Gateshead: Art, walking routes and industrial history

BALTIC is located on the Quayside in Gateshead, a 10- to 15-minute walk from Gateshead town centre. From Newcastle Quayside, you can walk to the gallery via the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. This makes BALTIC a practical landmark for planning your trip: art, the bridge and the town centre can be located using named routes, while parks and longer walks offer other points of interest. Gateshead thus combines culture and industrial history with outdoor activities.

Finding your way around the Quayside and the Tyne

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge was the first bridge of its kind to feature a tilting mechanism that allows boats to pass through. It is therefore not only a route between Newcastle Quayside and BALTIC, but also a striking example of a distinctive bridge design. Newcastle lies on the north bank of the River Tyne; seven bridges connect the city with Gateshead.

There is also a named route to help cyclists find their way: Route 141 of the National Cycle Network, also known as The Keelmans Way, connects the upper Tyne with Central Gateshead and the Bill Quay area. Alongside the footpath over the Millennium Bridge, it provides another reference point for planning routes and destinations during your stay.

Art, music and industrial history

BALTIC is housed in a former flour mill that was converted into a six-storey contemporary art gallery in 2002. The gallery has no permanent collection. As a result, visitors see art they have not seen before each time they visit—a different approach from visiting a permanent collection.

The history of Dunston Staiths also tells the story of the region’s industrial use. The structure opened in 1893 so that coal could be loaded directly onto ships. Today, Dunston Staiths is designated a Scheduled Monument and is listed as a Grade II building. Its historic function and protected status give the site a distinctive place in an itinerary that includes industrial history as well as art.

The Shipley Art Gallery opened on 29 November 1917. Its Designated Collection is of national importance. The Glasshouse, home of the Royal Northern Sinfonia orchestra, offers another musical perspective. The Glasshouse Music Education Centre has 26 rooms for lessons, practice, workshops and recording.

South of Gateshead, a large contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley stands on a hillside overlooking the A1. Its location and view of the road are among the specific details that distinguish this art stop from the galleries and historic buildings.

Parks and walking routes

Saltwell Park combines landscaped green spaces with a long history as a park. Its gardens date from around 1853 to 1870; Edward Kemp designed the public park in 1876. The 55-acre site contains twelve Grade II listed buildings, including Saltwell Towers. The park also has a lake with a path along its shore. Historic garden design, individual buildings and a waterside walk are thus distinct aspects of the park.

One longer walking option is the nine-mile Tyne Derwent Way, which connects the centre of Gateshead with the Derwent Valley. It begins at St Mary’s Heritage Centre and ends at Gibside. Along the way, it passes through Gateshead Riverside Park and by Dunston Staiths. As route details can change, it is worth checking them again before setting out.

At Gibside, the Wonders of Nature Trail is a circular route that starts and ends at the Market Place. It offers a different kind of walk from the route between Gateshead and the Derwent Valley: one has the same start and end point, while the other has a named starting point and a different destination.

Choose a hotel to suit your itinerary

When choosing a hotel in Gateshead, it helps to decide on your main priorities first. If BALTIC and the Quayside are part of your plans, the stated walking time to the town centre and the footpath from Newcastle Quayside are practical reference points. For a walk, the Tyne Derwent Way—with its distance, starting point, destination and route—offers a different framework for planning.

Discover more destinations: Dunston, Ryton, Birtley, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Redcar And Cleveland, Northumberland, Stockton-On-Tees.

For the broader travel overview: North East England.