20 Attractions to Explore Near Watergate Forest Park

Dunston Staiths on the River Tyne is believed to be the largest timber structure in Europe, at its height, 5.5m tonnes of coal a year was taken by rail from the Durham coalfields and loaded from the staiths onto ships waiting on the river, which transported coal around the British Isles and Internationally. Today, this magnificent feat of architecture stands as a tribute to the ambition of British engineers during the Victorian period.

It was one of the Britain's finest examples of a Victorian park and a perfect place for the whole family to enjoy. It encompasses 55 acres of landscapes, woodland and ornamental gardens as well as public sports facilities, a refreshment house, a lake, play areas, bowling greens, Saltwell Towers, the animal house, an education centre and a maze.

Tanfield Railway is the world’s oldest existing railway and runs from Sunniside to East Tanfield. The 6-mile return trip takes an hour and steam trains run on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. The railway is run by three bodies: "Friends of Tanfield Railway", "Tanfield Railway Trust" which owns the railway, the locomotives and rolling stock and "The Tanfield Railway Company" which operates the railway.

The Shipley Art Gallery is home to a collection of over 700 breathtaking pieces by the country's leading craft makers. A dazzling selection of this collection is on permanent show and includes studio ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, textiles and furniture. It has a Designated Collection of national importance.

Hedley Hall Woods is located in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was a mix of ancient woodland which cloaks the long, narrow valley of Ridley Gill, and established, new native woodland planted in 1992, where medieval farmsteads once stood. One of the iconic attraction for a long walk and also it gives some way for adventure too.

The Centre for Life is an award-winning science centre where imaginative exhibitions, interactive displays and special events promote greater understanding of science and provoke curiosity in the world around us. All exhibitions and activities are included in the price of admission. Each year a new temporary exhibition is hosted or launched in May, often a major touring exhibition such as Body Worlds Vital in 2014. In the winter months, Times Square is host to an open-air ice rink.

The Discovery Museum is a science museum and local history museum situated in Blandford Square in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It displays many exhibits of local history, including the ship, Turbinia. It is managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. The collections were housed in a temporary pavilion built for the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition in Exhibition Park, Newcastle.

The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the mother church of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and seat of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. The Cathedral, situated on Clayton Street, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built between 1842 and 1844. The cathedral is a grade I listed building and a fine example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture championed by Pugin.

Boasting a spectacular countryside setting, this charming farmhouse provides a peaceful rural retreat. There is good access to Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. The surroundings are ideal for relaxing strolls, with plenty of wildlife, including Canadian geese, blackbirds and cattle. It offers an excellent farmhouse cooked breakfast and a range of other breakfast options.

Newcastle Arts Centre Limited was founded as an Arts Development company in 1981. Since then it has brought back to use a group of 9 abandoned buildings in the City Centre, providing a home for dozens of arts related companies. The Centre now has 82,000 visitors a year and 77,000 sales, making it one of the most active independent art centres in England.

The Swing Bridge is a swing bridge over the River Tyne, England, connecting Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, and lying between the Tyne Bridge and the High Level Bridge. It is a Grade II* listed structure. It stands on the site of the Old Tyne Bridges of 1270 and 1781, and probably of the Roman Pons Aelius. It was first used for road traffic on 15 June 1876 and opened for river traffic on 17 July 1876. At the time of construction it was the largest swing bridge ever built. The construction co

A majestic medieval fortification in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, built on the site of the fortress that gave the City of Newcastle its name. The most prominent remaining structures on the site are the Castle Keep , the castle's main fortified stone tower, and the Black Gate, its fortified gatehouse. It sits upon ground previously occupied by the Roman fort Pons Aelius, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and a Norman motte and bailey castle from which the City takes its name. The Castle Keep also boasts a

A Jacobean home with a romantic history now contains offices, an exhibition space and splendid period interiors that are open to the public and free to visit. The buildings are a fine and rare example of Jacobean domestic architecture. An exhibition detailing the history of the buildings can be found on the first floor. The site is also home to the North East regional branch of English Heritage and Historic England. It is a Grade I listed building.

The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle and is the mother church of the Diocese of Newcastle. It is the most northerly cathedral in England. The church as originally founded in 1091 but was destroyed by fire in 1216. The current building was completed in 1350, and underwent a major restoration in 1777.

The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough. The bridge was officially opened on 10 October 1928 by King George V and has since become a defining symbol of Tyneside. It is ranked as the tenth tallest structure in the city.

Thornley Woodlands Centre is within the ancient woodlands of the Derwent Valley that are home to many birds including green and great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, and sparrow hawks. An observation hide is located within the woods with keys available for purchase from the centre. Walking routes from the centre are clearly marked including a circular route that takes in a number of sculptures carved from trees stumps including an otter and a red kite.

Side Gallery is a photography gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, run by Amber Film & Photography Collective. It opened in 1977 as Side Gallery and Cinema with a remit to show humanist photography "both by and commissioned by the group along with work it found inspirational". It is the only venue in the UK dedicated to documentary photography. Side Gallery is located at Amber's base in Side, a street in Quayside, Newcastle near the Tyne Bridge.

The Angel of the North is as much a part of Gateshead's identity as the Statue of Liberty is to New York. Since it first spread its wings in February 1998, it has become one of the most talked about and recognisable pieces of public art ever produced. The work faced considerable opposition during its design and construction phases, but is now widely recognised as an iconic example of public art and as a symbol of Gateshead and of the wider North East.

Grainger Market is a busy, vibrant market which still plays a role in Newcastle's bustling shopping and dining culture, nearly 200 years after it first opened. The covered market is situated in the centre of Newcastle, a stone's throw away from Grey Street and the city's iconic Grey's Monument.

The Holy Jesus Hospital is a working office Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the care of the National Trust. It is a Grade II* listed building. The site of the hospital has been in use for 700 years helping the townspeople. There was an Augustinian friary on the site from the thirteenth century, then an almshouse for housing retired freemen, then a soup kitchen was built next to Almshouse in the nineteenth century, before the site acquired its current function as a working office.