Corbridge

Corbridge is a village in the Tyne valley of Northumberland, 16 miles west of Newcastle and 4 miles east of Hexham. It's an attractive small place and the main reasons to visit are to see the Roman town of Coria, and to explore Hadrian's Wall further north. In 2021 Corbridge had a population of 2888.

Get in
Newcastle Airport is at Ponteland 20 miles northeast: take the Metro to city centre for buses and trains to Corbridge. In 2023 a taxi might be £45.

Trains run hourly from Newcastle upon Tyne, taking 35 min via Metrocentre and Prudhoe, and continuing west to Hexham. These trains usually start from Nunthorpe near Middlesbrough. The Morpeth-Newcastle-Carlisle trains seldom stop here. Change at Newcastle for London Kings Cross, Leeds, York and Edinburgh.

The is half a mile south of town centre. It's a simple platform halt with ticket machines but no other facilities. There's a ramp to the Newcastle-bound platform. The footbridge is broken in 2023, so everyone reaches the Hexham-bound platform via the southside car park.

Tynedale Bus X84 / 85 runs from Newcastle Eldon Square M-Sa every 30 min, taking 50 min via Denton, Throckley, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Wylam and Ovington, and continuing to Hexham. There's only two on Sunday.

Go North East Bus 10 runs from Newcastle Eldon Square via the railway station, Metro Centre, Blaydon, Prudhoe and Riding Mill, taking 70 min to Corbridge and another ten to Hexham. It's every 30 min M-Sa and hourly on Sunday.

There's no bus station, buses make several stops along the main street.

Corbridge is 16 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne and 4 miles east of Hexham. It lies just off the A69 Newcastle to Carlisle road, a fast dual carriageway. This crosses coast-to-coast at low altitude, so it stays open when other routes such as A66 are blocked. It's not motorway and cyclists may use it, but they will feel safer using loops of the former main road.

A68 is a scenic and fairly fast route from Darlington to Corbridge, where it joins A69 for a couple of miles before continuing north to Jedburgh and Edinburgh. It follows the straight line of the Roman road Dere Street, with switchback progress up hill down dale, punctuated by blind crests and occasional tight bends.

Get around
The town is compact and walkable. You need wheels for Aydon Castle and Hadrian's Wall.

Executive Taxis are on +44 1434 605601. There are others based in Hexham.

See

 * is central in town. The church was first erected by monks of Hexham Abbey in 676 AD and some Saxon components remain, plus a hotchpotch of later styles. It's Anglican and generally open in daylight hours.
 * Vicar's Pele in the northeast corner of the churchyard is a three-storey defensive pele tower of 1318 that doubled as the vicarage, and is now a pub and wedding venue.
 * was built in 1674 to replace that of 1235. It's a graceful seven-arch span, widened in 1881, which carried the A68 until this was re-routed onto A69 Hexham Bypass.
 * are two large kilns, reached by strolling up Milkwell Lane.
 * are two large kilns, reached by strolling up Milkwell Lane.

Do

 * Hadrian's Wall Path is a grassy trail across the fields following the vallum, the ditch and embankment. The wall masonry hereabouts has long ago been taken for other buildings.
 * Northumberland County Show is held in late May at Bywell six miles east, see Prudhoe.
 * Corbridge Steam Rally is in June on Tynedale Park.
 * Corbridge Music Festival is usually at the end of June, but it's been on hold since 2019.

Buy

 * Coop Food at 3 Hill St, open daily 7AM-10PM.
 * Nearby Hexham has bigger supermarkets. For a big-ticket shop, head to Metrocentre west edge of Newcastle.

Eat

 * Corbridge Tandoori in Market Place gets mixed reviews. It's open daily 5-11PM.
 * Corbridge Larder is a deli cafe at 18 Hill St, open M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM.

Drink



 * The Pele, the fortified vicarage, is now a pub open Th-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-10PM.
 * The Blue Bell on Hill St is open daily noon-11PM.

Connect
As of Feb 2023, Corbridge and its approach roads have 4G with all UK carriers. 5G is snaking outwards from Newcastle but has not yet reached the town.

Go next

 * Hadrian's Wall passes three miles north: B6318 follows its course. The section from Newcastle to Chesters is little more than a ditch, and the best of it is further west above Haltwhistle.
 * Hexham four miles west has a medieval abbey and jail.
 * Kielder Forest is in the hills north towards the Scottish border, with various outdoor activities.
 * Newcastle upon Tyne is easily reached for big city amusements.