Newcastle Upon Tyne

Its famous river, brown ale, bridges and art galleries make this city perfect for a winter mini-break.

- Jenny Stallard

1 BRIDGES AND THE TYNE

The famous phrase about bringing coals to Newcastle (which means you are giving something unnecessarily) is, of course, about the city’s heritage as a mining town, sitting on the banks of the river that brought the boats and their cargo. Nowadays, the historic quayside area is ideal for whiling away a day walking and exploring. And, yes, Newcastle has some famous bridges. Crossing the Swing Bridge to Gateshead, you have views of the iconic steel arch of the Tyne Bridge – home to a colony of kittiwakes with which the locals have a love-hate relationship. Then there’s the stylish Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which is nicknamed the ‘blinking eye’ because of the way it tilts to let ships pass.

2 A FORTRESS IN THE CENTRE