HOSTELS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND -- NORTHUMBERLAND, NEWCASTLE, DURHAM
The northern Pennines is a near wilderness area with stretches of empty moorland mixed with pleasant wooded valleys. Northumberland is spacious and breezy with distant views and good for cycling, and a variety of hostels. Hadrian's Wall (the Roman wall) runs through and has several hostels close by. Off the uncrowded coast is Lindisfarne (Holy Island) and the Farne Islands for bird life. There are several bunkhouses in the area. Berwick-on-Tweed is a pleasant bracing town on the seashore with a fine city wall that you can walk round.- Hadrian's Wall Walk along a historical legend amid widespread views.
- Pennine Way Long-distance footpath -- or do just a bit of it with clean air and cosy hostels.
- Kielder Lake and Forest Manmade, but fine scenery and lots of water activities.
- Northumbrian CoastNot for swimming, but wonderful scenery, beaches, birds, castles, and Lindisfarne with Christian history.
- North Pennines Wild moorlands, secluded valleys, mining history.
- Vale of Eden Soft friendly scenery, delightful villages.
- Driving England to Scotland Soft friendly scenery, delightful villages.
NORTHUMBRIA
This section describes the counties of Northumberland, Durham and part of Cumbria. Although not the most sought-out part of England, this region has its own unique atmosphere that makes it well worth a brief visit. If you have only an hour or two, drive through the Vale of Eden and look at the villages and small towns. Or, if you are following the eastern route through Northumberland, stop and have a walk in Redesdale Forest. If you have more time, go a slower route and enjoy the peaceful forest and lakeshore around the artificial Kielder Water. There is a new hostel here, so this is a delightful place to spend a night. Or stay at Byrness hostel, well placed for bus and car travellers. If you have days available and are a keen walker, walk the Pennine Way or part of it and get thoroughly familiar with some wild country. If driving between England and Scotland, don't just rush from London to Edinburgh, but deviate a bit and, if possible, spend a night somewhere in this area. The locals are very friendly and always keen to help you (whether you need it or not!), but you will find the local dialect hard to understand; it has an intonation quite unlike any other dialect of English.- NewcastleChief city.
- Durham Fine castle and cathedral above river.
- Northumberland Hadrian's Wall, open views, bracing coast.
- The North Pennines Wild and empty.
- Vale of Eden Cosy lanes and friendly villages.
Newcastle-on-Tyne
is the chief city in this area, an impressive workaday city but not a
scenic destination, populated by a boisterous good-hearted people with
an accent quite different from any other in Britain. The YHA hostel
has closed, but now there are 3 hostels:
Address: 51 Grainger St
Facilities: Around £17 (2006); equipped kitchen, lounge w TV, free tea/coffee, basement w pool and TV.
UK Trail opinions: Looks as if it has all needed facilities and various common areas.
Reviewers' comments: Most reviews are good: good location for station, friendly staff, 'pleased with the whole experience', some found it too quiet. Just one complained that breakfast food had run out, several would have liked storage lockers.
Facilities: Single or twin rooms in apartments of 4 to 7 people..
Durham
Durham is a small city with just a few items of interest, but these
are outstanding. A great cathedral and a castle, both standing on a
tall crag, with a fine walk around the loop of the river. The
University is one of the oldest in England. If you have a rail pass,
or if you are driving up the eastern side of Britain, it is an
essential stop. A student Hall of Residence is available as a hostel
during University vacations:
Address: St Chads College, 18 North Bailey
Tel: 0191-3343358
Email: chads + AT + durham.ac.uk
Facilities: University Hall of Residence. Kitchen, dining room, lounges. Book by phone stating it is a YHA booking..
Northumberland
Northumberland is a county of wide spaces and open long-distance
views. Weather is usually cool and breezy but much drier than the
Lake District, and if you walk you will really feel a breath of fresh
air. This is ideal country for motoring and energetic cycling (the
energy is needed against the wind and hills!)
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North Northumberland
Berwick-on-Tweed is a delightful little town on the main route from London to Edinburgh (frequent trains and buses) and an ideal place to visit for an afternoon. You can walk round the old walls for good views of the town, sea and countryside. Berwick also makes a very pleasant overnight stop on your way to Scotland, being right on the border. In this small town, the Backpackers is a pleasant atmospheric spot to stay, with comfortable private rooms in addition to dorm beds. The Hideaway is a new hostel.
Address: 58 Bridge Street
Tel: 01289-331481
Email: bkbackpacker + AT + aol.com
Facilities: High quality B&B with dorms and hostel facilities. Dorm bed £15 or £20. Lounge/dining room with equipped kitchen and TV, small breakfast included, car park nearby, adjacent to town centre.
UK Trail opinions: Convenient and pleasant. Dorm, also singles/twins with TVs, all can share self-catering.
Reviewers' comments: Very helpful staff, pleasant atmosphere due to courtyard layout, very cosy. Not for partying, good privacy therefore not very social..
Address: 1 The Courtyard, Church St
Email: patmosphere + AT + yahoo.co.uk
Facilities: Owner-run. Common room w stove & TV, dining room, equipped kitchen. Verandah & garden. Cycle storage. In centre of Town yet secluded..
UK Trail opinions: (not yet seen).
Reviewers' comments: One says: A wonderful friendly hostel, homely & unique. Most really like it and praise the staff..
Go south from Berwick 20km and you will find the small town of Wooler, where there is a pleasant hostel:
Address: 30 Cheviot St
Tel: 0845-371-9668
Email: wooler + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Run by local charity. Large well-equipped kitchen, very large common/dining room, no TV, drying room. Meals available..
UK Trail opinions: Very pleasant hostel, friendly chatty manager. Small town, good base for north Northumberland; long-distance walks pass through town. Book on YHA website.
South Northumberland
Rothbury is a very pleasant small town in the centre of Northumberland which would form a very good base for exploring all parts of the county. It has a new bunkhouse:
Address: Bridge Street
Tel: 01669-621979
Email: jackie + AT + tomlinsonsrothbury.co.uk
Facilities: Dorms and private rooms; £16(2010). Lounge with partial kitchen & lg TV. Meals available. Book on their website..
The Pennine Way
The Pennine Way, Britain's most famous long-distance footpath, runs through Northumberland. You don't have to walk the whole Way to enjoy the rugged countryside and spacious views -- just stay in one of the hostels on the route for a couple of nights. There are several small self-catering hostels along the Pennine Way.
At the extreme northern end of the Way, just over the border in Scotland, is Kirk Yetholm hostel.
Also on the N side of the Cheviots is a bunkhouse:
Address: College Valley
Tel: 01668-216358
Email: paulineatthetop + AT + hotmail.com
Facilities: Kitchen, lounge w log fire, videos, no TV. Walks on Cheviot Hills from hostel door, 16km from shops and pubs.
UK Trail opinions: Book by phone.
Moving south you come to the village of Bellingham (pronounced BELLIN- jum)(hourly buses from Hexham) which is pleasant and well-placed for walkers, cyclists and car tourers. It has a pleasant 1 to 2 hour local walk along a wooded valley with waterfalls. It has no takeaway food shops. It has a high-quality bunkhouse on a working farm:
Tel: 01434-220258
Email: stay + AT + demesnefarmcampsite.co.uk
Facilities: Owner-run, £15 (2009). 16 beds. Large common/dining room with equipped kitchen, no TV, cycle store, dryer, camping.
UK Trail opinions: Simple but pleasant and well-equipped bunkhouse in centre of village. Book on YHA website.
Beside the Pennine Way in delectable countryside, 3 km from nearest main road (hourly buses from Bellingham and Hexham) along narrow road and rough track with 4 gates, with lots of local walks in the adjacent wide open countryside, is a beautifully-located small bunkhouse:
Tel: 01434-230330
Email: joandali + AT + btinternet.com
Facilities: Owner-run, 8 beds, £13 (£10 with own sleeping bag) (2006); Well-equipped kitchen, small cosy lounge with wood fire, radio & CD; drying facilities, provisions, camping, sometimes meals.
UK Trail opinions: A small cosy retreat on Pennine Way, away from roads, very friendly owners, fabulous views of wide open countryside, usually space for individuals.
Kielder
If you are driving to Scotland, a very attractive route is by Europe's largest artificial lake, Kielder Water. There are lots of outdoor activiites here as well as cycling and walking. You can get here by bus (about 1 per day) from Bellingham, but no long-distance buses come this way. Halfway along the lake is a resort centre with fine views which includes a bunkhouse:
Address: Leaplish Waterside Park, Kielder Water
Tel: 01434-251000
Facilities: 24 beds, £16 (2006); equipped kitchen/dining room w fine views, 8-bed dorms, double & family rooms.
UK Trail opinions: Quite expensive but well-fitted and beautiful location.
At the head of the lake is Kielder village with a well-appointed YHA hostel:
Address: Butteryhaugh
Tel: 0870-770-5898
Email: kielder + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Newly-converted school, high quality; well-equipped kitchen, good sociable dining area, lg lounge w TV, internet, children's games; small dorms, meals.
UK Trail opinions: Reported to do superb meals.
The main inland route to Scotland also passes a small hostel at Byrness, on the Pennine Way in a forest area near the Border:
Tel: 01830-520425
Email: byrness + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: 20 beds. On A68 main road to Scotland, and on Pennine Way. Equipped kitchen, dining room and quiet room w log stoves, meals and alcoholic drinks available.
UK Trail opinions: Good location for an overnight stop when travelling between Scotland and England.
Reviewers' comments: Staff very welcoming, warm and cosy, good atmosphere.
Hadrian's Wall
This is one of the star attractions of Northumberland. The interesting
bits of the wall are well scattered, so plan your tour carefully. A
good base is Hexham, which you can get to by train from Carlisle and
Newcastle (hourly including Sundays), with a hostel 2 miles away at
Acomb. If you want to visit the Wall by public transport, there's a
leaflet (from any local hostel or phone 01434-322002). The total bus
network is good, but some run only in summer. There's a 3-day bus
rover ticket for £8. If you want to visit the Wall within a day, take
a tour from Newcastle or Carlisle.
You can walk the length of the Wall or just visit parts of it. There are several available hostels, most of them on the bus route. Here they are from west to east.
Address: Birdoswald Roman Fort, Gilsland
Tel: 0870-770-6124
Email: birdoswald + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Within Roman fort. £14 (2005), self-catering. Kitchen, lounge/dining, laundry, grounds.
Address: Military Road, Bardon Mill
Tel: 0870-770-5980
Email: oncebrewed + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Large lounge with internet, no TV, small well-equipped kitchen with good eating area, meals in large dining room, games room w pool, patio, no views, laundry, cycle store.
UK Trail opinions: In lovely country, pity you can't see it from hostel. Potentially sociable but has an impersonal feel. Kitchen well-equipped but small. Close to visitor centre & pub.
Address: Military Rd, Grindon
Tel: 01434-688668
Email: les.gibson + AT + tiscali.co.uk
Facilities: 12 beds, TV lounge, meals, bar, close to Hadrian's Wall.
The following hostel is 3 km from the Wall so a fair walk, but ideal if you want a base in this area far from roads amid unspoilt countryside.
Address: Bardon Mill
Tel: 01434-344030
Email: val + AT + gibbshillfarm.co.uk
Facilities: On a working farm. Equipped kitchen/dining, lounge w TV, drying room, laundry, cycle store. Meals in farmhouse.
UK Trail opinions: A new bunkhouse, well-equipped, with adjacent b&b and holiday cottages. Very remote in the midst of lovely countryside.
Northumberland Coastline
Northumberland has a lovely coastline with unspoilt beaches, better for brisk walks than sunbathing or swimming. Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands are a popular destination, and there is an impressive castle at Bamburgh. Near this section of coast you have a choice of 3 bunkhouses:Near Beadnell is a bunkhouse almost on the beach, easily reached by 5 buses a day from Newcastle, 3 from Berwick:
Address: Annstead Farm
Tel: 01665-720387
Email: stay + AT + annstead.co.uk
Facilities: Low cost; sleeping bag needed (bedding available); equipped kitchen/dining room with TV; 3-tier beds.
A few miles inland, good for car travellers, 2 trains/day or transport from Alnwick:
Address: Preston, Chathill
Tel: 01665-589245
Email: bunkhouse.wal + AT + btinternet.com
Facilities: Low cost; large kitchen/dining/lounge w TV, 3-tier beds, sheets extra.
In the village of Belford, the Outdoor Trust bunkhouse appears to have closed.
The North Pennines
This area is the nearest thing to wilderness that England can manage
-- miles of remote rather austere moorland with little habitation. The
Pennine Way passes through, and there's lots of scope for long-
distance hikes with not too much up-and-down, sweeping views, and you
will meet few people. The terrain is highly exposed and weather
conditions can be harsh, though the hostels are comfortably protected
in little valleys. Bus access is pretty poor. A fine cross-country
cycle route also passes through the area.
Alston is a fascinating small town, the highest and remotest in England. Nenthead 10 km away has a mining heritage centre. Both these places have 2 buses a day from Carlisle and 1 from Haltwhistle (no buses Sundays).
Alston's YHA hostel has closed. There may be another hostel called Compasst, while
Nenthead has two simple bunkhouses, one in the mining centre and one attached to the pub.
Tel: 01434-381427
Email: minersarms + AT + cybermoor.org.uk
Facilities: £11 incl bedding, breakfast £4. Good dorms with 3-tier bunks, no common room or kitchen, pub next door (2 rooms, 1 with TV), meals, cycle store.
UK Trail opinions: Simple but cosy, but no common room or kitchen. Pub next door (smoking), smoke-free restaurant with meals.
Address: Mines Heritage Centre
Tel: 01434 382037
Email: info + AT + npht.com
Facilities: Low cost, good beds with curtains. Good kitchen but equipment limited, small common area, patio tables.
UK Trail opinions: Good bed for night when walking, in quiet country setting, comfy but limited facilities.
Ninebanks hostel is a quiet retreat in a moorland valley, with no nearby pub and no adequate bus service, but with excellent secluded walking.
Address: Mohope, Ninebanks
Tel: 0870-770-5974
Email: ninebanks + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Small, low-cost, self-catering. Kitchen, common room, drying room, laundry, shop, cycle store.
There are 4 buses a day (not Sundays) from Durham via Consett to Edmundbyers.
Address: Low House
Tel: 0870-770-5810
Email: edmundbyers + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Small, self-catering. Kitchen, lounge, dining room, drying room, cycle store, shop.
The Vale of Eden
In marked contrast to the moorland, this is a comfortable verdant vale
with a soft climate, woods and pastureland, and some lovely villages
built of warm red sandstone. This is ideal cycling country, and if you
drive be sure to take your time. The scenic Settle-Carlisle railway (5
trains per day incl Sundays) gives the best access, with stations
within walking distance of the following 3 hostels.
Penrith
is on the main rail line from London to Glasgow with frequent trains,
and also has 2 express buses a day. There are 4 buses a day from
Penrith to Kirkby Stephen.
Dufton is a tiny village from which there is a fine day's walk across the Pennines to Teesdale.
Tel: 01768-351236
Kirkby Stephen is a delightful little town with many interesting corners. It has a hostel (the former Methodist Chapel at the top of the main street) which is very sociable, although the guests are mostly serious walkers busy planning their next day's route along the Pennine Way or Coast-to-Coast. There are several buses a day in several directions. This is also a base for walks on the Howgill Fells 6 km away, with moderate but rewarding hikes along valleys and ridges empty of people.
Address: Market Street
Tel: 0870-770-5904
Email: kirkbystephen + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: Giant common/dining room using pews as seats, lounge corner, lounge on balcony, no TV, moderate well-equipped kitchen, small well laid-out dorms, free parking nearby.
UK Trail opinions: Very pleasant hostel, potentially very sociable, patronised mainly by hikers & cyclists..
