England’s most northern city is heaving with unexpected delights

Newcastle, England, or Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is renowned for its pulsating nightlife and no-nonsense Geordie-isms, but it’s also the sum of its rich heritage and metropolitan sophistication, with fascinating museums, a thriving arts scene and excellent dining and drinking options. From ageing castles and hidden tunnels to one of the world’s great public art pieces, here are some of our favourite city highlights.

The adventure

Thrilling stadium tour ... climb high above the stands.Credit: NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Newcastle, the northernmost big city in England, is known as a fun-loving, friendly place. But it’s also known for being football mad.

St James’ Park, home to the perennially unsuccessful Newcastle United, is in the city centre, and the usual stadium tours are complemented with a more adventurous experience where guests don hard hats and high-vis jackets. They then climb high above the stands and take in the views from a series of rooftop walkways. The vertigo-prone may prefer to sit this one out. See nufc.co.uk

The museum

Learn about Newcastle’s fascinating chequered history.Credit: NewcastleGateshead Initiative

The Discovery Museum neatly runs through Newcastle’s history. Romans set up the initial settlement as the closest realistic place to the mouth for bridging the Tyne River.

Since then, Newcastle has had periods under Viking and Norman control, but the most interesting section covers how the city boomed on the back of exporting coal.

There’s a bit of interactivity mixed in for the kids, but they’ll have more fun in the science section on the top floor. See discoverymuseum.org.uk

The castle

Newcastle’s castle has been revived into a family-friendly museum.Credit: NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Is Newcastle’s castle one of the most imposing or impressive in Britain? No. In fact, much of it no longer exists, having fallen into disuse over the centuries.

But the city centre location and sheer explorability make Newcastle Castle tremendously enjoyable to venture into. The museum-like sections on which family owned the castle during which particular period are dry, but you can essentially have free run of the big medieval keep.

Scamper along passageways, discover old prison cells, clamber up spiral staircases and take in the views of the River Tyne from the turrets. See newcastlecastle.co.uk

The family attraction

Spark a love of literature early, at Seven Stories.Credit: Damien Wootten

The gorgeous, warm-hearted Seven Stories breathes fresh life into children’s books. At a simple level, this means storytelling sessions and having tea with a life-size model of The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

More ambitious areas look at magic and witchcraft in popular series from the Chronicles of Narnia to Harry Potter, or the different types of story plot.

Amid lofty attempts to get children to create their own stories and understand plot structures, there are also plenty of opportunities to dress up and play with puppets. See sevenstories.org.uk

The tunnel

In WWII, Victoria Tunnel served as an air raid shelter for the city.Credit: Ouseburn Trust

The entrance to the Victoria Tunnel lies opposite Seven Stories, and guided tours take you through its unusual history.

This four-kilometre tunnel was originally an underground wagonway designed to transport coal from a mine to the River Tyne. In World War II, it was converted into a giant air raid shelter for the city.

There are entertaining anecdotes about dubious shenanigans from both eras, including the gruesome tale of a man crushed to death by a runaway coal wagon. See ouseburntrust.org.uk

The wall

Sunset at Hadrian’s Wall.Credit: VisitBritain/Thomas Heaton

The Victoria Tunnel runs under the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, the massive boundary barrier stretched across the north of England by the Roman Empire.

The remains of the Segedunum Roman Fort are on display in the suburb of Wallsend, although for a better idea of what a Roman garrison town by the wall looked like, head 30 kilometres west to Corbridge Roman Town.

The better-preserved ruins here come with explanatory signs about what life was like at the cold, lonely edge of the mighty empire. See segedunumromanfort.org.uk; English-heritage.org.uk

The hotel

The Maldron Hotel’s slightly unusual room configuration is useful for groups.Credit: NewcastleGateshead Initiative

The Maldron Hotel aims for distinction through its thoroughly determined yellow and grey colour scheme.

But it’s the slightly unusual room set-up of king bed plus single bed that makes it useful for travelling groups that don’t fit the usual couple or family-of-four mould.

Location is key for those wanting to enjoy Newcastle’s famed nightlife, too – the Maldron is within easy stumbling distance of the famously boisterous Bigg Market bar strip. See maldronhotelnewcastle.com

The beer terrace

By the River Brew Co … this microbrewery is gleefully experimental.Credit: NewcastleGateshead Initiative

By the River Brew Co has its home in a collection of shipping containers on the South Bank of the Tyne. This microbrewery is gleefully experimental, and regularly offers up unusual new concoctions.

The location of the terrace, next to the looming Tyne Bridge, is the real winner, however. Sydneysiders may find the design of the bridge somewhat familiar.

For a simple feed, plump for the neighbouring street food market. See bytheriverbrew.co

The statue

One of the world’s truly great pieces of public art … the Angel of the North.Credit: VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett

Just south of the city centre, overlooking the A1 trunk road, the Angel of the North is one of the world’s truly great pieces of public art. Antony Gormley’s 20-metre tall statue, with a wingspan of 54 metres, stands on a hill, acting as a grand welcome. It’s worth going to see up close, partly to realise just how comparatively gargantuan it is, and partly to learn how it was put together in one herculean overnight operation. Access is from the A167, rather than the A1.

One more thing

Newcastle is one of the UK’s more unexpected entry points, but Emirates flies there four times a week from Dubai. This means you can get to Newcastle from the major Australian cities with just one stop, then use it as a base for exploring the north of England. If it’s the castles and coastline of Northumberland you’re after, or the poet hangouts and rolling hills of the Lake District, Newcastle is the nearest realistic airport. See emirates.com

The writer was a guest of NewcastleGateshead Initiative. See newcastlegateshead.com