While in Jarrow, don't miss the Anglo Saxon church of
St Paul in Jarrow itself. Nearby
St Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth also has a Saxon tower. The best preserved Saxon church is
St John's Church in Escombe which really does merit a visit.
I'm assuming Durham is on the list with its wonderful
cathedral and castle. If you visit, don't miss the delightful
Crook Hall Gardens. There are walks along the river banks.
Have you thought about
Kynren which is advertised as 2000 years of English History which is a nightly performance at Auckland Castle. I've going to see it in early September after a friend raved about his
trip last year. The
castle itself is in the process of being rennovated and they are doing free tours at the moment.
There is
Raby Castle, stronghold of the powerful Neville family. There is also Alnwick Castle, home of the Dukes of Northumberland with its award winning Gardens designed by the Duchess. Barter Books in the old Alnwick Station is the largest second hand bookshop in the area.
There are the ruined castles of
Warkworth and
Dunstanburgh (reached by a walk along the beach from craster of kipper fame).
Bamburgh Castle is the iconic image of Northumberland in all the tourist literature. Cragside was the home of Tyneside Industrialist Lord Armstrong. Wallington Hall was a much loved family home. Then there is the decidedly quirly
Chillingham Castle. This was a roofless ruin in the 1960s and is being restored by distant relatives of the original family. If you are expecting the usual stately home filled with beautiful furniture then you will be very disappointed. Imagine your garage and loft full of clutter and multiply by the number of rooms in the castle and you begin to get an impression of what it is like. It is a repository for family belongings and memorabilia collected over the years. There is everything from Tibetan prayer horns to antlers. Throw in old shoes, spinning wheel, armour, chinese temple lions, stuffed birds plus other objects too many to mention and you begin to get an idea. It is definitely different and you need a sense of humour to appreciate it all. The room stewards are excellent and have a wealth of stories about the castle.
I've written four travel notes covering
Northumberland which you might find helpful.