20 Attractions to Explore Near Northumberland College Zoo

Kirkley Hall is a 17th-century historic country mansion and Grade II listed building in Northumberland, England. The estate is over 190 acres and adjoins the River Blyth at Kirkley. It zoological garden has over one hundred species of animals including ring tailed and ruff lemurs, meerkats, coatis, marmosets, capybara, kookaburra, wallaby and a wide range of domestic, exotic and avian species including our petting barn.

Belsay Castle is a 14th-century medieval castle situated at Belsay, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building. The main structure, a substantial three-storey rectangular pele tower with rounded turrets and battlements, was constructed about 1370, and was the home of the Middleton family. In 1614 Thomas Middleton built a new manor house attached to the tower.

Bolam Lake Country Park is located near Bolam, Northumberland. The lake was constructed c.1817 for Lord Decies of Bolam. John Dobson was commissioned to lay out the grounds in 1816, including the 25-acre artificial lake and woodland. Take a leisurely stroll around the lake or explore the woodland. Bring a picnic and enjoy a summer's day with the family or explore on your own and discover the wildlife which makes Bolam Lake so special, including red squirrel, roe deer, great spotted woodpecker, a

Northumberlandia is a unique piece of public art set in a 19-hectare community park providing free public access, with four miles of footpaths on and around the landform, along with a café and visitor centre. The park’s centrepiece is ‘The Lady of the North’, a stunning human landform sculpture of a reclining lady, scaling 100 feet in height and spanning a quarter of a mile.

Plessey Woods Country Park is set in 100 acres of enchanting woodland, wild-flower-clad meadows and romantic riverside as the River Blyth runs through the park. Its intricate network of paths and trails make this a great spot for walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and picnickers. The beautiful riverside walk along the River Blyth offers a chance of spotting otters and kingfishers. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area which offers a peaceful life.

Carlisle Park is a multi award winning park in the heart of Morpeth, Northumberland. Situated on the south bank of the River Wansbeck, it contains The William Turner Garden, formal gardens, an aviary, play areas, a paddling pool, ancient woodland, picnic areas, toilets, tennis courts, bowling greens, a skate park, and much more. The park has been awarded the Green Flag Award,the Love Parks Award in 2017, and 'Best Park' in Northumbria's in bloom competition in 2018.

Morpeth Chantry is a superb 13th Century Grade I listed building situated adjacent to the site of the ancient bridge across the River Wansbeck at Morpeth, parallel to the 19th century road bridge built by Thomas Telford. It showcases local authors, paintings, photography, and music.There are lovely collections of handmade jewellery, glass and ceramics, and stitched fabric, that make wonderful presents, and local produce.

Newcastle Racecourse is home to the historic Northumberland Plate, and is one of Britain’s busiest racecourses, hosting over 60 all-weather and jumps fixtures a year. An ideal venue for all occasions, the racecourse can host events of all kinds, including conferences, exhibitions, weddings, private parties and more.

The Ouseburn is a small river in Tyne and Wear, England that flows through the city of Newcastle upon Tyne into the River Tyne. It gives its name to the Ouseburn electoral ward. The Ouseburn has its source at Callerton in the north of the city near Newcastle Airport. It then flows through the Kingston Park area of the city, Newcastle Great Park, Gosforth Park and Whitebridge Park.

Tyne Riverside Country Park is a popular country park for outdoor recreation and sports – great for walking , cycling and horse riding with a large network for footpaths and public rights of way including Hadrian's Way, which links up with Hadrian's Wall National Trail and the Wylam Waggonway. The park has a wide range of wildlife habitats and is an ideal place to watch birds and butterflies.

Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Newcastle upon Tyne. It includes extensive woodland and wetland habitats and is managed by the Natural History Society of Northumbria. The reserve is part of Gosforth Park, the old estate of Gosforth House. There is also a small area of meadow, which contains plants such as heather and northern marsh orchid.

The Town Moor is an area of common land in Newcastle upon Tyne. It covers an area of around 1000 acres or 400ha, making it larger than Hyde Park combined with Hampstead Heath combined, and also larger than New York City's Central Park. The Town Moor reaches Spital Tongues and the city centre to the south, Gosforth to the north and Jesmond to the east.

Paddy Freeman is a popular park which has a bowling green, two tennis courts, a playground, a boating lake, a Model Boat Club and a cafe which is open in the summer months. There is plenty of seating throughout the park.The park is mainly grassed for informal leisure activities. with some shrubs and woodland plantations. The lake is used by the Heaton and District Model Power Boat Club who celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2010 and still a very active club today.

Exhibition Park is a beautiful park close to Newcastle City Centre complete with Victorian bandstand and small, boating lake home to swans and ducks. The park is home to numerous facilities including sports areas, a boating lake, playgrounds and a skatepark.

Prudhoe Castle is a Norman castle, which was for a long time involved in the border wars between England and Scotland. It was built by the de Umfraville family: the Norman Sir Robert de Umfraville was granted the freedom of Redesdale by William the Conqueror. For much of its history the castle was owned by the Percy family. It is now run by English Heritage. The castle is unique in being the only medieval defensive fortification in the whole of Northumbria to avoid capture by the Scots.

The Hatton Gallery was founded in 1925, by the King Edward VII School of Art, Armstrong College, Durham University, in honour of Richard George Hatton, a professor at the School of Art. It dedicated to enhancing the cultural and intellectual life of the Department of Art, the Colorado State University campus, and the vibrant communities of greater northern Colorado.

The Great North Museum incorporates collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the Hatton Gallery. it is a museum of natural history and ancient civilisations and most of its collections are owned by the Natural History Society of Northumbria, and it is managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on behalf of Newcastle University.

The Civic Centre is a central landmark in the heart of the regional capital, Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the main administrative and ceremonial centre for Newcastle City Council. Designed by the city architect, George Kenyon, the building was completed in 1967 and was formally opened by King Olav V of Norway on 14 November 1968. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Northumberland Street is a bustling high street running through the heart of Newcastle city centre. Shoppers can enjoy browsing major high street shops along the length of Northumberland Street, including shopping favourites H&M, Marks and Spencers, TK Maxx and Primark. It is home to a wide range of different retailers, banks and cafes, and in terms of rental per square foot, Northumberland Street is the most expensive location in the UK outside London to own a shop.

Grey's Monument is a prominent landmark in the centre of Newcastle. It was built in 1838 to commemorate Charles Earl Grey and the reforms he achieved. The statue of Grey stands on a 134 ft. stone column. The monument has a viewing balcony accessed via a spiral staircase with 164 steps inside the column.