8 Great Things To Do Around Gateshead, England

best things to do in gateshead uk
Félix
Félix 
Published
| 4 min read

Lying on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead is a lovely town in Tyne and Wear, England. Joined by seven bridges (including the Gateshead Millennium Bridge) to Newcastle, the town has nothing to envy to its neighbor: known for its architecture, its Sage Gateshead, the Angel of the North and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead is full of interesting sites and things to do. In this article will look at eight places of interest and attractions for you to fully enjoy the surroundings.

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1. Gateshead Millennium Bridge

Gateshead Millennium Bridge - coming down
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Axel Steenberg used under CC BY 2.0

The well-known Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge crossing the River Tyne between Gateshead’s Quays arts quarter and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne. Going there is a surprising opportunity to see the interesting architectural structure tilting to let boats cross the Tyne River. It’s also a good occasion to cross the river yourself and to go for a walk to Newcastle, the neighbor city.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

Address: S Shore Rd, NE8 Gateshead, UK

Website: Gateshead Millennium Bridge

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2. Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Gateshead Millennium bridge & BALTIC art gallery, 14 June 2012
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jatinder Dhillon used under CC BY 2.0

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is a former vast converted mill located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and now used as a contemporary art center hosting a frequently changing program of exhibitions and events. Presenting a dynamic, diverse and international program of contemporary visual art, you’ll enjoy discovering the center’s vast range of exhibitions (from blockbuster exhibitions to innovative new work and projects created by local artists) changing frequently for you to get an innovative and provocative new art experience within a relaxing and beautiful atmosphere.

Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Address: S Shore Rd, NE8 3BA Gateshead, UK

Website: Gateshead’s Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

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3. Saltwell Park

Charlton Memorial Fountain, Saltwell Park - geograph.org.uk - 1581174
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Andrew Curtis used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Named “Britain’s Best Park” in 2005, Saltwell Park is a Victorian park opened in 1876. Previously owned by a wealthy family, the park is nowadays open to the public and known as “The People’s Park”. You’ll appreciate having a leisure walk in the 22-hectare (55-acre) surface of the grassed open spaces, lakes and wooded parts of the area. With a bandstand to the western corner, the place is also a great location for family picnics and friends meeting in a relaxing atmosphere.

Saltwell Park

Address: 3 E Park Rd, NE9 5AX Gateshead, UK

Website: Saltwell Park

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4. The Angel of the North

Fly-Angel
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user David Wilson Clarke used under CC BY 2.5

Designed by the world famous artist Antony Gormley, The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture that has become one of the most talked about pieces of public art ever produced. It is surely one of the main sights of the area and more importantly one of the biggest art sculptures in the world. This huge steel sculpture with wings measuring 54 meters (177 feet) across dominates the skyline, dwarfing all those who come to see it. You’ll truly enjoy getting up close to this mammoth angel for a mesmerizing experience.

The Angel of the North

Address: Durham Rd, Low Eighton, NE9 7TY Gateshead, UK

Website: The Angel Of The North

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5. Dynamix Skatepark

SkateBoard 2406
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Harald Bischoff used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Looking for interesting families activities? Dynamix Skatepark will fulfill your expectations! This indoor skate park is also a circus skill and performing arts training company that’ll please everyone from kids to adults. From skate to aerial circus skills to hip hop dance class to parkour to free running to extreme trampolining, you’ll have plenty opportunities to have great fun!

Dynamix Skatepark

Address: Ablbany Road Junction, A184 Felling bypass, NE8 3AT Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England

Website: Dynamix Skatepark

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6. Life Science Centre

Life Science Centre, Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne, 21 July 2012
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Doug Belshaw used under CC BY 2.0

The wonder of science is that it can be applied to so many things and the Life Science Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne will give every visitor a glimpse into the endlessness of possibilities. Perfect for an interesting day out to learn new facts and to enjoy science activities for all ages, The Life Science Centre has a state-of-the-art planetarium, an exciting 4-D motion ride, and a science theater with daily live demonstrations and two major exhibitions per year. Well, there’s always new things to see and learn here and you’ll be blown away by the numerous activities that you’ll experience here. A top destination for travelers and families.

Newcastle upon Tyne's Life Science Centre

Address: Life Science Centre, Times Square, NE1 4EP Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England

Website: Newcastle upon Tyne’s Life Science Center

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7. BBC Newcastle Tour

BBC studios, Barrack Road, Newcastle, 18 October 2012
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Alex McGregor used under CC BY-SA 2.0

This building is the hub of the well-known BBC in the northeast and is home to many famous TV shows. Walking through this exciting universe will teach you a lot of things about the world of broadcasting, show business, and TV. Furthermore, the place is featuring a large panel of interactive elements and activities, including making your episode of Newsround, starring in a radio program, and vision mixing or sound effects experiences. This is one place not to miss for people traveling with family and kids.

BBC Newcastle Tour

Address: Broadcasting House, Barrack Road, NE99 2NE Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England

Website: BBC Newcastle Tour

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8. Victoria Tunnel

Victoria Tunnel (Newcastle) near Ouse Street 2010-02-19
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user CDC used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Roundly considered a masterpiece of Victorian engineering, the Victoria Tunnel is a great slice of history. Walking through the tunnels, you’ll discover Newcastle as you never knew it existed. From the 1800s to World War II, you’ll learn the rich and ghostly history of this surprising location under the city, listening to your guide’s stories and interesting facts while walking back in time.

Victoria Tunnel

Address: 53-55 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, NE1 2PQ Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England

Website: Victoria Tunnel

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Discover these great UK cities!

The cities of Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne have a lot of things to offer to their visitors; from cultural attractions, outdoors/indoors sports and activities to museums of all kind, this area of the UK will please everyone from kids to adults!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Felix Brassier is a French digital filmmaker / visual storyteller for the web and digital nomad traveling all over the place. Crazy about videography, photography, he's also writing for the web and...Read more

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