Unique Tours: North East - Ingenious Inventions

Inventors & Magicians - Cradle of the Industrial Revolution

The North East gave us the first steam engine, pioneered ground-breaking electrical advances, and was a powerhouse of the first industrial revolution.

Come with us to explore these marvels of the industrial age: discover inventions which changed the world and continue to shape it today; see and touch the world created by the North East's ‘modern magicians’.

Tour highlights can include:

Iconic 'Angel of the North'
Scenic steam train journey through beautiful countryside
Experience Victorian life at Beamish the 'Living Museum of the North'
Killhope Lead Mining Museum - North Pennines, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Ingenious inventions and innovation at Cragside

What's included...

Day 1 - Hotbed of Invention...

Newcastle, de facto capital of the North East, along with Gateshead and the surrounding towns, was a major power in driving forward the industrial age. We take in the city's eponymous "new" castle, its famous quayside, celebrated Georgian architecture and the iconic bridges which span the River Tyne. We also visit Gateshead's Angel of the North whose metal structure harks back to the region's golden industrial era. The North East’s industrial history is superbly told at the Discovery Museum and our personal favourite is the Turbinia, a revolutionary screw-propelled high speed ship which dominates the entrance to the museum.

The Milennium Bridge and Sage, Gateshead

Day 2 - A Railway First...

Down to Locomotion with a visit to York's National Railway Museum where the story of the first days of rail is told. Later we will travel on the Weardale Railway line, a 35-minute scenic journey. Time allowing, we will visit the Durham Dales Centre for its tea rooms and craft shops.

Day 3 - Hands-on at Beamish...

Beamish is known as 'The Living Museum of the North' for good reason: the huge open air museum contains entire villages and industrial scenes, carefully reconstructed from original material and in working order – as well as authentic Victorian cafés and sweet shop!

Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum

Day 4 - A Hard Life...

Today we take in the staggering North Pennines, today an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty', but in the past a hard place to make a living. We find out about harsher times at the award winning Killhope Lead Mining Museum where you can sift for lead using traditional tools or even go underground.

Day 5 - King Coal...

Woodhorn Museum, a working coal mine into the 1980s and famous for its collection of art by the Pitmen Painters whose story was recently told in a hugely successful play. At Cragside we discover the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, it is crammed full of other ingenious gadgets – most of them still working!