Take a Day Trip to Corbridge
Picturesque Village of Corbridge
One of the best things about having a blog is that it’s quite simple to settle a disagreement about how long it’s been since you last visited somewhere. That’s how We knew it had been five years since our last visit to Corbridge, Northumberland’s most picturesque village. An excursion to Corbridge for the day had been long overdue.
If you ask me why it has been so long since our last visit, We honestly have no idea. Corbridge checks all of my boxes for a day trip: plenty of cake shops, stunning Northumberland landscape, plenty of windows to peer through, wonderful hikes, and charming streets to photograph.
How could we have overlooked this treasure for so long? Arriving at Corbridge
Corbridge is easily accessible by train from Newcastle; the first time we went was before we had a car, and we were ecstatic to be able to visit somewhere so beautiful without having our own wheels. Trains run every hour, take about 35 minutes, and cost roughly £6.50 for a roundtrip ticket at the time of writing. The town centre is a short walk from the station and leads to Corbridge over the most picturesque bridge.
On this trip, we decided to drive to Corbridge and were ecstatic to find that the parking is excellent, with a large free parking lot just a few minutes walk from the village centre.
River strolls
The peaceful banks in Northumberland’s beautiful village are the perfect spot for a long leisurely walk with the dog or a picnic in the sunshine. It’s hard to believe this is the same river that runs through Newcastle – the peaceful banks in Northumberland’s beautiful village are the perfect spot for a long leisurely walk with the dog or a picnic in the sunshine. Although we’ve never gone very far along the walk, there are miles of riverside to explore, providing some fantastic views of Northumberland and the opportunity to get away from the madness of the city.
Whether you arrive by road or rail, the River Tyne is the first portion of Corbridge you’ll encounter, and we chose to stop on our approach into the hamlet to admire the vistas and enjoy the sunshine along the water’s edge.
We don’t think you can visit Corbridge without stopping by RE, a massive homewares store unlike any other you’ll ever see. The unique shop is brimming with eccentric antiques, fascinating curiosities, and the strange and fantastic – ideal conversation starters for your house.
We enjoy wandering through the store and can get lost for hours looking for ideas for our house and yard.
When visiting RE, We learned it’s usually advisable not to go off in different routes. That’s when the insane purchases usually happen – you’ve been warned!
Of course, no day trip is complete for us without a few stops for coffee and cake (let me tell you, meandering around gorgeous Northumbrian villages is exhausting; my legs were in desperate need of a break!) and we were spoiled at Corbridge
We went to Tea and Tipple for a short morning coffee, sitting down almost as soon as we arrived. We were overjoyed to discover a wonderful collection of North East tourism leaflets to read, and We was overjoyed to discover his first coffee of the day. I’ll never get tired of reading vividly coloured flyers and creating adventurous plans, no matter how long I’ve lived here.
Grants Bakery, an award-winning artisan bakery located in the heart of the hamlet with a window display to be proud of, is another must-see in Corbridge. There was a plethora of delights to select from, including head-sized meringues, gigantic portions of quiche, cream cakes, and the famed White Chocolate and Raspberry Scones, which we had to buy to take home. It’s impossible to leave there without a brown paper bag full of goodies, I guarantee!
As if that wasn’t enough, we also stopped at Watling Coffee House for some afternoon tea and cake, where we shared a lovely Chocolate Orange Cake (complete with oozing orange marmalade!) and a pot of tea for two.
We’ve already planned our next visit to Corbridge because there are so many tea rooms and coffee shops to select from.
Shopping and Cottages
We went to Corbridge on a Sunday, which is a great day to visit if you want to appreciate the village in peace. The bulk of restaurants and cafés, as well as the bakery and a few shops, were open, but the majority of independent stores were closed, so if you’re looking for a shopping experience, you’ll have to come back another day. I liked how calm the streets were compared to our previous visit, and I enjoyed looking through the windows – Corbridge has some lovely businesses.
When you’re not shopping, I recommend going for a walk and getting lost among the honey-colored cottages and houses. There is no finer place in the world to play “dream house” than Corbridge.
The roads are lined with magnificent residences with beautiful doorways, pretty wreaths, and abundance of colourful blooms. I can’t move more than a few steps without wanting to stop and take in the scenery.
I also spent a significant portion of our trip to Corbridge making notes (yes, actual notes – I am that geeky!) about all of the restaurants and cafes I want to visit on future trips. Four and Twenty, which just opened, looks adorable (and based on my research, their menu appears
to be largely made up of pies, which I love!) I also want to try Duck House, which appears to be quite wonderful.
Books for Discussion
If reading is your thing, Forum Books is a must-see; it smells amazing (something only true book lovers can appreciate), and we enjoyed browsing the aisles.
The Micro Pub Pele
If you’re not the designated driver, a visit to The Pele, Corbridge’s micropub, is the ideal way to round out your day in Corbridge. It’s in a three-story stone tower across the street from Forum Books, and with lights strung across the courtyard, it’s the beautiful pub you’ll ever see, and that’s before you’ve ever walked through the front door.
Purchase a drink from the well-stocked bar and bring it up the narrow stone steps to the first floor, where you’ll find a cosy dining area with Game of Thrones-style seats, beer barrel tables, and a fireplace that has already convinced me that I need to return.
I loved sipping my drink and observing the expressions on people’s faces as they walked up the steps for the first time. It’s tough not to exclaim “wow” when you reach the top step. If you enjoy truly unique micropubs, this is the place to go; it’s a very special venue and the perfect way to end your day trip to Corbridge.
Corbridge is a “must visit” if you’re planning a trip to Hadrian’s Wall anytime soon; it’s a terrific site for Northumbrian tourists and, if you’re a local like us, there’s no excuse if it’s been a long time since your previous visit!