Camping in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle itself has no campsite. It is a dense riverside city with very little open ground, so anyone travelling with a tent, caravan or motorhome needs to look to the ring of countryside and coast beyond the built-up area. The good news is that the options within about fifteen miles are genuinely pleasant, and the Tyne and Wear Metro plus a decent local bus network mean you can camp outside the city and still spend your days in it without moving the vehicle.

Two landscapes dominate. To the west and south-west, the Derwent Valley drops away from the Tyne into wooded farmland around Rowlands Gill and Hamsterley Mill, with the Derwent Walk following an old railway line through it and the National Trust estate at Gibside a short ride away. Pitches here tend to be grassy, gently sloping and sheltered by trees. To the north-east, the sites sit on the cliff tops between Whitley Bay and Seaton Sluice, where the ground is level and hardstanding is common, the views run out to St Mary's Lighthouse, and the sea wind is a permanent feature. Bring more pegs than you think you need for the coastal pitches.

The weather is the main planning consideration. Tyneside is drier than the western side of the Pennines, but it is exposed and it is northern: overnight temperatures dip into single figures well into June, and the haar, a cold sea fog, can roll in off the North Sea on otherwise sunny days. May to September is the practical camping season, with June and July offering the longest evenings, light lasting past ten o'clock at midsummer. Several sites nearby stay open all year for hardier caravanners.

On wild camping, be clear that it is not legal in England without the landowner's permission, and that includes everywhere in and around Newcastle. If you want that kind of experience, head an hour north into Northumberland National Park, where discreet high-ground camping is broadly tolerated if you arrive late, leave early and take everything with you. Closer to the city, book a proper site.