Coming up: local pasties, unintelligible accents, a shoe-covered tree, references to the pathetically small Central Park, easy-to-access green spaces, and the 13 best picnic spots in Newcastle upon Tyne.
I was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and I’ve spent a big ol’ chunk of my life there.
I’ve eaten in the city…
… slurped loads of coffees…
… taken tours…
… convinced other people to visit…
… and I’ve also (on the rare days when we get some sunshine), munched and snacked outdoors.
And in this guide, I’ve helped you do the same thing. Pack some sandwiches and come join the al fresco adventure – here are the 13 best picnic spots in Newcastle upon Tyne!
Before we dive in, here’s a map showing all the picnic spots mentioned in this post. Each location we talk about below is pinned, so you can easily find your favourites and plan your perfect day out in Newcastle.
1. The Jesmond Dene Waterfall
Best for: sitting in a city without feeling like you’re in a city, and splashing around in a waterfall
Jesmond Dene is a tucked-away inner-city green space… and it follows a small river from the outskirts of the city to (almost) the center.
Inside Jesmond Dene, you’ll find a petting zoo, a cafe, a weekend market (located on Armstrong Bridge), public toilets, places for kids to play, a nearby park, and some nice stroll-worthy sections.
… and as you’ve probably worked out for yourself, it’s also home to a waterfall. It’s small but impressive, and it’s popular with families. So take some food, have a little swim, and wander around the rest of the dene.
- Address: plug this into Google Maps: XCX2+H4, Newcastle, UK
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: Ilford Road Metro station
2. The Quayside
Best for: riverside views, looking at the city’s 7 bridges, and sitting in one of Newcastle’s trendiest areas
This is Newcastle’s riverside area—it’s super popular, and locals love heading here on sunny days.
Head to the city center, go south, and you’ll hit the big famous Tyne River. You’ll find picnic benches and seats in the central area, and by following the river in both directions.
… but I recommend sitting in the city-center part, just outside Greggs bakery (I’m recommending this area cos it has seats and tables—not cos I’m a clichéd Newcastle local who’s obsessed with Greggs). You can get your food from here, the nearby Tesco, or from the ‘Little Coffee Shop Under the Bridge’ (yes, that’s the actual name of the place).
No matter where you get your food from, this is a great spot for people-watching: you’ll always see people wandering, running, or walking their dogs.
- Address: head to ‘39 Quayside, Newcastle, and you’ll see tables and chairs
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: walk from the city center
3. The Town Moor
Best for: looking at cows, getting all peaceful, and sitting in a big field
Absolutely massive, Newcastle’s ‘Town Moor’ is basically just a huge field. Bigger than both London’s Hyde Park and New York’s Central Park, it’s a bit more rough and rugged than the city’s ‘actual’ parks (though it’s still clean and tidy and well-maintained).
Instead of crowds here, you can expect cycling and walking paths, some little hills, lots of cows, and mainly grass. Yep, there are benches here, but you also can just plop yourself down on the grass and sit anywhere you like.
To be close to civilization, head to the southern part of the Town Moor, where you’re beside the conveniences and family-friendly fun of Exhibition Park (more on that place in a second). In this part of the Town Moor, you’re also close to Wylam Brewery, one of the city’s best venues for nabbing outdoor drinks.
… but if you *don’t* want to be close to civilization, go to any other part of the park (but don’t expect any facilities or excitement).
- Address: Grandstand Road, Newcastle
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: West Jesmond Metro Station
4. Exhibition Park
Best for: families with kids, outdoor entertainment, and finding a good park close to central Newcastle
As we just said, Exhibition Park is connected to the Town Moor.
I love this part of the city. You’re right beside Wylam Brewery, there’s a duck-filled lake, it’s busy but not too busy, and you’re only a 10-minute walk from the city center.
Again, you’ll find park benches and patches of grass. Urban Green Cafe sits right beside the lake, and it serves nice sandwiches and cakes and all that other stuff. If you’re interested in parkruns: this is the cafe where the official parkrun participants have a coffee after their weekly 9am Saturday run. Here’s more.
The park is also home to skateparks, tennis courts, a little foresty area, and kids’ playgrounds. Perfect for a family-friendly picnic.
- Address: Exhibition Park, Claremont Road, Newcastle, NE2 4PZ
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: 15-minute walk from Haymarket Bus and Metro stations
5. Heaton Park
Best for: students, young folks, and people who really love shoes
Heaton Park isn’t quite in central Newcastle, so it’s a vaguely leftfield choice.
The vibe here is pretty studenty (lots of Newcastle’s students live in Heaton, the neighborhood giving the park its name). Rather than peaceful family picnics, you can expect Bluetooth speakers, a louder atmosphere, and more drinks than food.
It has a small play area, an old pavilion, a branch of the Sambuca’s food chain, little foresty areas, and some benches… but it’s mainly made up of open fields.
Heaton Park is most famous for being home to the so-called ‘Shoe Tree.’ And it’s exactly what you think it is: a big tree (a sycamore tree, in case you’re interested) with loads of shoes dangling from it. No one knows why the shoes are there, which I reckon makes it better.
This part of Newcastle is one of the city’s best spots for hip food joints. Heaton Road is a 5-minute walk from the park and has some of the city’s most well-loved independent cafes. The kooky and colorful Butterfly Cabinet is a big favorite. In and around the same area, you’ll find plenty more bakeries and shops for picking up your picnic snacks.
- Address: Jesmond Vale Lane, Newcastle, NE6 5JS
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: between Chillingham Road Metro Station and Jesmond Metro Station
6. Tynemouth and Whitley Bay
Best for: seaside fun, and fish and chips
Newcastle is closer to the coast than most people expect:
… hop on the metro (a light-rail public transport system stretching way beyond the city), and you can be at the coast from central Newcastle within around 10 minutes.
The three coastal towns you can reach are:
Like in any small seaside towns, you’ll find endless places to picnic in all three (including beaches, parks, fields, promenades and plain ol’ park benches). But my top choices are:
For more sandy sandwiches (including more references to Tynemouth and Whitley Bay), here are the 15 best beaches near Newcastle.
- Address: various
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: the most centrally-located option is Cullercoats Metro station
7. Leazes Park
Best for: feeding ducks, sitting around a little lake, and views of the iconic St James’ Park
St James’ Park isn’t actually a park. Instead, it’s where Newcastle United play their football matches (and by ‘football matches,’ I’m talking about what you might call ‘soccer games’).
Famously, St James’ Park sits in the heart of the city, which is pretty weird for a UK football stadium. And Leazes Park (which actually is a park) sits right beside it.
Sort of like an alternative (and less popular) version of Exhibition Park, Leazes Park has ducks, a lake, bandstands, tennis courts, basketball courts, views of St James’ Park, and the lovely Tower Cafe.
… oh, and you can buy your picnic supplies from the nearby Tesco Express, at 27 Percy Street.
- Address: Leazes Park, Newcastle, NE2 4BJ
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: walk from the city center
8. Saltwell Park
Best for: family fun, endless activities, and exploring one of the UK’s best parks
Actually in Gateshead, but totally worth the trip.
Of all the parks we’ve brought you, Saltwell Park is the most impressive. Often voted as one of the best parks in the UK, it measures in at a massive 22 hectares (55 acres, equivalent to 30 soccer pitches).
It features a maze, small petting zoo, play areas, a restored Gothic mansion (home to a visitor center and a tearoom), bowling greens, tennis and basketball courts, a boating lake, art installations, occasional events and festivals, the Tyneside Beekeepers Association(!), many walking and running trails, lots of wildlife, and an actual designated picnic area.
If you’re looking for a top-quality family picnic, this is the place for you. But it’s also good for couples, groups of friends, and pretty much anyone.
… and as a nice bonus, it features free on-site parking.
- Address: East Park Road, Gateshead, NE9 5AX
- Open 24/7: No—it’s only open between dawn and dusk
- Nearest transport station: the 53 and 54 buses run right by the park
9. Durham University Botanic Garden
Best for: looking at flowers, and doing a bit of learning
Another leftfield choice, but Durham University Botanic Garden is worth the trip.
From Newcastle train station, you can reach Durham train station in 12 minutes—and trains run very regularly. The walk from Durham train station to the garden takes around 30 minutes… but it takes you along the river and through some pretty parts of the city. And you can buy your supplies on the way.
Measuring in at 10 hectares (24 acres), the garden is home to glasshouses, art installations, plants from around the planet, themed areas, a cafe, a wildflower meadow, and some tropical bugs and insects.
- Address: South Road, Durham, DH1 3DF
- Open 24/7: No—it’s open from 10 am until 4:30 pm in summer, and 10:30 am until 4 pm in winter (7 days a week)
- Nearest transport station: it’s best to walk from Durham train station—but here’s more
10. Paddy Freeman’s Park
Best for: a quiet family picnic on the outskirts of the city
Remember when I said there was a park beside Jesmond Dene?
Well, that’s Paddy Freeman’s Park, and it’s one of the city’s lesser-known green spaces. A good choice for a peaceful picnic, it has a bird-filled lake, a kids’ playpark, some tennis courts, and a car park. Not the most fun-tastic place on the planet, but popular with local families.
For your picnic, it has park benches and lots of open green space.
- Address: Freeman Road, Newcastle, NE2 2EY
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: the metro stations at Ilford Road, South Gosforth, and Longbenton
11. (The Gardens of) The Great North Museum
Best for: finding a tucked-away city-center picnic spot, and enjoying a sweet little slice of culture
The Great North Museum (which many locals still call ‘The Hancock Museum’) is one of the city’s most popular family days out. And it’s right beside the city center.
Home to natural history exhibits, archaeological stuff, a big dinosaur skeleton, the corpse of a mummy, and many immersive exhibits, it’s free to enter and it’s full of fun.
Sitting in front of the entrance to the museum, there’s a grassy area, where anyone can pitch up with a picnic. Obviously, I’m gonna recommend picnicking here after a visit to the museum—but you don’t need to visit the museum to sit in the garden.
- Address: Great North Museum, Barras Bridge, Newcastle, NE2 4PT
- Open 24/7: The garden is open 24/7—the museum is open 10 am-5 pm Monday to Friday, then 10 am until 4 pm on Saturdays, and 11 am until 4 pm on Sundays
- Nearest transport station: 5-minute walk from Haymarket Bus Station and Haymarket Metro Station
12. Inside the Ouseburn
Best for: picnicking on a weekend, exploring the trendiest part of Newcastle, and some post-picnic bar-hopping
The Ouseburn is my favorite part of Newcastle by far.
(… and, to be honest, most of the city’s other aging irritating hipsters will tell you the same thing…)
Recently voted as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the UK by TimeOut, it’s a small maze-like post-industrial area filled with independent bars, hip cafes, street art, weird attractions, and even a little petting zoo.
On summer weekends here, many people lounge around outside the bars. At Ouseburn Road, where you can see both the Ship Inn and the Cluny, there’s a little patch of grass with places to sit. On any sunny weekend, sit here with snacks and drinks, and you’ll fall in love with the atmosphere.
It’s best for couples and groups of friends — not a good option for families.
For much more on my favorite part of Newcastle, head to our guides on:
- Address: head to: The Ship Inn, Stepney Bank, Newcastle, NE1 2PW
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: 10-minute walk from Manors Metro Station
13. Beside Grey’s Monument
Best for: sitting in the VERY center of the city, and doing lots of people-watching
This is a bit of a weird option. But if you like busy city centers (and you don’t really want a green space), maybe it’s the one for you.
Grey’s Monument is a big tall column sitting right in the center of Newcastle. Surrounding it, there are some park benches, the steps of the monument itself, and some designated seating areas with fake grass and wooden chairs. Sit at any of these places, munch on your snacks, and enjoy the busy vibe of the city.
- Address: 150 Grainger Street, Newcastle, NE1 5AF
- Open 24/7: Yes
- Nearest transport station: Right beside Monument Metro Station
Before You Go
Okay, that’s us finished… and they’re the 13 best picnic spots in Newcastle!
To sum up, my three favorites are:
For more on Newcastle, pack some sandwiches and get yourself over to our guides on the best places to stay in the city, and everything you need to know about the weird local accent.
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and enjoy the parks and picnics of Newcastle. See ya! (click on the links above!)
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