Winter walking trails in and around NewcastleGateshead

There is no better way to escape the everyday on a crisp winter’s day than putting on your walking boots and heading out for a refreshing stroll. In NewcastleGateshead we are spoilt for choice with urban, rural and coastal walking routes all just a hop, skip and a jump away. Head out with your household or meet with friends outdoors in a covid-safe way… and don’t forget to pick up a hot cuppa to keep your hands warm!

Winter walking trails in and around NewcastleGateshead...

Little and big kids alike will love discovering the 20 life-sized Snowmen and Snowdog sculptures, inspired by Raymond Briggs’ much-loved tale, which are spread across North Tyneside until the end of January 2021. Download the interactive app which accompanies the trail (99p iPhone and Android) and meet the very special guests to the region across Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. Can you manage to tick off all 20?

Enjoy a circular Quayside walk starting from the tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which takes in some of the city’s most stunning views from both the Newcastle and Gateshead sides of the River Tyne. Along the Newcastle Quayside there’s plenty of places to pick up a takeout coffee for the road, then follow the path alongside the river under the famous Tyne Bridge. For a short 30 minute walk, circle back across the Swing Bridge. Or continue on as far as the Redheugh Bridge, crossing and returning along the Gateshead side of the Tyne (around 6km in total). 

Gateshead’s Gibside and Northumberland’s Wallington and Cragside are all playing host to Peter Rabbit themed trails this December and January. Fun for all the family, you can pick up an activity pack upon entry for just £2 (please make sure you book your timeslot entry in advance). On the routes you’ll discover more about winter and wildlife with a little help from Beatrix Potter’s characters such as Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddleduck, solving clues and earning a special certificate and trail badge.

Newcastle is a city packed with beautiful green spaces, and perhaps none more well-loved than Jesmond Dene. A gift to the city from famous industrialist, Lord Armstrong, who created the Dene as his private garden, Jesmond Dene’s landscaped parkland runs along a valley packed with beautiful trails, bridges, historical buildings and even a waterfall along the way. You could follow this new 1hr circular trail, or for the little ones there's a shorter robin trail where robins have been hidden around the paths as symbols of hope and luck.

Look out for the magnificent birds of prey, Red Kites, on a circular walking route through the scenic lower Derwent Valley in Gateshead and County Durham – with a wingspan of just under 2m, they are easy to spot in flight! Marked in both directions by Red Kite Trail waymarkers with arrows showing the recommended direction, the trail is 18km in total and can be walked in two stages across two days, or in one longer walk. Red Kites were reintroduced to North East England, after a 170-year absence, and uniquely this project to introduce 94 young birds to the valley between 2004 and 2006 was the first in an urban fringe area.

One of six Northern Saints trails long distance walking routes, The Angel’s Way takes in a 30-mile route from Seaton Sluice to Chester le Street. It’s based on existing ancient pilgrimage routes and takes Tyneside in all its multi-faceted allure, from a sandy seaside village to the site that once housed St Cuthbert’s remains through a titanic legacy of medieval magic, Industrial Age endeavour and sheer contemporary class. The trail spends most of its time in NewcastleGateshead with one iconic sight along the way being the Angel of the North. Pick a shorter section of the trail that interests you most and get walking!

For more inspiration for things to see and do in NewcastleGateshead, visit our blog.