The Village Beauty Room

Grey's Monument

Newcastle upon Tyne · 5 miles

A prominent column stands at the intersection of Grey, Grainger and Blackett Streets, forming a focal point in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne. The structure reaches 133 ft (41 m) and is listed at Grade I by Historic England. Constructed in 1838, the monument consists of a Roman Doric column designed by Benjamin Green, surmounted by a statue of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, executed by sculptor Edward Hodges Baily. Erected to commemorate Grey’s premiership and the passage of the Great Reform Act of 1832, the monument was financed through public subscription. The foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1837, and a time capsule containing contemporary coins, medals and a list of subscribers was interred. The column was completed on 11 August 1838, followed by the placement of the statue on 24 August. Although contemporary critics questioned the site’s suitability within the city’s tram network, the surrounding pedestrianised area has since become a popular meeting spot and speakers’ corner. In 1981 the adjacent Tyne and Wear Metro station was named after the monument, reinforcing its role as a landmark for both residents and visitors. Access to the monument is straightforward from the city centre, with the nearby metro station providing a convenient public-transport link. The monument occupies an open, car-free zone and does not appear to have a charge for entry or on-site facilities beyond the surrounding public space.

The Response

Haymarket · 5 miles

Set within the public gardens north of St Thomas the Martyr church and to the west of the Civic Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, The Response 1914 occupies a visible spot near the Haymarket district. The monument rests on a substantial Shap granite base that rises in three steps to a rusticated plinth and a screen wall. A large black bronze group, cast at the Thames Ditton Foundry, measures about three metres in height and ten metres across and portrays a crowd of figures – two young drummers, men parting from loved ones, and an allegorical angel sounding a trumpet. On the reverse side of the stonework, a carving of St George is flanked by two soldiers, one representing the regiment’s founding in 1674 and the other its First World War service. Commissioned by Sir George Renwick, 1st Baronet, and executed by sculptor Sir William Goscombe John, the work was presented to the city on 5 July 1923 in a ceremony that included the Prince of Wales. It commemorates the Territorial Army “Pals” battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers raised in 1914 – the “Commercials” – as well as the safe return of Renwick’s five sons and his half-century of ship-owning activity. Latin inscriptions on the front read “Non sibi sed patriae” followed by the title, while the rear bears the Fusiliers’ motto “Quo fata vocant” and a dedication to the battalions raised by the Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce. The monument received listed status in 1971, was upgraded to Grade I in October 2014, and after restoration was rededicated on 25 October 2007 in the presence of Prince Philip.

Mining Institute

Grainger Town · 5 miles

The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers – frequently referred to as the Mining Institute – occupies a prominent position in Grainger Town, Newcastle upon Tyne. Established in 1852 and granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1876, the institute was created to unite mining professionals, improve safety, and promote technical knowledge. Its library, named after the first President Nicholas Wood, holds more than twenty-thousand volumes covering mining, geology, mechanical engineering, government reports, mine rescue, mineralogy, law and related subjects, forming one of the world’s most extensive mining collections. OpenStreetMap records the site as a museum, reflecting the public display of the institute’s historic archives and technical literature. In 2019 the building, known as Neville Hall, entered a period of refurbishment and its assets – the structure, library and archive collections – were transferred to the charity The Common Room of the Great North, which aims to celebrate regional engineering history. Despite the hand-over, the institute continues as an independent professional membership organisation, drawing members chiefly from local industry and the academic communities of Durham and Newcastle universities, and is currently formulating a new strategic plan to broaden its activities. The venue therefore offers visitors insight into the development of mining engineering and the broader industrial heritage of the North of England.

Marsden Rock

Marsden · 5 miles

Located on the Tyne and Wear coast opposite the village of Marsden, the sea-stack known as Marsden Rock rises about 27 metres from the sea and is composed of Magnesian Limestone. The formation sits roughly 91 metres off the main cliff line and is classed as a bare rock landmark on the OpenStreetMap database. Originally a single stack with a natural arch, the arch gave way during the winter of 1996, splitting the feature into two. The smaller column, judged unsafe, was removed by the National Trust in 1997, leaving the present 90-foot stack that can be approached on foot at low tide, though it is completely surrounded by water when the tide comes in. The surrounding cliffs provide a vital breeding habitat for a range of seabirds, including kittiwakes, herring gulls and razorbills, which often perch on the rock itself. Cormorants have been present since the 1960s, and occasional winter visitors such as peregrine falcons and snow buntings have been recorded. No admission charge applies, and there are no visitor facilities on the rock or the immediate shoreline. Access is via the coastal path near Marsden Grotto, with the tide schedule the only practical consideration for those wishing to reach the stack on foot.

Washington Wetland Centre

Cox Green · 5 miles

WWT Washington Wetland Centre is a wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Washington, Tyne and Wear, North East England.

Souter Lighthouse

Marsden · 5 miles

The former electric lighthouse on Lizard Point, a mile north of Whitburn in South Tyneside, stands on high cliffs that give it superior sea-visibility. Built to serve the hazardous Whitburn Steel reefs, it was the world’s first lighthouse specifically designed for alternating current. Its carbon-arc lamp, first lit on 11 January 1871, produced an 800,000-candle-power flash every thirty seconds that could be seen for up to 26 miles, and a red-white sector highlighted local shoals. The tower’s daymark was enhanced in December 1891 by a broad red band, and a foghorn, originally a reed signal later replaced by a siren, added an audible warning. Designed by Trinity House chief engineer James Douglass and supervised on site by Henry Norris, construction began after the foundation stone was laid on 9 June 1869 and was completed in 1870. The complex includes a quadrangle of rubble-masonry buildings, an engine house with two magneto generators and steam engines, and five keeper’s cottages. After decommissioning by Trinity House in 1988, the National Trust acquired the site and now operates it as a museum, charging an admission fee. Visitors can explore the lantern, engine rooms and surrounding grounds, and the top of the lighthouse offers a line-of-sight view of St Mary’s Lighthouse on the opposite side of the River Tyne. Holiday lets are also available within the historic cottages. The nearest town is Marsden, and the site is accessible via local roads leading to Lizard Point.