Top Newcastle-upon-Tyne Attractions & Museums

Housesteads is Britain’s most complete Roman fort, standing on the dramatic Whin Sill escarpment, flanked by stretches of Hadrian’s Wall. Discover the stories of the fort and its people in an interactive exhibition. Find out how soldiers and their families lived on this wild northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Kids will love dressing up, handling replicas of Roman objects and exploring the exhibition and fort with the help of Felix the Roman soldier. The fort and museum are an uphill walk from the car park.

Set in the valley of the river Tyne, Chesters is the best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Around 500 cavalry troops – the elite of the Roman auxiliary forces – were based here. Today, imaginative interpretation, including a fun family trail, helps you explore the fort’s many clearly marked features. Children can hunt for the ‘rubbing stones’ concealed among the buildings, collecting tips to help them on the trail. Between the fort and the river, you’ll find the finest example of a military bath house anywhere in Britain. All this was rediscovered by John Clayton, a wealthy Victorian landowner whose mansion stands near the fort. His single-minded vision is celebrated in the fort’s Clayton Museum, which is an absolute must-see for all visitors to Chesters.