5 perfect picnic spots in Newcastle

A picnic on a warm summer's day is something that never gets boring, and with the great selection of parks, beaches and riverside walks to choose from in Newcastle, budding picnickers have plenty of choice for their grand day out.

From your base at Euro Hostel Newcastle you can easily be surrounded by greenery within a matter of minutes, and the city centre is well stocked with supermarkets and delicatessens to pack your picnic basket.

The city even has a cafe – the Garden Kitchen in Eldon Gardens - which specialises in lovely indoors picnics, so with all this on offer a picnic in Newcastle really can't fail to deliver.

One word of warning: There are few things worse than laying down the blanket and getting all of your food out of the cool bag only to realise you're sitting next to a big dog poo, so do have a good check about before you settle down with your picnic…

Leazes Park

Lying right next to St James' Park (or the Sports Direct Arena, if you prefer) in the heart of Newcastle around a ten-minute walk from Euro Hostel is Leazes Park, a wonderful green space in the city centre that is Newcastle's equivalent of Hyde Park in London.

Plenty of benches dotted around the park make it great for a picnic, and it also has tennis and basketball courts if you fancy. A great bandstand and boating lake which is open on weekends and in school holidays can also be found – making it the perfect place to go for a day out.

The park was recently renovated, with new paths laid and a great adventure playground installed, but it has existed as an open air space for the benefit of the city since it was officially opened back in 1973.

Jesmond Dene

The sprawling park that is Jesmond Dene runs along the edge of the city for more than 3km between South Gosforth and Jesmond Value and is so vast you could easily get lost among the trees, river and wildlife.

Known locally as 'the Dene', it joins up to several smaller parks and there are entrances and exits dotted all over – making it a great place to ramble about until you find a good place to settle down.

Picnic benches are never far away and barbecues are allowed at the park, but the ultimate spot has to be a patch of grass nestled away behind the park's much-loved waterfall.

Tynemouth beach

It really does not get much better than a barbie on the beach, and just 20 minutes away from the city centre by Metro is Tynemouth, a seaside town where the River Tyne flows out into the North Sea.

The pretty location regularly hosts the British Surf Championships and is populated by cool boutiques and surf rental shops, as well as great cafes, bars and restaurants, but a couple of minutes away from the Metro station is the first of the town's beaches.

King Edward's Bay, a small sandy cove overlooked by the historic Tynemouth Priory, is the first port of call and is closer to Front Street where you will find a mini supermarket and an off licence. 'King Eddy's' as it is affectionately known can get quite busy so some prefer the larger Long Sands which is five minutes further along the coast. Here you will find Crusoe's cafe on the beach and a much longer stretch of sand great for a picnic. 

Saltwell Park

With countless awards under its belt, Saltwell Park in Gateshead was named 'Britain's Best Park' and if you head there for a picnic you will quickly see why. Hidden away in the heart of Gateshead, it is a true Victorian gem steeped in history.

Spread over 55 acres, it features among its many attractions a boating lake, adventure playground, bowling greens, maze and several ornamental gardens including one designed and built by people from the Japanese city of Komatsu to celebrate the 20thanniversary of its twinning with Gateshead.

The park is truly enchanting and regularly hosts events throughout summer. It can be easily reached from Newcastle by hopping on the metro across the Tyne to Gateshead, then jumping on the Number 53 bus from the interchange.

Tyne Valley

If you fancy heading further afield and maybe stretching your legs for a long walk, there are few better places within easy reach of Newcastle than a walk along the Tyne Valley towards the rural towns of Newburn and Wylam.

Here you will found gorgeous rolling countryside and countless places to tuck into your lunch, but it doesn't have to be reached by walking, as you can easily hop on one of the regular trains that head from Central Station for a few pounds return. A good idea is to use the train to come home after the seven or so miles it takes to get there. If you do make it to Wylam, a pint in the award-winning Boathouse pub is essential before heading home.

If you're feeling really adventurous then you could head further afield to any of the numerous points where you can walk along the World Heritage Site that is Hadrian's Wall - still standing as a reminder of the region's Roman past. Trust us when we say it will be worth it for the views alone.

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