W

hen it comes to the north east coast, people tend to automatically think of Northumberland – where you’ve got Bamburgh Castle, Alnmouth and the other usual suspects.

Just a bit further south, though, there’s another wee gem that we think you should know about.

The village of Tynemouth is just a few miles east of Newcastle, and when you get here you’ll see the ruins of the priory and next-door castle silhouetted against the sky – perched on a promontory that juts out into the North Sea.

This was a popular spot with the Victorians, who used to pile down here for a spot of ‘sea-bathing’ (obviously on warm days), and the beaches here are still rather splendid today. From the village itself (which these days is joined with nearby Whitley Bay), you can stroll or cycle for a fair few miles, soaking up some good old salty sea air.

Why not grab a bike and pootle north towards Whitley Bay and beyond, where you end up in Blyth on the edge of Northumberland?

But if that sounds like too much effort, then how about a look round the Land of Green Ginger? This converted church is now a quirky mall filled with antique shops, a jewellery shop, craft store and cafe.

And if all this isn’t enough to have scanning the diary for a free weekend, we haven’t even told you about the pier and the fish and chip shops yet…