TYNE AND WEAR'S INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS - FULL DAY

THE WAY TO GO - BY CAR
The timed itinerary below is based on travelling times by car.

THE WAY TO GO - BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
A public transport alternative appears in italics.

Whilst the cities of NewcastleGateshead and Sunderland are linked by the Tyne and Wear Metro to reach the individual attractions in this itinerary you will need a combination of Metro, local buses and some walking. Please bear in mind that the following timings are based on car travel. If using public transport then the amount of time available for each visitor attraction will be influenced by bus/Metro timetables.

Please check www.nexus.org.uk for up to date information on journey times, or call Traveline on 0870 608 2 608.

Metro Hopper and Metro DaySaver tickets are available for unlimited Metro travel and Day Rover tickets for unlimited bus and Metro travel.

9.00am-11.00am NewcastleGateshead.
Explore on foot or use QuayLink buses to move easily between the city centre and Gateshead Quays.

11.00am dep NewcastleGateshead
Car Route: From NewcastleGateshead follow A1 or A167 south and brown tourist signs to Angel of the North.

Public transport route: Bus nos. 21, 21A and 21B from Pilgrim Street, Newcastle to Angel of the North. Alternative: Metro from Haymarket, Monument or Central Station to Gateshead (Bus/Metro Interchange). Then bus nos. 21, 21A and 21B to Angel of the North.

11.15am arrive Angel of the North - photo stop

11.30am dep Angel of the North
Car Route: A1 south-A1231-follow brown tourist signs and yellow AA signs to Washington Old Hall

Public transport route: nearest Metro station to Washington Old Hall is Heworth (4 miles/6 kms). Then bus nos. 194, 291/2 from Heworth Metro to Washington Old Hall.

11.50am arr Washington Old Hall

12.45pm dep Washington Old Hall
Car Route: A1231-Sunderland city centre
Public transport route: Bus nos 185/6, X85 to Sunderland
railway station/city centre.

1.00pm arr Sunderland

3.00pm dep Sunderland
Car Route: A183 north-Seaburn-Whitburn-Souter Lighthouse-Marsden Rock -A183-South Shields-Jarrow

Public transport route: Bus no. E1 (from Fawcett Street in Sunderland city centre) serves Seaburn, Whitburn and South Shields via Souter Lighthouse. Alternative: Return to Sunderland Metro. Travel to Pelaw Metro. Change for either Jarrow Metro (and take bus in direction of South Shields to a stop near Bede's World) OR travel to Bede Metro (then 20 minute walk to Bede's World).

3.45pm arr Bede's World and St Paul's Church, Jarrow

5.00pm dep Bede's World
Car Route: A185-A19 south-A194-A184 west-Gateshead

What you will find along the way...

Two fantastic cities, lots of international connections and a potential World Heritage site make this a terrific day out.

Begin the day by visiting one of NewcastleGateshead's world-class, award-winning museums, art galleries or iconic visitor attractions. Whatever your interests, there really is something for everyone.

Interested in how your body functions? The Centre for Life takes you to the beginning of life and back again and does it in a fun-filled, action packed way which is ideal for both adults and children. The world of science continues round the corner at Discovery Museum where the world's first boat to be powered by a steam turbine engine sets the scene for a fascinating exploration of 19th century Tyneside's importance in the world of technology. The museum's ground floor walk-through exhibition also provides an overview of Newcastle's history for those on a tight timescale.

If it's an art theme you are after then visit the Laing Art Gallery in Blue Carpet Square home to Newcastle's permanent art collection and admire the paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood group of artists and work by sculptor Henry Moore. Then continue the art world's international links at The Hatton Gallery, University of Newcastle where Kurt Schwitters' Merzbarn makes an intriguing exhibit.

But in NewcastleGateshead art is not simply about pieces in museums and art galleries. Street art is around every corner and art projects such as "Hidden Rivers" and "Art on the Riverside" provide fun and focus in an exciting urban environment. That artistry continues on a walk through Grainger Town where stunning early 19th century architecture comes together in the classically designed, honey coloured sandstone of Grey Street. Proof indeed that whatever you choose to do in NewcastleGateshead it's done against a backdrop of awesome architecture.

If seeing all that art makes you want to buy art there are plenty of places across NewcastleGateshead to indulge including the biggest single commercial art space in the country at The Biscuit Factory.

And to understand how NewcastleGateshead got where it is today then a little history wouldn't come amiss. Visit the Castle Keep which stands on the site of the very first Norman fortification, the "new castle" which gave the settlement its name. Climb the spiral stone steps to the roof for stunning views across the city and River Tyne. And if medieval is your thing then a stroll through Blackfriars in China Town is a stroll back in time. A green oasis in the heart of the city and perfect for some chill out time.

Time for shopping? Literally spoilt for choice. Unbeatable retail value is provided with Newcastle's Eldon Square and Gateshead's MetroCentre. All the high street names are here....and much more. Explore the smaller town centre side streets and there's a good chance you will also stumble upon one-off shops and boutiques specialising in fashion, music or interior design.

And don't forget the fantastic buildings down on Newcastle Quayside and Gateshead Quays which have brought fame across the world. The Sage Gateshead is an international home for music of all kinds with superb acoustics in its two main performance spaces. Just walk right in for an amazing architectural experience and great views across to Newcastle cityscape. Then it's a short stroll to catch the latest exhibition at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art or to shop in its specialist bookshop. And then pause for a few moments to simply stand in the middle of Gateshead Millennium Bridge and soak up the view of those famous seven bridges.

Let's face it. The rest of the day has to be good to match up to this beginning!

And it is. Head out to the Angel of the North to admire Anthony Gormley's world- famous landmark which has recently been chosen by Guardian newspaper readers as one of the top five pieces of art in the world to see before you die. A great place for photos before continuing to Washington Old Hall to explore more of Tyne and Wear's international connections.

Ever wondered where the USA's Stars and Stripes came from?Check out the coat of arms of the Washington family on display in this medieval house which was home to five generations of George Washington's direct ancestors. There's a lovely garden, too including a nuttery!

In 2006 Sunderland signed a Friendship Agreement with Washington DC and became the only European city to have an agreement with the capital of the United States of America. It is a rapidly changing city with a £2 billion regeneration programme underway, a terrific modern vibrancy and stacks of history. A visit to the National Glass Centre gets any visit to Sunderland off to a great start. But before you go inside, check out the view across the River Wear from the Centre's glass rooftop. Inside, there are walk-through exhibitions and an opportunity to watch a glass blowing demonstration before choosing that all important souvenir from the well-stocked shop.

And why is the National Glass Centre based in Sunderland? The answer lies with historic St Peter's Church just a two minute walk away and definitely worth a visit. In the 7th century this was the site of a monastery where the very first English stained glass was manufactured by glaziers from Gaul. And those first craftsmen kick started 1,300 years of continuous glass making on the banks of the River Wear.

Benedict Biscop was the man responsible for establishing St Peter's, Monkwearmouth in 674AD and eight years later he did the same at St Paul's Church, Jarrow. With 600 monks shared between them the twin monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow became a major centre of culture and learning with influence throughout Europe which is still felt today. And it was at St Peter's church that one of the most famous names of the Saxon period began his monastic life at the age of seven. The Venerable Bede became known as "the greatest scholar in Christendom" and you can follow in his footsteps here at St Peter's and at Bede's World, Jarrow. . (See "The River Tyne from Both Sides" itinerary for more information).

Wearmouth-Jarrow is to be the UK's nomination for World Heritage Site status in 2009 because of the important role it played in the emergence of European culture and identity. And for historic sites, it doesn't get much better than that type of recognition.

But Sunderland's history is more than its ecclesiastical history. Visit the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens in Mowbray Park where lively exhibitions give an overview of the city's past. The Winter Gardens is a modern take on the Victorian idea of providing a showcase environment for exotic plants and ferns from around the world. An absolute must-do is the treetop walk which encircles a water sculpture designed by internationally renowned artist William Pye.

There are plenty of other attractions in Sunderland including The Bridges Shopping Centre and Sunderland Empire, a great venue to see block-buster West End shows.

But this route continues north along the coast on the A183 towards Seaburn.

The artist L S Lowry (1887-1976) was a frequent visitor to Sunderland in the 1960's and used the hotel at Seaburn as his base. Famous for his bleak industrial landscapes and "matchstick men" figures, Lowry had a lifelong fascination with the sea and shipping and loved to watch large ships entering the River Wear and harbour (view his original artwork in the Lowry Gallery at the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens)

Just north of Seaburn is the conservation village of Whitburn which more than a century ago was regarded as Sunderland's "cocktail belt". Wealthy Victorian shipowners built houses well away from the grime of the shipyards which had given them their wealth. And in that same Victorian period it was to Whitburn that a young man came to visit relatives whilst on holiday in the area. A young man with a talent for writing and a vivid imagination who entertained his relatives with his poems and songs. A young man who is said to have been inspired whilst staying at Whitburn to write "Jabberwocky" and the "Walrus and the Carpenter". A young man whose real name was Charles Ludwidge Dodgson but who wrote under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll.

Souter Lighthouse is the next major landmark on the road north. Opened in 1870 this was the world's first reliable electrically powered lighthouse with a beam of light equivalent to the power of 800,000 candles. In its first eight years of operation the light only failed twice. And once was because the lighthouse keeper fell asleep!

Fine views open up north of Souter Lighthouse. It's worth pausing for a photograph at Marsden Rock a little further on. One hundred feet high and flat-topped this is a perfect place for seabird watching in the early summer.

The modern A183 then continues north to South Shields along a delightful 2.5 mile stretch of magnesian limestone cliffs and grassland known as The Leas which gives fantastic views towards the sea. Part of the modern road overlies the route of a railway constructed in the 1870s to transport lime from Marsden limekilns (still visible from the roadside). The old "Marsden Rattler" railway carriage which served the route can still be seen on the seafront at South Shields.

South Shields has a stretch of lovely coastline dedicated to family fun with plenty of entertainment on offer. Check out The Bents public park for a ride on the miniature railway (seasonal). Or for art with a difference look for a group of 22 bronze life-size figures adjacent to the beach near the Littlehaven hotel. This is "Conversation Piece" and was created by Spanish sculptor Juan Munoz as part of the Art on the Riverside project in the late 1990's.

South Shields has more to offer including Arbeia Roman fort, South Shields Museum and Art Gallery and Milldam (see "The River Tyne from Both Sides" itinerary for more information). But this journey continues direct to Bede's World and St Paul's church at Jarrow and something quite different.

Step back in time to the world of 1300 years ago when the local place name was "Gyrwe" - the place of the marsh dwellers. St Paul's monastery, twinned with St Peter's at Monkwearmouth, made up the monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow. It was here in the 7th century that one of the most famous names of Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical history lived: The Venerable Bede.

From the age of 7, Bede spent his entire life in the monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow. A visitor to St Paul's church today can still enjoy the atmosphere of the original 7th century chancel where Bede himself would have prayed, and admire the stone which dedicated the church in 685 AD, the oldest to survive in England.

The modern Bede's World visitor attraction has an airy entrance with a Mediterranean courtyard feature deliberately designed to capture the essence of Jarrow's 7th century European connections. Good exhibitions explain the life and times of a man who became known in his own lifetime throughout Europe as "the greatest scholar in Christendom". Bede wrote books not only on the saints and kings of 7th century Northumbria but also on music, poetry, mathematics, astronomy and the natural world he observed from the monastery grounds. The centre's reconstructed Saxon farm and buildings give a flavour of the landscape he would have known all those centuries ago.

Take a deep breath...... absorb the atmosphere of learning and culture which surrounds Bede's ancient church...........reflect on Tyne and Wear's international connections........and then return to the buzz and excitement of the 21st century in NewcastleGateshead.