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North East England

Cheap date ideas in Newcastle

Updated

Newcastle is full of dates that cost very little. Walk the Quayside, over the Millennium Bridge and under the Tyne Bridge, best at dusk when the bridges light up. BALTIC and the Laing are free, and the Lit & Phil, the largest independent library outside London, is free for anyone to look round. Jesmond Dene is a wooded valley with a waterfall a few minutes from town, and the Angel of the North is far bigger close up than from the road. For a few pounds, graze Grainger Market with a small budget each, catch a film at the Tyneside Cinema, open since 1937, or take the Metro to Tynemouth for a walk on Longsands beach.

Our picks

  1. The white arch of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge over the Tyne, with the Tyne Bridge and the Newcastle Quayside behind under a blue sky

    Quayside walk and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge

    Newcastle Quayside and Gateshead Quays

    Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DX
    • Outdoors
    • Free
    • Romantic

    Walk the river between Newcastle and Gateshead, crossing the tilting Millennium Bridge and passing under the Tyne Bridge, with the Quayside on one bank and BALTIC and the Glasshouse on the other.

    Why it's a good date: It's the view that makes the city, and it's lovely at dusk when the bridges light up. Make a loop of it over two bridges and stop for a drink on whichever bank you end on.

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    Photo: Alex Liivet from Chester, United Kingdom, CC0 (cropped and resized)

  2. The brick BALTIC flour mill on the Gateshead bank of the Tyne, beside the Millennium Bridge, with the river in front

    BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

    Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road

    Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA

    See what's on at the free contemporary art centre in a converted flour mill on the Gateshead bank, then take the lift up to the viewing box for a look along the river.

    Why it's a good date: The art changes, so you never quite know what you'll find, which gives you plenty to talk about. The view from the top is worth the trip on its own.

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    Photo: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

  4. The Lit & Phil's long library room, with bookcases on two levels, a red-railed gallery and round glass skylights in the ceiling

    The Lit & Phil

    Westgate Road, by Central Station

    23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SE

    Step into the largest independent library outside London, open since 1825, with galleried rooms, spiral stairs and glass skylights, free for anyone to look round.

    Why it's a good date: Quiet, beautiful and easy to miss, which makes it feel like your discovery. Browse the shelves for a while, then head out for lunch to compare finds. Keep your voices down.

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    Photo: Carroll Pierce, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  5. Inside the Tyneside Cinema, a cream art deco hallway with patterned pillars, an arched doorway and a staircase with a decorative rail

    Tyneside Cinema

    Pilgrim Street, city centre

    10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6QG

    Watch a film at the independent cinema that opened as a newsreel theatre in 1937, with its restored Classic screen and a café and bar inside.

    Why it's a good date: A night at the pictures with more character than a multiplex, showing new releases, independent films and classics. Have a drink in the bar beforehand.

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    Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

  6. Inside the Grainger Market, stalls and café tables beneath a red-painted iron and glass roof

    Grainger Market

    Grainger Street, Grainger Town

    Grainger Market, Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5QQ

    Graze round the Victorian covered market at the heart of Grainger Town, with butchers, bakers, street-food counters and the tiny original Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar.

    Why it's a good date: Go off in different directions with a small budget each, then meet back up with what you found. There's new seating in the middle now, so you can sit down to share.

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    Photo: Terry Phillips, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  7. A waterfall tumbling over rocks into the Ouseburn in Jesmond Dene, surrounded by mossy boulders and green trees

    Jesmond Dene

    Jesmond, north-east of the city centre

    Jesmond Dene, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2EY
    • Outdoors
    • Free

    Follow the river path through a wooded valley with a waterfall, an old mill and stone bridges, then call in at Pets' Corner.

    Why it's a good date: It feels miles from the city, though it's only a few minutes away. It's at its best in autumn colour, and a good walk to follow with a pub lunch in Jesmond.

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    Photo: PaulTurner, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  8. Tynemouth Priory's ruins on the headland at sunrise, above a sweep of beach and calm sea, with the pier stretching out behind

    Tynemouth by Metro

    Tynemouth, at the mouth of the Tyne

    Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Pier Road, Tynemouth NE30 4BZ
    • Trip
    • Outdoors
    • Out of town

    Ride the Metro to the coast for the clifftop priory and castle ruins, a walk on Longsands beach and a browse round the weekend market in the old station.

    Why it's a good date: Half an hour from town and you're at the seaside. Bring a coat, walk the beach, then fish and chips with a view of the sea.

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    Photo: PaulTurner, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  9. The rust-coloured Angel of the North on a grassy hill at the end of a footpath, wings outstretched under a cloudy sky

    Angel of the North

    Low Fell, Gateshead

    Angel of the North, Durham Road, Gateshead NE9 7UA
    • Outdoors
    • Free
    • Culture

    Stand at the feet of Antony Gormley's 20-metre steel angel, with wings 54 metres across, on a hilltop by the A1 in Gateshead.

    Why it's a good date: Far bigger close up than from the road, and a good excuse for a quick drive or bus out of town. Go at golden hour for the photo.

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    Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Quick answers

Is BALTIC free?

Yes. The contemporary art centre on the Gateshead bank is free, and the lift up to the viewing box gives you a look along the river.

Can we get to Tynemouth without a car?

Yes. The Metro takes about half an hour from the city to the coast, for the priory and castle ruins and Longsands beach.

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