Summer school holiday guide: Things to do with your kids in Northumberland

Whether you’re local to our luxury self-catered suites or are looking for ideas to help keep the kids entertained over the next 6 weeks, our Northumberland home boasts a variety of activities you can enjoy as a family this school holiday.

Perfectly positioned in the vibrant heart of it all, when you’re not enjoying delicious lunches at Matfen Hall, a leisurely dip in the pool or glimpses of Hadrian’s Wall from your bedroom window, you can spend it discovering Northumberland’s family-friendly attractions and immersing yourself in its exclusive summer events. To help you plan ahead, we’re outlining a number of things to do with your kids in Northumberland this summer, below.

Chesters Roman Fort

Located just a few hundred metres away from our luxury self-catered stable suites, you’ll find the spectacular site of Chesters Roman Fort.

What was once a tranquil riverside spa on the banks of the North Tyne used for weary soldiers to relax in, today, this impressive attraction inspires young archaeologists with family activities during the summer months, walking trails and an on-site museum to explore.

Hadrian’s Wall

You don’t have to go far from our estate for things to do when you stay at either our boutique Hotel or self-catered apartment suites. Located on Hadrian’s Wall itself, you’re just a short walk away from transporting your family to a time 2000 years in the past, during a walk along this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To fire your imagination, choose to take a half-day guided tour of the wall to help you and your kids discover hidden gems and lesser-known facts about the history of this Roman masterpiece. After filling your brain with intriguing details, decide to rest your feet awhile during a coffee in our beautiful stable suites and enjoy the breathtaking view of Northumberland sparkling in the sun in front of you.

Kielder Water and Forest Park

Just over 20 miles from Chesters Stables sits the largest manmade lake in Europe and is the ideal setting to help keep your kids active this summer, with a variety of activities for them to get involved in both on and off land.

Choose to spend the morning wildlife tracking, cycling or wall climbing, before enjoying a relaxing picnic ahead of an afternoon of water sports, including canoeing, paddleboarding and more. Watch as they get to develop new skills on the water, explore the natural environment, and have lots of fun before visiting Matfen Hall for an exquisite dining experience.

Go Ape

Just up the road from our sister estate, Matfen Hall – and only a 15 minute journey by car from Chesters Stables – is where you’ll find the number one tree top adventure experience, Go Ape.

Perfect for kids aged 10 and up, choose to join them this summer and tackle the impressive course, dangling through canopies, flying through the air on the 160-meter zip line, tarzan swinging from platforms and more.

Wallington Hall

Engage your kids in nature as you head to the beautiful Wallington Hall, located just 15 miles from Walwick Hall. Allow them to enjoy the freedom of running along the woodland trail, taking part in den building, discovering the wildlife hide, and riding their bikes along the Dragon Cycle Trail.

And, while they’re busy, there are plenty of things for you to keep yourself occupied with too, as summer is the perfect time to visit Wallington’s famous secret garden, where you’ll lose yourself in the tranquil gardens hidden behind high walls at the bottom of the woodland valley.

Beamish Museum

A day spent at the award-winning living and working museum, Beamish Museum, is always a fantastic choice for families – particularly during summer when their annual Summer of Fun events begin.

With plenty to keep each and every one of you busy as you immerse yourself in North East heritage, visit old-style sweet shops, take part in ice cream making and more, this wonderful place is set a little outside of Northumberland but just 30 miles from our estate, and is the perfect space to tire your kids out for the day.

Bamburgh Castle

For those of you with older children willing to travel a little further from our beautiful estate for a special summer experience, why not choose to sit in Bamburgh Castle’s impressive grounds, and watch as they host an open air cinema event that runs throughout the summer holidays?

An experience like no other, you and your family will be able to enjoy a variety of films sat on picnic chairs under the coastal sunset, eating fresh fish and chips available on site.

Northumberland Country Zoo

A wonderful activity for the whole family, this family-run zoo located just under an hour away in the town of Morpeth, is home to a fantastic collection of 50 different species – from small mammals and reptiles to farm animals and birds – and is the perfect place to spend a morning.

With a daily programme of animal talks and feeding times available throughout the summer months, alongside a whole host of activities such as tractor riding and mini golf, this is a brilliant place to keep younger children occupied during your Northumberland adventure.

This summer, we invite you to explore Northumberland with the whole family and join us on the Walwick Hall estate with your loved ones. You can explore more things to do here, and discover available dates for your summer getaway with us, here.