Step back in time at the Beamish Open Air Museum, where dozens of original buildings from different time periods have been re-constructed to create a historical town.

Drive inland for approximately one hour to the Beamish Museum, a collection of historical buildings that have been re-assembled in the countryside to create an open-air museum. Beamish reflects two significant points in history: when the region was rural in the 1820s, and when it was thriving at the peak of the Industrial Revolution in the early 1900s.

Upon arriving, you will board a double-decker tram and travel down the main street taking in the fascinating sights. All of the buildings in Beamish are original, brought in from elsewhere, and then re-constructed brick by brick. To add even more atmosphere and authenticity, the townspeople wear period costumes and are employed in different professions of the time.

Spread over 300 acres, an Edwardian town and colliery have been re-created with farms, railways, tramways, a co-op shop, a pub, a printers and a chapel. It is a living museum of the years around 1913 showing the impact of industry on people’s lives and is one of the North East’s most popular and fascinating attractions.

During your free time here, you might visit the stables, the Motor & Cycle Works, and the Sweet Shop, where various confections are still made according to the original recipes. There is a bank with its safes wisely located in the cellar, and a dentist’s office, where you can browse the rather gruesome surgical equipment used to extract teeth. The railway station is another point of interest because it looks just like it did in Edwardian times, right down to the authentic signal box.

View Newcastle’s considerable architectural highlights on a driving tour through the most historical sections of town, which date back to the Roman period.

After departing from the pier, you will soon begin an enlightening tour of Newcastle upon Tyne, commonly known as Newcastle. The town gained prominence in the 12th century when it was built up to defend England from Scottish invasion. Over the years, Newcastle became synonymous with the coal industry, a reputation it has now shrugged off.

Today, Newcastle is a thriving, elegant city with a stylish waterfront on the River Tyne, plenty of fine restaurants and art galleries, and countless architectural attractions. Among the highlights is Grainger Town, a beautiful Victorian district that architect Richard Grainger helped design between 1835-1842. Considered the heart of the city, Grainger Town contains nearly 650 buildings, 40% of which are of special architectural or historical interest.

While driving along popular Grey Street, you will see Grey’s Monument, which was erected to honor Prime Minister Earl Grey for passing the Great Reform Act of 1832. A famed tea also bears Earl Grey’s name, as it was first blended to offset the lime taste of the well water at his family estate.

In time, you will pass by St. Nicholas Cathedral, whose spire has dominated Newcastle’s skyline for more than 500 years. During a siege in 1644, the Scottish army threatened to destroy the building, so Newcastle’s mayor had Scottish prisoners of war put in the tower, effectively saving the building.

Next, it’s a visit to Washington Old Hall, found in the center of Washington Village. Home of George Washington’s ancestors, Washington Old Hall is a stunning manor house with an array of interesting displays that incorporate information about America and her links to British social history. As a relatively small property, Washington Old Hall creates an intimate experience that allows visitors to learn more about the first President of the United States in a relaxed, unique environment. Explore the beautifully maintained Jacobean gardens, including the delightful wild flower meadow, and take time to enjoy watching the bees at the Hall’s very own bee hive.

Following some free time, you’ll rejoin your coach and travel back to the pier.

Wander about at your own pace through the sections of Newcastle you find most appealing, starting in the historical city center, an area so vibrant you may not want to go elsewhere.

Today, Newcastle is a thriving, elegant city with a stylish waterfront, plenty of fine restaurants and art galleries, and countless architectural attractions. Upon arriving in the historical city center, you will have approximately three hours to explore on your own.

Tour Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, a 12th-century fortress so iconic that it has been a location in two Harry Potter films and “Ivanhoe.”

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a leisurely one hour drive north toward the border between England and Scotland, where you will find the imposing Alnwick Castle. It may look familiar, especially to Harry Potter fans, as Alnwick (pronounced “Annick”) was used as the set for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first two Harry Potter films.

The castle has undergone numerous changes since the 12th-century, including the addition of a moat, numerous towers, and a luxury 18th-century Gothic residence. Perhaps most amazing, Alnwick has been home to the Percy family for more than 700 years, including Henry Percy, the famous knight better known as Hotspur.

There is much to see as you tour the castle’s interior. The lavish staterooms are filled with period furniture such as a pair of Cucci cabinets originally made for Louis XIV. The library holds nearly 14,000 books, some of which a Percy ancestor read while imprisoned in the Tower of London. The walls of the Grand Staircase are made of Carrara marble, and each 12-foot-long step is made from a single stone. Alnwick is also home to some wonderful paintings by Claude, Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian.

The architectural highlights and stories of the castle’s history go on and on. The grounds are equally breathtaking, as you will discover strolling its gardens and parkland.

Following your visit, you will transfer back to the pier.

OVERVIEW

Feast your eyes on glorious landmarks as you visit Durham and tour its iconic 11th-century cathedral, arguably England’s finest example of Norman architecture. Lying about an hour south of Newcastle, across a green rolling landscape, Durham seems to have lost all track of modern time. Even with a gaggle of university students in town to help keep things lively, little has changed over the centuries along Durham’s winding, cobbled streets and the leafy banks of the River Wear that loops through town. One architectural gem above all stands out here: Durham Cathedral, built in 1093 to house the relics of St. Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede. You’ll tour this dramatic UNESCO-listed structure, laden with superb design details including its carved nave pillars, bishop’s throne, and stone rib vaulting – the first in any European cathedral. Even the later stained-glass windows are fantastic.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for a drive through pastoral North East England to visit a medieval throwback.
• Tour UNESCO-listed Durham Cathedral, revered both for its relics of saints and its quintessential Norman design.
• Admire the dramatic volume and impressive design details of this venerable 11th-century landmark.
• Take some free time to wander Durham’s picturesque cobbled lanes and riverbanks at your leisure.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear layered, weather-appropriate clothing; include a jacket or umbrella in case of rain. Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy an inspired driving tour through Durham Dales, a rural wonderland only interrupted by the occasional village such as Blanchland, where you will enjoy free time.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a leisurely drive inland to Durham Dales, a landscape of wild moorlands, rugged mountains and serene river valleys in the western part of County Durham. While there are a number of market towns within the county, they are sparsely populated and spread out.

As you drive the meandering roads through a patchwork of fertile fields, you may see grazing cattle and sheep and farms that look much like they did centuries ago. In verdant Derwent Valley, you will pass a huge reservoir that attracts ardent sailors, fishermen and birdwatchers.

In time, you will stop in Blanchland, an immensely scenic village of beautiful stone buildings that takes its name from the white habits of the monks who settled here in the 12th century. The setting is so idyllic and unspoiled that period films are frequently shot here.

As you will discover during free time, the people are welcoming and the village captivating. Most everything is constructed with stone, which lends Blanchland a wonderful uniformity and irrepressible medieval atmosphere.

See the best-preserved section of the wall that the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered to be built in the second century and then visit one of the ancient forts along the wall.

After departing from the pier, you will soon find yourself in the rolling hills west of Newcastle, an area that once formed the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain. In 122 A.D., the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered a wall to be built here as a defense against attacks from barbarians to the north. Much of the wall is still standing and other parts of it are scattered along the course of Military Road, which you will follow from Newcastle.

Upon arriving in Heddon on the Wall, you will pause for photos of the longest and best-preserved stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. The wall was built to a thickness of nearly10 feet, which was soon reduced to 8 feet, presumably to speed up construction. It’s a fascinating sight, especially considering that the wall was 73 miles long and 15 feet high with a tower every third of a mile.

Forts were also constructed along the wall, and you will tour one of the finest remaining examples: Chesters Fort. To understand what life would have been like at the time, you might wander around the excavated officers’ quarters, baths and steam room with underground heating.

Later, on the return to the pier, you will stop briefly at Homesteads, where you will see Chesters Fort from a different perspective as it sits perched high on the now-distant ridge.