A four-day Easter weekend is an opportunity for many families to spend some quality time together – and there’s no better place to do it than Northumberland.
County attractions hold several special events during the Easter holiday. A few of the examples include exploring Roman ruins, exploring the woods home to the Lady of the North, and many good old fashioned Easter egg trails.
There are also events at some of the castles in the area, but with wonderful coastal walks and great beaches you can make the most of a cheap day too. Here is our round-up of some of the Easter events of 2022 in Northumberland.
Read more: The Complete Guide to Hadrian’s Wall Festival 1900
Roman Easter Adventure Quests
When: April 2-24
Where: Chesters Roman Fort and Birdoswald Roman Fort
How much: £1.50 per person on top of the normal admission price (£10 per adult, £6 per child aged 5-17, £26 per family ticket)
Many events take place during the Easter holiday as part of the 1900 Hadrian’s Wall Festival, but the most relevant for families is the Easter Roman Adventure Quests. Taking place in two of Northumberland’s Roman forts, Birdoswald and Chesters, the challenge is to decipher the clues on an outdoor trail around their ruins.
Other 1900 Festival events taking place over the Easter Holidays include the building of the wall at Segedunum, the Eighth Legion at Vindolanda, the Lost Fort at Arbeia in South Shields, the Edwardian Discovery of Coria at Corbridge Roman Town and the Vindolanda digs – which began March 28. Twice Brewed is also launching its Roman beer at the Newcastle Beer Festival, but it’s strictly for adults only!
Easter egg hunts at National Trust properties
When: April 9-24
Where: Wallington, Seaton Delaval Hall and Cragside
How much: £3 per child in addition to the normal admission fee
(Image: ©NTPL/John Millar)
Find nature-inspired activities for the whole family at National Trust properties across Northumberland. Trails include a map, pencil and chocolate egg at the end (with a non-chocolate alternative available) at Wallington, Seaton Delaval Hall and Cragside.
Times and dates vary for each site, learn more here.
Easter Adventure Quest
When: April 2-24
Where: Belsay Hall
How much: £1.50 on top of the normal admission fee
The Belsay Hall Adventure Quest includes traditional games such as Egg Roll and Egg and Spoon Race, as well as a course filled with clues and challenges. Those who hunt down the Easter Eggs are rewarded with a chocolate treat and an Adventurer’s Certificate.
Around the world in 18 days
When: April 9-24
Where: Alnwick Garden
How much: Included in admission
(Photo: Jane Coltman)
This isn’t your usual Alnwick Garden Easter Egg Hunt! Recently winner of three gold medals at the North East Tourism Awards, the popular attraction invites families to challenge their inner Phileas Fogg and go on safari, explore the rainforest and dive deep into the ocean at the Garden.
Visitors receive a passport as part of their sightseeing tour where they can mark what they have identified on their journey.
Read more: List of the UK’s best natural outdoor spaces for children – and one is in the North East
Stravaganza Easter Eggs
When: April 9-24
Where: Whitehouse Farm Center
How Much: Included in admission fee
(Photo: Victoria Elliot)
Northumberland Farm, where a five-legged lamb was recently born, is hosting two weeks of family events over Easter. There will be daily magic shows, bottle-fed lambs and lots of Easter babies of sheep, goats and cows at the Whitehouse Farm Center near Morpeth.
From April 15 to 18, there will also be an Easter Egg Hunt around the farm and visitors will have the chance to meet the Easter Bunny! Children can also enjoy tractor rides, soft play and an adventure playground.
Northumberlandia Landscape Quiz Trail and Easter Egg Hunt
When: April 9 to April 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Where: Northumberlandia, Cramlington
How much: £3 per track download
One of two Northumberland Wildlife Trust Easter events, a family trail will take visitors through the woods, around the lake and halfway up the Lady of the North – although you can continue all the way to the top. The trail ends at the Visitor Center Café.
Between Good Friday and Easter Monday, there will also be an Easter Egg Trail where children aged 3 to 11 can search for eggs hidden in the Northumberlandia Forest while answering nature-related questions and learning solving a word game. All attendees will receive a small chocolate treat at the Visitor Center Café.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust also hosts the Weetslade Spring Trail on the outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Easter Events at Bamburgh Castle
When: April 9-24
Where: Bamburgh Castle
How much: Prices vary for each activity, some are included in the admission price.
There are a whole series of events that take place at Bamburgh Castle at Easter. Hope the Dragon Easter Trail runs through the castle grounds and ends in a treat if you can find its secret code word. There’s Easter Craft Making at the West Ward Craft House on April 12 and 21, while Ragnar the Viking will be on hand April 13 and 20.
There are also Easter wreath-making lessons suitable for children aged 8 and over, while family-favorite mini-pony Marley returns to the castle grounds for Easter selfies and short walks in the garden. park.
Easter Bunny
When: April 17, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Woodhorn Museum
How much: Included in admission
(Image: Handout – Northumberland Museums)
For those kids who still believe, the Easter Bunny will be at the Woodhorn Museum on Easter Sunday itself. If you can find the happy rodent there, you will receive a small treat from him.
What else can I do at Easter in Northumberland?
The events above are a selection of specific events, but there are several things to do in Northumberland at Easter. Several museums have special exhibits that run over Easter and beyond, such as By the Sea: 150 Years of Northumbrian Beach Holidays at the Bailiffgate Museum in Alnwick and the Northumberland Menagerie at the Woodhorn Museum, Hexham Old Gaol, the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum and the Berwick Museum and Art Gallery.
With the cost of living crisis set to rise this month, many of the area’s walks and beaches offer a great low-cost day out for the whole family, especially on a sunny day. And for those who want to commemorate the traditional Christian meaning of Easter, you can visit a church like St Michael and All Angels in Fort and Etal, and St Oswald’s in Heavenfield.
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