Hailes Castle

What it’s like

A free ruined riverside castle where kids can duck into old cellars and wander the east range above the Tyne.

There's no ticket booth and no queue here, just a ruin to poke about in. The main bit going for it is the east range, plus a set of cellars you can climb down into, and a decent view over the River Tyne from the grounds. It's not a big polished visit with gift shop and café, it's a proper ruin, and for a lot of kids that's actually more fun than a restored castle where everything's roped off anyway.

Except here quite a bit is roped off too. The west end of the inner courtyard is closed, along with the west tower and the east tower doocot, so you're not getting the run of the whole site. That's worth knowing before you build your afternoon around it, because what's left is more of a wander-and-look than a proper explore.

Free entry is the obvious plus, especially with kids who might give it twenty minutes before asking what's next. No booking needed either. Parking is the catch though, described as very limited, so if you're rolling up with a buggy and the car full on a nice weekend, don't bank on a space right by the entrance.

Treat it as a short stop rather than the whole day's plan. Bring a picnic mindset, not a picnic table booking, and let the kids loose on the cellars while you take in the river view.

Need to know

Parking

Very limited parking available on site

• It's a genuine ruin, not a restored attraction, so there's no gift shop or café to fall back on
• Best treated as a quick stop rather than a whole day out
• The cellars are the bit kids will want to climb into

Plan your visit

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