision was to turn the land into a world-class venue for people to make music, hear music and learn about music, a place where you can explore music,” Gateshead Council said.

Sage Gateshead is also a world-class venue for events, including public & private conferences, workshops and even weddings. These are the numbers of this massive spectacle between 2015 and 2016, according to their Annual Review 2015- 2016

• 361 concerts presented
• Brought 165 artists from 26 countries
• 70 conferences & events held at Sage Gateshead
• 9,365 workshops & classes held
• 16,228 participants aged 0-89
• 94 artists trained & mentored
• £14 million brought to the North East
• £1.2 million per year comes from donations and sponsorship
• 3 halls for 1600, 650 and 150 people
• 2-degree programmes offer 100 young musicians each year the chance to study

Please come along and visit Sage Gateshead, one of the most fabulous landmarks in the North East.

Entry is free of charge.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

If you are looking for a day out to get away from city noises, why not try to skim over the sands and causeway of Holy Island and enter another peaceful world?

Welcome to the delightful, unspoiled and historic island lying just a few miles off the Northumberland coast in the north east of England. This is a place of natural beauty – long sand beaches, shallow bays, far dunes, sea breeze and birds whispering and the castle on the hill. The old Celts would normally call this ‘thin land’, the place where has ‘less barrier between earth and heaven’.

This is also the heaven of wildlife, and home to a national nature reserve. Except for numerous rare birds, you may even spot the grey seal resident nearby the Farne Island all year around.

 

This remote island is not only surrounded by breath-taking scenery but also a place of pilgrimage, Christianity and worshipping. It is the home to Lindisfarne Castle and Priory. Being the former working place of St. Cuthbert, Lindisfarne was the birthplace of a true national treasure and also one of the world’s most precious books– the Lindisfarne Gospel, a unique illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospel of Mark, Luke and John.

There is only an electronic copy of the book while the real version is kept in London’s British Library. Moreover, the wealthy monastery of the island was a favourite stop-over for Viking raiders since the end of the 8^th century. The castle and priory were ruined, including the famous ‘rainbow bridge’ which spirals skywards with the ghost of a long-vanishing tower. Lindisfarne today remains as a holy site and place of pilgrimage for people.

As it is famous for its medieval religious heritage, Holy Island is now internationally famous, which makes the originally small population of 160 persons swelled by the influx of over 650,000 visitors all over the world every year.

As it is famous for its medieval religious heritage, Holy Island is now internationally famous, which makes the originally small population of 160 persons swelled by the influx of over 650,000 visitors all over the world every year.

What to see on Holy Island?

Lindisfarne Castle

Address: Holy Island, Northumberland, TD15 2SH, 01289 389244

• National trust property
• The lime kilns
• Gertrude Jekyll garden

The opening times for Lindisfarne Castle vary due to tides, please check the daily opening times

• Children ticket: £3.60
• Family ticket: £18.10
• Group adult: £6.20
• Group child: £3.06

The Lindisfarne Centre

Address: Marygate, Holy Island, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 2SD, 01289 389004

The Lindisfarne Centre provides visitors with all up-to-date information about the island from local stuff.

You can visit its compact exhibition museum including exhibitions of “the Lindisfarne Gospels”, “The Scriptorium”, “The Community Speaks” and “Island overview”. The above shop is the entry, with a wide range of quality items on sale, some are unique and not available elsewhere in the village.

How do I reach Holy Island? 

Being a tidal island, the causeway which links it with the mainland is covered twice a day by the tide. Vehicles can only cross the causeway then the tide is open, and the opening times vary significantly every day so please familiarize yourself with the safe crossing time or consult your accommodation provider before you visit.

By car: Proceed along the main A1 roadway to the crossroad at Beal which approximately 8 miles south of Berwick upon tweed and about halfway between Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh. Holy Island is signposted East from Beal – about 5 miles.

By bus: No. 505/515 service operates between Newcastle upon Type and Berwick upon Tweed.

A local bus service – route 477 operates to the island from Berwick Station on most days during Summer but sometimes once a week between September and May.

By taxi: there are several local taxi and minibus service in Berwick and the surrounding area

Lindisfarne Castle Shuttle: a minibus operates around the village on a ‘park-and-ride’ basis and can be quite useful for people without the time or energy to enjoy the mile walk to the castle. It runs throughout the village between the two car parks and castle with convenient stopping off places for passengers in between as well.

By train: Berwick upon Tweed is the nearest train station, which is 14 miles away from the island.

Alnwick Castle

If you are a Harry Potter fan, then you might know that the location for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is filmed at Alnwick castle. It is used as a stand-in for both the exterior and interior of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

History

Alnwick Castle is distinguished as one of the earliest castles in England to be built without a square keep. Yves de Vescy, Baron of Alnwick, erected the first parts of the castle in about 1096. In 1309, Henry Percy purchased it and in the following 40 years, he and his son converted it into a mighty border fortress. The Building work was carried on in the late 15th century, the 4th Earl had alterations and repairs carried out to adapt the Barbican to the latest tactics of warfare. In the 1760s, architects Daniel Garrett, James Paine and Robert Adam designed the castle in a high gothic style which transformed the castle from a decaying garrison fortress to a palace. Recent years have witnessed an extensive program of conservation, repair, and refurbishment to the fabric of the building, both exterior and interior. Roof leads have been replaced; essential masonry repair and repointing has been undertaken, as well as conservation work and refurbishment of the interiors. Such works both preserve the castle and continue its development.

Structure

Alnwick castle was the seat at Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland and.guards a road crossing the River Aln. A deep ravine separating the castle from the town. The castle consists of two main rings of buildings. The inner ring is set around a small courtyard and contains the principal rooms. These two main areas of accommodation are connected by a link building. And most of the bailey wall has been reduced almost to ground level on the Bailey side to open up views into the park. Also, Alnwick Castle has two parks. close to the north of the castle is a relatively small park straddling the River Aln, local call it “The Pastures”. The other is the much larger Hulne Park, which contains the remains of Hulne Priory.

At 2003, Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, has initiated the establishment of The Alnwick Garden near the castle, a formal garden set around a cascading fountain. The garden is designed by Jacques Wirtz and Peter Wirtz of Wirtz International based in Schoten, Belgium. In 2004, The garden opened a large 6,000 sq ft ‘tree house’ complex which It is deemed one of the largest tree houses in the world and in February 2005, the garden also added a poison garden, growing plants such as cannabis and opium poppy.

Function

By the time Hugh Percy entered the dukedom in 1940, for solving vast areas of the castle unused and unoccupied, Percy decided to provide facilities to the accommodation of Alnwick Teacher Training College. After that at 1981, it also provided for St Cloud State University students from Minnesota in the United States.

Now, Alnwick castle becomes the second largest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor Castle. The Duke of Northumberland’s family live in the castle, but occupy only a part of it. The castle also opens to the public throughout the summer. As a Grade, I listed building, Alnwick was the tenth most-visited stately home in England according to the Historic Houses Association. At 2012 received over 800,000 visitors per year.

For matching the visitor’s interest, Alnwick castle except visiting tour, they also established many events for people to enjoy the visit, such as Broomstick training, Luna cinema, Wizard week. These events will keep changing through the whole year.

For matching the visitor’s interest, Alnwick castle except visiting tour, they also established many events for people to enjoy the visit, such as Broomstick training, Luna cinema, Wizard week. These events will keep changing through the whole year. This is a really good choice for a family to have fun with. You can check the ticket price and opening times. Also if you book your tickets 24 hours before online can enjoy 10% off price.

Durham Cathedral

Originally constructed in 1093 to house the shrine of St. Cuthbert, Durham has been a place of worship, pilgrimage, and welcome, for almost a millennium. It was originally a monastic cathedral and homed a community of Benedictine monks. Today, it is the oldest in tact monastic building in the country.

The Cathedral also served a political and military function by reinforcing the authority of the prince-bishops over England’s northern border. The Prince Bishops effectively ruled the Diocese of Durham from 1080 until 1836 when the Palatinate of Durham was abolished.

The Reformation brought the dissolution of the Priory and its monastic community.

The monastery was surrendered to the Crown in December 1539, thus ending hundreds of years of monastic life at the Cathedral. In May 1541 the Cathedral was re-founded, the last Prior became the first Dean, and twelve former monks became the first Canons.

Despite the continuity of some of the personnel, this period must have been very traumatic in the life of the Cathedral as medieval worship and monastic life gave way to the new Book of Common Prayer. There was much regrettable destruction of historic furnishings and artefacts in the later sixteenth century as the reforms were zealously upheld.

Much valuable information about life in the Cathedral in the period immediately prior to the dissolution can be found in a 1591 work, ‘The Rites of Durham’ which it is presumed was written by a former member of the monastic community and is available in the Cathedral.

Durham Cathedral witnessed further turbulence during the Civil War, when the Church of England was suppressed by the order of Parliament. During this period the Cathedral was closed for worship and used by Oliver Cromwell to incarcerate 3,000 Scottish soldiers brought to Durham following the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. Many of the soldiers died and until recently their whereabouts were unknown.

In 2013 during building work at Durham University’s Palace Green Library, close to the Cathedral, two mass graves were found. Subsequent archaeological and academic research carried out by Durham University led to the conclusion that the graves are those of the soldiers. Click here for more information.

The late eighteenth century was another sad period in the history of the Cathedral as there was much unfortunate work to the fabric of the Cathedral including the chiselling off of between 2 and 3 inches of stone from most of the exterior and the demolition of part of the Norman Chapter House. Luckily the idea of demolishing the Galilee Chapel was abandoned. The Chapter House was rebuilt to the original design in 1895.

The nineteenth century saw the introduction of much of the stained glass in the Cathedral and the Scott screen in the crossing whilst in 1832 the Bishop of Durham and the Cathedral Chapter founded Durham University. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries the emphasis has been on sensitive conservation, along with the introduction of some contemporary art. The architectural and historical importance of Durham Cathedral was recognized in 1986 when it was inscribed on the World Heritage list by UNESCO as part of the Durham World Heritage Site.

The Cathedral is also responsible for the care and upkeep of the woodlands and riverbanks which provide the stunning setting for the Cathedral when seen from the west.

Today the Cathedral thrives as a place of worship and hospitality, welcoming over 700,000 people every year. It continues to be a focal point for the community of Durham and the wider North East region offering a deep sense of place to all who come.

Grey Street

If you come to Newcastle, Grey Street must be the place you can’t miss.

The street is surrounded by ancient buildings, and there is always dove hovering over the streets where many awards have been made. Grey Street was described by Pevsner as ‘one of the finest streets in England’.

It is located in Grainger Town – the historic heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, with classical architecture designed in the 1830s by the internationally renowned Richard Grainger and John Dobson.

Many of the buildings on the grey street are listed as buildings of historic importance and architectural importance. The most striking aspect of the street is the monument of Grey.

Grey’s Monument was built in 1838 to mark the 1832 reform bill drafted during the Prime Minister of Earl Grey.

The monument stands out on Ash Street, and then you can see the entrance to the Royal Theater and the central arcade. It is famous for its Georgian buildings and was voted “the best street” by BBC’s listeners in 2002.

There is a beautiful diamond on the Grey Street, which is Newcastle’s Theatre Royal. Theatre Royal is one of only 9 Grade I listed theatre halls in England, the city’s theatre is often regarded as the finest theatre building in the country. Theater Royal was first opened in 1837 and has undergone several renovations. The latest overhaul, in 2011, cost nearly five million pounds for 6 months.

Every year there are more than 300 performances in this theatre, including dancing, drama, music and comedy. If you come to Newcastle, you might as well spend an afternoon in the Royal Theater to feel the influence of art. You can watch the biggest and best performances in the theatre and enjoy the afternoon tea, artisan ice cream, and even the theatre bar. If you are interested, you can also participate in a variety of interactive programs.

Even though the Grey Street now look lively and bustling, old and mysterious, many years ago there was a desolate sight. A long time ago, when these magnificent buildings had not yet appeared on the grey streets, there was a stream running through the street. It was really funny! This was the Lort Burn, one of the several now built-over waterways which flowed downhill through Newcastle to the Tyne.

Unfortunately, a fire broke out at the end of Grey Street, Drury Lane, killing 7 people. It was repaired in 1823, but it was demolished in 1834 to make way for Grainger’s new street.

The new Grey Street twists and turns along the path of the once water stream in the centre of Newcastle.

The Grey’s monument stands at the highest point of the site, along with the Royal Theater as the biggest highlight of the street.

The poet John Betjeman said: “As for the curve of Grey Street, I shall never forget seeing it to perfection, traffic-less on a misty Sunday morning. Not even Regent Street, even old Regent Street London, can compare with that descending subtle curve.”

However, about 15 years ago, ash street once again experienced misfortune. Its perfection has been broken. Because many buildings are vacant and traffic jam, it shows a dilapidated scene.

The Grainger Town Project finally solved the crisis. Grey street was raised for commercial use, with coffee shops and restaurants on the ground floor and offices upstairs. Surrounding schools, old buildings have also been renovated. Nowadays, a modern business circle is a new look of Grey Street.

This new and classical Grey Street attracts picky eaters and energetic drinkers. The street is full of restaurants, shopping malls and bars. People at the weekend and the rest day gathered here, enjoy the delicacy and drink. This is where they release their work pressure, and this is where they are looking for fashion, and that’s where they feel about Newcastle.

In 1862, Prime Minister, William Gladstone described it as “our best modern street”.

Every year, tourists from all over the world come here to visit. Feel the ancient European empire, feel the ancient grey buildings, each picture taken as a beautiful picture of the landscape.

This is Grey Street, which always attracts thousands of people with its unique charm. Yes, there’s always no shortage of admirers on the Grey Street.

Tyne Bridge – the most attractive landmark in the North East

Newcastle upon Tyne has a marvellous architecture piece standing out from others: Tyne bridge.

It is one of the great symbols of the Great Britain´s engineering power and Industrial Revolution impacts.

Nowadays it remains to be the modern design symbol around the world.

Tyne Bridge was planned to built in 1925 and it spent three years to achieve these goals. About the Tyne Bridge, you should know:

• The bridge was built for decreasing the traffic congestion and changing the situation of river transportation.
• The inspiration of Tyne Bridge is the shape of ship. Workers ship techniques, with rivets and panels, using the ship techniques, workers made this goal in a high-stressed situation.
• The builders of Tyne Bridge were called Spider men because they should risk their lives high above the Tyne water to get the heights and the whole structures.
• There was one man who sacrificed his life when built Tyne Bridge, his name is Nathaniel Collins.
• King George V and the Queen were the first across the bridge using the roadway with their Ascot landau.
• The Tyne Bridge was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson who based their design on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• The Hell Gate Bridge in New York was based the design on the Tyne Bridge.

The Tyne Bridge is not only full of rich history, it also has become the place that both and tourists like to relax and enjoy.

When there comes to special activities like fun fair or comedy festival, the entrepreneur would choose to near Tyne Bridge.

People would also get together on New Year `s day in Tyne Bridge at midnight to see the most beautiful view of Newcastle upon Tyne and the wonderful fireworks.

Also, every afternoon, around Tyne Bridge, there would full of people. Someone just walk towards the bridge, someone just appreciate the view, and someone just feel the breeze from the Tyne water.

Tyne Bridge is not just the landmark of Newcastle upon Tyne; it is the part and the proud of the local people. It is also the best-wanted place of tourists.