Newcastle upon Tyne

The city of Newcastle upon Tyne is located on the banks of the River Tyne, in the North East of England in the Tyne and Wear District. A centre for culture and the arts, the city is home to a number of galleries and museums. Amongst these is the Laing Art Gallery, featuring many exhibitions including 18th and 19th Century watercolours and oil paintings. The town also houses the Theatre Royal, which stages a number of prestigious productions throughout the year. There are three large museums within the city: The Great North Museum (Hancock), which features exhibitions relating to ancient life, including an ancient Egyptian mummy, as well as natural history with extensive taxidermy. The Discovery Museum and The Centre of Life are both centred around science and learning, and all museums are very popular in the area.

 

Newcastle is also known as a great shopping destination, with a number of shopping centres including a Fenwick’s department store and the newly opened Debenhams and Apple Store. Newcastle’s historic centre, Grainger Street and Market, is still in use in the city, and provides a histor Great North Museum, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT (0191) 222 6765

A new purpose-built £26m museum, the Great North Museum boasts a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall together with a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton.
A combination of four separate museums’ collections are now displayed under this one roof and like most national museums, entry is free.

Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG (0191) 232 7734
With a permanent collection that includes 18th and 19th Century works, together with the ‘Barbour Watercolour Gallery’ that celebrates the best of British watercolour works, Laing Art Gallery is an impressive exhibition of art and sculpture.
Regular temporary and touring exhibitions are held, including an annual exhibition from the National Gallery in London.

Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA (0191) 232 6789
A museum that celebrates life on Tyneside, the Discovery centre exhibits objects from the region’s shipbuilding heritage to local inventions that changed the world.

Dominating the entrance to the museum is ‘Turbinia’; the world’s first steam turbine-powered ship that was developed on Tyneside and was once the world’s fastest vessel.

Centre for Life, Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP (0191) 243 8210
Billed as the ‘biggest and best Science Centre in the North of England’, the Centre for Life brings science to life.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Life is a multi-activity venue showcasing permanent and temporary exhibitions, the biggest planetarium in the North of England, and The Life theatre and ice skating rink.

Stephenson Railway Museum, Middle Engine Lane, North Shields NE29 8DX (0191) 200 7146
Opened in 1986 to celebrate the lives and work of local steam railway engineers, George and Robert Stephenson; the Stephenson Railway Museum is housed in the northern terminus and maintenance workshop of the North Tyneside Railway.
Exhibits include a 1909 electric locomotive, as well as ‘Billy’; a forerunner of the world-famous ‘Stephenson Rocket’.

ical outlook on the city.