Sunderland (Roker)
Roker Pier and Lighthouse · Photo: Malc McDonald
A bracing walk out along Roker Pier, a long play on Sunderland's main family beach, then into the city for a restored Victorian park with a big adventure playground. End inside a medieval gatehouse castle that is free to visit on a booked slot.
Landmark · 10:00–10:45 (45m)
Free walk out along the Victorian pier towards the lighthouse; hold hands in wind.
A Victorian pier with a tunnel running beneath it out to the lighthouse at the end, shown on volunteer-led tours for older children. Walking the pier itself is free any time and makes a good blustery stroll from Roker beach.
Photo: Malc McDonald
Nature & gardens · 10:50–13:00 (2h10m)
Walk up the promenade to the wide sandy beach; lunch from the seafront cafes. Lifeguards in summer.
A wide sandy beach with a long promenade, linked on foot to Roker beach and pier to the south. Summer lifeguards, cafes and a seasonal funfair area nearby make it Sunderland's main family seaside spot.
Park · 13:30–15:00 (1h30m)
Adventure play area, lake and bandstand in the city-centre park.
Sunderland's restored Victorian city-centre park with an ornamental lake, bandstand, sculptures and a large adventure play area, right next to the free Museum & Winter Gardens. Easy to combine for a mixed indoor-outdoor free day.
Photo: Oliver Dixon
Castle · 15:20–16:20 (1h)
Book a free slot to explore three floors and the rooftop of the medieval gatehouse.
A medieval gatehouse castle in north Sunderland restored as a community heritage venue, with a lift to three floors of displays and a rooftop gallery reached by a spiral stair. Free to visit on bookable slots, with a small tearoom and grounds to explore.
Photo: FropFrop
North EastNewcastle city centre (Haymarket)
Three free stops within a mile of each other: a natural history museum with a T. rex and Egyptian mummies, Newcastle's oldest park for a picnic and a run-around by the lake, then the city's science and industry museum. It works in drizzle because two of the three stops are indoors.
The Great North Museum → Leazes Park → Discovery Museum
North EastRowlands Gill (Gateshead)
A free green day on Gateshead's western edge: a flat old railway path along the Derwent for scooters and buggies, a picnic deep in a big Forestry England wood, then the ruins of a medieval castle above the Tyne at Prudhoe. Good for families who want fresh air without paying entry fees.
Derwent Walk Country Park → Chopwell Wood → Prudhoe Castle
North EastWallsend / North Shields
Three free stops with free or cheap parking: a big country park on reclaimed colliery land with a community farm and sand-and-water play, a wooded Victorian dene with a pump track, and a little sheltered beach to finish. Pack a picnic or use the park cafes.
Rising Sun Country Park → Northumberland Park → Cullercoats Bay
