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The North East, and its main cities Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Middlesborough, and Sunderland, have a celebrated industrial past. Its architectural delights might surprise you. Some consider Newcastle’s Grey Street to be the finest in the country, while Durham Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, beaches like Embleton Bay and Bamburgh are definitely worth a road-trip too. Footie fan? An academic once professed that football was ‘socially important’ to the North East, with homegrown legends like Gazza and Shearer. The local teams don’t have to be winning for the people to be in good spirits either. What else would you expect of a region that’s produced beloved Geordies, like Ant and Dec?

Providers in the North East

City guides

Counties of the North East

Durham

County Durham is home to the University of Durham plus New College Durham.

 

County town Durham is one of the UK’s most picturesque cities. Its two staples, the cathedral and castle, were among the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Cathedral might look familiar, having stood in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. 

The county even has a waterfall, in the Durham Dales.

Northumberland

Northumberland is fantastically historical, with eerie castles and old market towns forged from stone.

 

Its coastline and the jaw dropping North Pennines – both designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – only add to its wild intensity.

It has a soft side though: there are puffins on Coquet Island, off the coast of Amble.

Tyne & Wear

Tyne and Wear is home to Newcastle University, Northumberland University, and Sunderland University, plus Newcastle College University Centre and Tyne Coast College.

You may know of its cheerful locals, football fanaticism, and bubbling nightlife, but the county’s arts venues – like the Sage Gateshead and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art – might surprise you.

There’s also peaceful beaches and seaside towns, like Tynemouth and South Shields.