Birmingham to Northumberland

I'll ask the S.O. We travel there a lot cause he has a flat up there and it only takes about 3 1/4 hours from Nottingham, and we tend to get off the motorway and get onto the A1. Must warn you that there is a lot of work being done round Newcastle so expect delays there. If you pm me with more details of when you're going and whereabouts you're staying we can do a long list of places to visit, depending on your interests.

Thank you Tegan. We are going in June. We have been researching places in the area to go and watching the Robson Green programme and taking notes. I will pm you nearer the time, that's very kind of you.

We did the same journey with two GS (3 & 7) last summer. We stopped off at Fountains Abbey en route.

Check it out

I will Anya. Thank you for the link.

Must be about 40 years ago that we went to a son et lumiere show at Fountains Abbey. Very atmospheric with Gregorian chant and soft floodlight to simulate moonlight. Could imagine the ghosts of the Cistercians gliding around the ruins.

I've just followed the link. Lovely place and National Trust too so we could use our membership cards!

Depending on which part of Northumberland you are going to I would suggest getting off the A1 at Darlington and heading up the A68 to Corbridge. Much more scenic (and slower) than the A1 route but you will end up near Hadrians Wall. It also avoids Newcastle which is a wonderful destination in itself but not if you just want to get past it ! I'm not sure where the road works are that Tegan mentioned but the Tyne tunnel is an alternative if the works are going on the A1 route around Newcastle.
Fountains Abbey is certainly worth a visit but allow plenty of time to do it justice. As far as North Yorkshire is concerned then anywhere is worth a visit - market towns, moors, dales, coast and lots more beside !!

The roadworks are on the A1. The downside of not going on the A1 is missing out on seeing The Angel of the North, which I love!

I don't like the Angel of the North, bit of a rusty heap, but visitors seem to like it and if it keeps tourists coming to the area can't be bad.

Thank you everyone for all the info. We will be staying in Alnwick.

tiggy - we have been to North Yorkshire a few times and I agree, it is lovely.

Oh, be nice to the Angel! We need more of that sort of thing around the place. There's a wicker man somewhere that we pass on the way down to Cornwall, too. Food for the soul.

The roadworks start at the Angel and go as far as the Tyne crossing on the A1. I avoid it every time I go up to Ashington.

My husband used to fish in the river near the hermit's cave at Warkworth, KatyK. That's a lovely town and castle, but it's English Heritage as is Corbridge and most of Hadrian's Wall.

I love the way it welcomes me to the North; others have tried to copy it in one way or another but, to me, they have failed and the Angel is magical. We went to Alnwick last week as I needed a new dress and thought that there would be lots of good clothes shops; thankfully I did find one but most tourists are channelled towards the Castle and the Gardens and away from the town itself. You must visit Barter Books in Alnwick. My favourite places are Cragside, Warkworth, Ford and Etal [Lady Waterford Hall is a little gem and there's a reclamation/antique place there as well if you like that sort of thing]. Of course, Bamburgh Castle and beach and also the Grace Darling Museum there [she is buried in the beautiful church opposite the museum]. Chillingham Castle [and a walk with the warden to see the famous cattle is interesting]. Only Cragside is National Trust [and Dunstanburgh Castle is too]. Oh, and the mining museum at Ashington where they have the paintings by the Pitmen Painters. Just be careful cause a lot of places close on certain days [I've got a feeling that Chillingham might close on Saturdays cause they do weddings there]. I'm wondering if there might be some riding out ceremonies round that time; I've only been to the Coldstream one but I'd love to see some others.

Oh harrigan how can you not love The Angel of the North ? It lifts my spirits whenever I see it either from the road or train. I have to say that when it was first talked about I thought it a crazy and silly idea but as soon as I saw it I was smitten. It may be rusty (designed to be) but it is absolutely stunning either from a distance or close up.
I agree Tegan that the Tunnel road will avoid the Angel and the best view is from the A1 coming from the south. It would be worth putting up with the road works to see it.

durhamjen; I love the walk along the river to the hermitage. I'm sure that Toad, Ratty and Mole live there. There's a lovely walk up through the centre of Warkworth which we've got in a little gem of a book that we've got. In fact, I brought it back with me this time as I was worried about someone staying at the flat and taking it away with them; I could copy it out for you Katy. There are some super shops at Warkworth as well.

Gosh so much information. Thank you so much. I am going to print this off to take with us. Tegan, that is SO kind of you but please don't go to the trouble of copying it out for us. I will however visit as many of the places you have mentioned, whether DH likes it or not

I`m so sorry Tegan, because you`re lovely, but much as I love Northumberland, the downside of going up there is passing the Angel of the North, it`s one of the ugliest things I`ve ever seen! Hiding behind the sofa now!

We travelled up there with some friends once and they said the same, so I do understand number . It's so industrial and solid and welcoming and, to me, it typifies the north and it's people. It took my breath away the first time I saw it as I'd forgotten about it and realised, as we approached Newcastle, that I might see it. Then again, you have to understand that I take photos of old rusting signs and decaying wooden doors, so I do have a strange idea of what's beautiful and what isn't !

The good thing about the roadworks is that there's a 30 mile limit, so you have a better chance of looking at it. If you are the passenger, that is.

The only person I know who does not like it is a brother in law, and he was one of the engineers working on it! I think it's beautiful, majestic. In today's news, they have opened up some of the old coal staithes on the river. They did not look very good, either, but they were useful, taking coal from Newcastle to Londoners, from most of the pits in Durham.
Next time, there will be even more rusty nails and decaying wood for you to photograph, Tegan. My husband would have done.

You would think that, living up here, the Angel would just be part of the landscape by now, but it always lifts my spirit to see it.

I saw the Angel looming our of the fog, as I was on my way to a conference in Gateshead. I thought it an impressive sight - so very powerful.