Motorhome hire holidays: Fall in love with the people and places of England’s North-East

Posted on: 24/05/2024

The north-east is one of the most impressive areas of the UK, packed with places for motorhome hirers to explore and plenty of things to see and do. From the cosmopolitan city of Newcastle to the prehistoric coastline at Marsden Bay, and from the historically significant Hadrian’s Wall to the social history in evidence at living museum Beamish, the areas of Northumberland and Tyne & Wear offer seriously rich pickings for anyone on a motorhome hire holiday. It’s the ultimate staycation destination - an area that is easy to access from anywhere in the UK. Simply hire your motorhome from Leisure World, point it in the direction of the Angel Of The North and away you go.

1. Newcastle-upon-Tyne

When you’re looking for some top quality culture amidst exciting city life, Newcastle has it all. It’s a vibrant and modern metropolis as famed for its warm welcome as it is for its passionate football club and artistic heritage. Above all, and entirely without arrogance, Newcastle has an unassuming but quietly assured sense of its own greatness: “southerners don’t know what they’re missing”.

The Glasshouse in Gateshead (formerly known as the Sage) is one of the best live music venues in the country, and you’re sure to find something to entertain you from rock concerts to opera and classical recitals if you fancy a night out during your break. Just along the river running through the middle of the city is the Baltic, a free-entry centre for contemporary art offering an abundance of impressive works, plus a couple of viewing platforms from which you’ll get a stunning view of Newcastle and Gateshead, including the famous bridges.

The city centre has many great restaurants and bars, so if you’re looking for some social buzz as part of your motorhome hire holiday, this really could be the place. It’s also a great city for walking in famous people’s footsteps - Newcastle was the birthplace of footballers Gazza, Alan Shearer, and Chris Waddle, plus rock titans Sting, Mark Knopfler Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys and Cheryl from Girls Aloud, and actors Kevin Whateley, Jimmy Nail and Anne Reid - as well as popular light entertainers Ant & Dec.

2. Marsden Bay

Approximately 40 minutes away from the centre of Newcastle is tranquil Marsden Bay in South Shields, offering peaceful contrast to the hustle and bustle of city life. With dramatic cliffs, bays and caves and an amazing natural rock sea stack (the Marsden Rock), this is a great spot to take in some natural wonder during your motorhome hire holiday. You can also take in a pint at the Marsden Grotto pub, said to be the only cave pub in Europe, hewn out of the rocks in the era that smugglers roamed these shores. The Leas, just to the north of Marsden Bay, is owned by the National Trust and is an important seabird sanctuary. A short walk down the coast is Souter Lighthouse, the first in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity.

3. Hadrian’s Wall

One of the most significant structures ever to have been built in the British Isles, Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for almost three centuries. It was originally built by the Roman army on the orders of emperor Hadrian in AD 122 and, at 73 miles long, stretched right across northern Britain. In Northumberland there are important ‘wall spots’ you can visit during your motorhome hire holiday, where you will get an invigorating sense of ancient history.

Vindolanda is a former castrum (Roman fort) which is thought to pre-date the wall by around thirty years. Now, it is a visitor centre which includes excavated Roman ruins, plus a museum which conserves and displays finds from the site. There are impressive grounds at Vindolanda which include a full-sized reconstruction of a Roman temple, a Roman shop, a Roman house and a Northumbrian croft. The nearby Roman Army Museum offers displays of genuine Roman artifacts, including weapons and tools, which have been found in the area. Hadrian’s Wall offers visitors a fascinating and sometimes spectacular glimpse into the past.

4. Beamish

Quite possibly one of the best museums in the country, for fifty years Beamish has been offering visitors an interactive glimpse into the industrial and social lives of our recent ancestors. At 300 acres there’s plenty of bygone Beamish to roam around, exploring and experiencing vivid recreations of life in the North-East during the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s. Staff in contemporary costume interact with visitors, there are old buildings and many interactive exhibits to explore. You can ride on a tram, visit a schoolhouse and learn about the mining industry which was a strong facet of working class life in the area in times gone by. Beamish is a wonderful place to visit when you are looking for some living culture on your motorhome hire holiday. Take in the North-East in a motorhome hired from Leisure World. Enjoy all of the benefits of owning a motorhome but without any of the responsibility! With various Burstner models available to hire, this is the smartest way to travel.