Two hours to spare for those who are shopaholics...
Eldon Square in Newcastle’s city centre (entry points at various places including Northumberland Street and near Grey’s Monument) and the MetroCentre Gateshead (catch the frequent train service or No. 100 bus service from Newcastle Central Station) offer stylish shopping opportunities with national and international brand names to tempt you. Plenty to fill in two hours at either of those major retail centres.
But if your taste runs to smaller, more specialist shops then try this route to explore NewcastleGateshead’s terrific retail variety.
Begin at the Laing Art Gallery at Blue Carpet Square for a great choice in the Gallery shop followed by a three minute walk to Princess Square (next to Newcastle’s City Library). Exit Princess Square onto Northumberland Street (the “Oxford Street of the North”). At the south end of Northumberland Street turn along Blackett Street towards Grey’s Monument and walk along Grainger Street to find the entrance on the left to the stylish and richly ornate interior of the Central Arcade. Exit Central Arcade onto Grey Street and continue downhill for three minutes, passing the Theatre Royal, to High Bridge Street and the Old George Yard. Return to Grey Street and an eight minute downhill walk brings you to Newcastle Quayside. Walk along to Gateshead Millennium Bridge and cross the River Tyne to BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. End a great couple of retail hours with a visit to Gateshead Visitor Centre at St Mary’s Church (opposite the west entrance of The Sage Gateshead).
Why this route…?
The Laing Art Gallery has a lovely selection of well priced crafts and jewellery whilst the fashion conscious will drool over the designer clothes at Cruise in Princess Square. Windows in the Central Arcade has everything for the musician and a great selection of cd’s whilst High Bridge Street is just the place for quirky shops such as Skirt (funky and feminine clothes) and Union and Attica (Retro and Vintage treats). Grey Street is home to Robert D Steadman Rare and Secondhand Books and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art specialises in books on……..art! Gateshead Visitor Centre is home to a Crafts Council gallery with a selection of contemporary crafts.
