The Tree House Restaurant Click to View Virtual Tour

The Gift Shop Click to View Virtual Tour

The Alnwick Garden
Adjacent to the castle, the present Duchess of Northumberland, Jane, has initiated the establishment of The Alnwick Garden, a formal garden set around a cascading fountain. It has a reported development cost for the whole of £42 million pounds (press release of 7 August 2003). The garden belongs to a charitable trust which is separate from the Northumberland Estates, but the Duke of Northumberland donated the 42-acre (17 ha) site and £9 million.
The first phase of development, opened in October 2001, involved the creation of the fountain and initial planting of the gardens. In 2004 a large 6,000 sq ft (560 m2) ‘tree house’ complex, including a cafe, was opened. It is deemed one of the largest tree houses in the world.

By that year it was the third most visited paid entry garden in the UK (after Kew Gardens and Wisley), with over half a million visitors. In February 2005, a poison garden, growing plants such as cannabis and opium poppy, was added. May 2006 saw the opening of a pavilion and visitor centre designed by Sir Michael Hopkins and Buro Happold which can hold up to 1,000 people. The pavilion and visitor’s centre feature a barrel-vaulted gridshell roof with foil cushions.

Alnwick Castle has two further parks. Immediately to the north of the castle is a relatively small park straddling the River Aln which was landscaped by Lancelot Brown (“Capability Brown”) and Thomas Call in the 18th century; it is known locally as The Pastures. Nearby is the much larger Hulne Park, which contains the remains of Hulne Priory.

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Millennium Bridge, Gateshead Click to View Virtual Tour

Information

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre and structural engineers Gifford. The bridge is often referred to as the ‘Winking Eye Bridge’ due to its elliptical shape and its rotational movement.

The bridge was lifted into place in one piece by the Asian Hercules II, one of the world’s largest floating cranes, on 20 November 2000. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2001, and was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 2002. The bridge, which cost £22m to build, was part funded by the Millennium Commission and European Regional Development Fund. It was built by Volker Stevin.
Already acclaimed worldwide for its physical and aesthetic beauty, it has fast become a significant tourist attraction in its own right. The bridge was the focus of a Spencer Tunick installation on 17 July 2005.

Six 45 cm diameter Hydraulic rams (three on each side, each powered by a 55 kW electric motor) rotate the bridge back on large bearings to allow small ships and boats (up to 25 m tall) to pass underneath. The bridge takes as little as 4.5 minutes to rotate through the full 40° from closed to open, depending on wind speed. Its appearance during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the “Blinking Eye Bridge”.

The bridge has operated reliably since construction, opening to allow river traffic to pass. It also opens periodically for sightseers and for major events such as the Northumbrian Water University Boat Race and the Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Race. Its reputation was untarnished until October 2004 when the failure of a £200 circuit board prevented the bridge from opening.

Gateshead Council, official website

Millennium Bridge, Wikipedia

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Sycamore Gap, Hadrians Wall Click to View Virtual Tour

History of Hadrian’s Wall

Hadrian’s Wall (Latin Vallum Aelium, Italian Vallo di Adriano) is a stone or turf and timber fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England. Begun in 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall in what is now Scotland. Hadrian’s Wall is the best known of the two because its physical remains are most evident today.

Opinions differ, but the growing consensus is that the Wall was built as a readily defended fortification which clearly defined the northern frontier of the Roman Empire in Britain (Britannia). It would also improve economic stability and provide peaceful conditions in the frontier zone.

The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall would have served as customs posts to allow trade and levy taxation.

A significant portion of the wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot by Hadrian’s Wall Path or by cycle on National Cycle Route 72. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England, where it is often known simply as the Roman Wall. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2005 it became part of the larger “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” World Heritage Site which also includes sites in Germany.

English Heritage, a government organization in charge of managing the historic environment of England, describes it as “the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain”.

Dimensions
Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles (73.5 statute miles or 117 kilometres) long, its width and height dependent on the construction materials which were available nearby. East of River Irthing the wall was made from squared stone and measured 3 metres (9.7 ft) wide and five to six metres (16–20 ft) high, while west of the river the wall was made from turf and measured 6 metres (20 ft) wide and 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) high. This does not include the wall’s ditches, berms, and forts. The central section measured eight Roman feet wide (7.8 ft or 2.4 m) on a 10-foot (3.0 m) base. Some parts of this section of the wall survive to a height of 10 feet (3.0 m).

The Route
Hadrian’s Wall extended west from Segedunum at Wallsend on the River Tyne to the shore of the Solway Firth. The A69 and B6318 roads follow the course of the wall as it starts in Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, then along the northern coast of Cumbria. The wall is entirely in England and south of the border with Scotland by 15 kilometres (9 mi) in the west and 110 kilometres (68 mi) in the east.

The above article is courtesy of Wikipedia: Read More

A new website – www.hadrians-wall.org – has a number of features including inspiring photography, new interactive maps, itinerary ideas and enhanced information on things to see and do.

More information is available on the Unesco website “Frontiers of the Roman Empire”: Read More

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The Stalls, The Theatre Royal Click to View Virtual Tour

The Circle, The Theatre Royal Click to View Virtual Tour

History of The Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger’s grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant of Venice.

Following a performance of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, a huge fire destroyed the interior of the building in 1899. It had its interior redesigned by Frank Matcham and reopened on 31 December 1901. The theatre’s restaurant is named after Matcham. Externally, the building is exactly as it was when it was first built.

It underwent a major refurbishment and restoration in the latter part of the 1980s, reopening on 11 January 1988 with a performance of A Man For All Seasons starring Charlton Heston.

The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera. The Royal Shakespeare Company visits annually, and considers the Theatre Royal its northern base. The Christmas pantomime is also very popular.

Almost all of the shows that come to the Theatre Royal are part of a national British tour, and in a typical year the theatre will have 30 to 35 visiting shows. For the annual pantomime, and any visiting musicals and opera performances, there is a sizeable orchestral pit available. This can seat 60 musicians if necessary. The stage itself is also of substantial size, and can house 50 singers, dancers, actors and musicians.

Over 100 people staff the theatre, most of whom work behind the scenes. The theatre is reputedly also home to a resident ghost (supposedly a very friendly lady from the 19th century nicknamed ‘The Grey Lady’). (She apparently committed suicide in the main theatre hall by jumping off the gods’ circle) But details of this are hard to come by, and she certainly hasn’t been seen recently. Theatre literature and leaflets do, however, mention her.

Read more: The Theatre Royal, official website
Read more on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Sailors Quarters, HMS Trincomalee Click to View Virtual Tour	HMS Trincomalee Click to View Virtual Tour
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Tailors Shop, Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience Click to View Virtual Tour

History of Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience

Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience, a superb re-creation of an 18th century seaport is a fantastic place to visit for families, groups and schools – in fact everybody. It brings to life the time of Nelson, Napoleon and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Travel back in the mari-time machine to experience how it was aboard a real British naval frigate, two centuries ago. Explore the historic quayside, featuring ‘Pressganged’, ‘Fighting Ships’, realistic period shops and houses and much more.

Talk to the guides – all in authentic period dress, marvel at Britain’s oldest warship afloat HMS Trincomalee, find out about all the events and discover the fascinating maritime Museum of Hartlepool.

The Historic Quayside
A naval seaport was a hive of activity. Businesses prospered and flourished supplying the huge demand from the Royal Navy and merchant ships. Everything from candles to canvases, swords to sailcloth.

The quayside recaptures the atmosphere of such a seaport, boasting an interesting range of period shops and buildings in authentic architectural styles. You’ll discover a Chandler, Gunsmith, Swordsmith, Naval Tailor, Architect, Printer and even the impressive Admiral’s House. Don’t miss the displays at the rear of each building for more insights into 18th century life.

The entire quayside is there for you to enjoy. For added authenticity your visit is enhanced by the quayside guides, who are always in full period costume. Displays of musketry, cannon firing and sword fighting are regular events.