There's so much to see and do in Northumberland!

Which ever direction you choose North, South, East or West The Waiting Room location is ideally placed.  To the North is Hadrian's Wall, the Scottish Borders, the beautiful Northumberland coastline castles and beaches, not forgetting the town of Alnwick , the home of the Duke of Northumberland and Harry Potter.  To the South is Durham City with the magnificent Cathedral and Castle and the Durham Dales.  To the East is the city of Newcastle , the famous Quayside with the five bridges, galleries, nightlife, architecture, shops, restaurants and much much more. To the West is the world famous Cumbrian Lake District, long renowned for walking, climbing, and sailing, and now more recently a favourite destination for foodies trying out its many award-winning restaurants.   
Nearby is the market town of Hexham with the ancient Abbey, historic Gaol, art-deco Cinema, theatre, leisure centre, shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes.   Three miles to the East is the Roman town of Corbridge full of independent shops, tea rooms, and other gorgeous places.      
On the door step are the villages of Whitfield, Allendale and Haydon Bridge each with shops, places to eat and drink - and even a museum of Classic Science fiction if the weather really takes a turn for the worse!
Coast and Castles
Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England. A legacy of its turbulent past, including the infamous Border wars which raged from the 14th to 16th centuries, Northumberland boasts over 70 castle sites.  Many have long since disappeared, some, like Dunstanburgh Castle and Berwick Castle, are romantic ruins. See others in their fully restored glory - like Bamburgh Castle, as seen on Robson Green's Tales from Northumberland. 
Just down the road from Staward Station is the spectacular 14th century Langley Castle now an exclusive 4 star hotel with an award winning restaurant that could be worth a night out if you want to treat yourself to dining in a medieval setting.
And just as spectacular as it's castle's are Northumblerland's vast and unspoiled beaches
Unspoiled wilderness on the doorstep
The Waiting Room is located in one of England’s most special places – a stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, welcoming communities, intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past, distinctive birds, animals and plants and much, much more. In recognition of its special qualities the area has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the largest AONB in England). The North Pennines is also a UNESCO Global Geopark – highlighting its globally important Earth heritage.

Birds and Wildlife watching – in Northumberland and particularly in the North Pennines AONB as we have some of the rarest birds and wildlife in England we are confident to say often rare to most people is common place to us.  Bird and wildlife watching is very accessible across all parts of our countryside, but what really brings everything to life is when you have an expert guide to explain exactly what you are seeing and why the particular bird or animal  is doing what they do.  Northern Experience Wildlife Tours led by the very experienced Martin Kitching offer a range of guided half and full day watching and photography experiences.  
A rich and fascinating heritage
​From the nearby world heritage site of Hadrian's Wall to remains of the areas more recent lead-mining heritage, there's so much to see and do.  If Romans and our history are of interest Wilddog Outdoors are based in nearby Haydon Bridge and offer guided walks from Cawfields  on Hadrian’s Wall,  Survival days and Bushcraft experience days – all in traditional Roman Costume.  All sessions are very interesting, fun and informative events for all the family.
A star-gazers paradise
There are many reasons to stay at The Waiting Room but if Dark Skies are your thing we are not a place to miss!
  • We have some of England’s darkest skies and North Pennines AONB have more Dark Skies Discovery sites than anywhere else in the UK.
  • Northumberland International Dark Sky Park is Europe’s biggest area of protected night sky which means future generations will be able to cherish and enjoy the spectacular views. Covering over 580 square miles of breathtaking scenery in Northumberland, including Kielder we are the darkest part of England
  • Northumberland is gold star quality.  The International Dark Sky Association has given Northumberland Dark Sky Park its highest possible rating for its “starry” skies
  • You can see the Milky Way in all its glory, along with distant galaxies and sparkling star clusters and a night out at the local North Pennines Observatory or a trip to the world-class observatory at Kielder will allow you the opportunity to observe night sky features that just aren't visible in our light-polluted  urban night skies.​
  • Autumn and winter are the best times to view our dark skies with Star inspired events running from mid September to mid April.  Contact us to book your stay
If all of that is not enough below are some useful website address showing lots more things to do and see....enjoy browsing 
Allen Valleys www.allenvalleys.com 
Events & Attractions www.visitnorthumberland.com
North Pennines www.northpennines.org.uk 
Events along Hadrian’s Wall www.hadrians-wall.org 
Hadrian’s Wall www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall 
English Heritage www.english-heritage.org.uk 
Allen Banks National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk 
Vindolanda Archaeological Site www.vindolanda.com 
National Park Events www.nnpa.org.uk
Any questions please - just ask!
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