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Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

Companionship careTyne and Wear

Days out in Tyne and Wear for an older parent

Nine places in Tyne and Wear that make a good day out for an older parent, from Laing Art Gallery to Saltwell Park. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

Laing Art Gallery. Photo: Andrew Curtis, CC BY-SA 2.0

Nine days out across seven towns

The best places to take an older parent in Tyne and Wear

Six of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for two describes a step-free route, and three confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

Photo: Andrew Curtis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Newcastle upon Tyne

Laing Art Gallery

The Laing is Newcastle's main art gallery, with British paintings and watercolours, decorative art and changing exhibitions in an Edwardian Baroque building. Highlights include works by John Martin and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Lifts give step-free access to the café, shop and upper galleries, there are accessible toilets on two floors and self-propelling wheelchairs can be booked in advance.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry, some exhibitions charged

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Newcastle upon Tyne

Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Newcastle upon Tyne

Discovery Museum

Discovery Museum tells the story of Newcastle and Tyneside's inventions, shipbuilding and people, with the steam ship Turbinia filling the entrance hall. Galleries cover the city's history, science and the river.

All floors have level access, with a ramp from the lower ground floor into the Turbinia atrium, and Blue Badge holders can park free in nearby on-street bays.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Newcastle upon Tyne

Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields

Photo: Chris McKenna (user:Thryduulf), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · South Shields

Arbeia Roman Fort

Arbeia is the remains of a Roman supply fort at the mouth of the Tyne in South Shields, with a reconstructed gateway, barrack block and commanding officer's house. The museum displays finds from the site, including tombstones and jewellery.

The museum building has flat level access, there are accessible toilets next to it, a herb garden with benches and a wheelchair available to borrow.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near South Shields

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens

Museum · Sunderland

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens

Sunderland Museum tells the story of the city's shipbuilding, glass and pottery, and has a gallery of paintings by L. S. Lowry. Attached to it is the Winter Gardens, a glass rotunda full of tropical plants, next to Mowbray Park.

Entry is free and the warm Winter Gardens and Mowbray Park are part of the same visit, so a carer can plan a gentle outing in any weather.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Sunderland

WWT Washington Wetland Centre, Washington

Photo: Andrew Curtis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Washington

WWT Washington Wetland Centre

WWT Washington is a wetland centre on the banks of the River Wear with ponds, wildflower meadows and woodland, home to flamingos, otters, herons and visiting wild birds. There are hides looking over the wetlands and a café.

A manual wheelchair and three mobility scooters can be hired free by booking ahead, and there are accessible toilets in the centre and out on the reserve.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Washington

Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Tynemouth

Photo: Thenorthmannn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Tynemouth

Tynemouth Priory and Castle

Tynemouth Priory and Castle stand on a headland above the mouth of the Tyne, with the ruins of a medieval priory where early Northumbrian kings were buried and a restored coastal gun battery. The headland gives wide views over the North Sea and the river.

The site is at the end of Tynemouth's Front Street with its cafés, so a carer can combine a short look at the ruins with lunch and a view of the sea.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry, free for English Heritage members

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Tynemouth

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead

Photo: ianpudsey, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Gateshead

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

BALTIC is a free contemporary art centre in a converted flour mill on the Gateshead quayside, with changing exhibitions across several floors. The Level 5 viewing box looks out over the Tyne bridges and Newcastle quayside.

Entry is free and the building is served by lifts, so the riverside views from the upper floors can be reached without stairs.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Gateshead

Gibside, Rowlands Gill

Photo: User:Ultra7, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Rowlands Gill

Gibside

Gibside is a National Trust landscape garden in the Derwent valley near Rowlands Gill, created by the Bowes family in the 1700s, with a Palladian chapel, a long tree-lined avenue, a column to Liberty and the shell of Gibside Hall. There are woodland walks, a walled garden and a café.

The chapel sits at the end of the long, level avenue from the entrance, so a carer can plan a flat walk there and back with the café near the car park.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry, free for National Trust members

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Rowlands Gill

Saltwell Park, Gateshead

Photo: Graham Robson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Gateshead

Saltwell Park

Saltwell Park is a large Victorian park in Gateshead with a boating lake, a maze, formal gardens, a bandstand and Saltwell Towers, a turreted mansion with a café. It is free to visit and one of the best preserved Victorian parks in the country.

The café in Saltwell Towers sits in the middle of the park near the gardens and lake, so a carer can plan short walks out from it.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Gateshead

Regular groups and events in Tyne and Wear

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Tyne and Wear.

  • Dancing · SunderlandTea dance in GrangetownA regular community centre tea dance in Sunderland, the sort of afternoon session where dancing and a cup of tea matter equally. A carer can ring ahead to check the day and time, then go along as a partner or simply sit with the older person.Details
  • Photography · Newcastle upon TyneCamera club in GosforthGosforth Camera Club meets regularly in Newcastle for talks, competitions and print evenings, and welcomes photographers of all standards. A carer can arrange the lift to and from an evening meeting, which is often the main barrier to keeping a club habit going.Details
  • Reading · Newcastle upon TyneLibrary reading support in NewcastleNewcastle's libraries offer large print and audio books, reading groups and services for people who cannot easily get to a branch. A carer can help set up a ticket, collect and return books and take an older person to a reading group at their nearest library.Details
  • Sports · South ShieldsWatching the Great North RunThe half marathon run each September from Newcastle to the seafront at South Shields, watched by crowds along the whole route. A carer can pick a spot with seating near the finish or on a quieter stretch, check road closures and plan the journey home in advance.Details
  • Volunteering · GatesheadVolunteering at Tanfield RailwayA volunteer-run heritage railway on an eighteenth century wagonway route, needing help with everything from ticket selling and the shop to gardening and workshop tasks. A carer can provide the transport and stay for a short shift, so a few hours a month stays possible.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Tyne and Wear

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Laing Art GalleryNewcastle upon Tynean hour or twoFreeYesYesYes
Discovery MuseumNewcastle upon Tynehalf a dayFreeYesAskAsk
Arbeia Roman FortSouth Shieldsan hour or twoFreePartlyYesAsk
Sunderland Museum and Winter GardensSunderlandhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
WWT Washington Wetland CentreWashingtonhalf a dayPaid entryAskYesAsk
Tynemouth Priory and CastleTynemouthan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtGatesheadan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
GibsideRowlands Gillhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Saltwell ParkGatesheadan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Tyne and Wear

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

BirtleyWhitley BayRytonFulwellGreat HeatonHoughton le SpringJarrowKillingworth123456789
  1. 1Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
  2. 2Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne
  3. 3Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields
  4. 4Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Sunderland
  5. 5WWT Washington Wetland Centre, Washington
  6. 6Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Tynemouth
  7. 7BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
  8. 8Gibside, Rowlands Gill
  9. 9Saltwell Park, Gateshead

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Tyne and Wear

Carers in Tyne and Wear charge £19 to £20 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £19, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £76 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Tyne and Wear has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Tyne and Wear

Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens in Sunderland, WWT Washington Wetland Centre in Washington, Tynemouth Priory and Castle in Tynemouth, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, Gibside in Rowlands Gill and Saltwell Park in Gateshead. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Laing Art Gallery and Discovery Museum describes a step-free route. Laing Art Gallery, Arbeia Roman Fort and WWT Washington Wetland Centre have an accessible toilet. Laing Art Gallery, Arbeia Roman Fort and WWT Washington Wetland Centre lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Laing Art Gallery, Discovery Museum, Arbeia Roman Fort, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Saltwell Park. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 28 of the carers with a rate near Tyne and Wear drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £19 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Tyne and Wear shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Tyne and Wear

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Tyne and Wear

Days out in the areas around Tyne and Wear

Companionship care by town in Tyne and Wear

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Tyne and Wear

See carers near Tyne and Wear who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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