Recommended Sights: Driving from York to Berwick-Upon-Tweed

For the Wall there's Housesteads and Vindolanda, and also the Roman Army Museum nearby.

Bamburgh and Holy Island are both great sights, though be sure to check the causeway crossing times (it's not a vague guideline - miss them and you'll be stranded)

Alnwick Castle has nice gardens and is of interest to Harry Potter fans. Alnmouth is a nice little town nearby as well.

Newcastle has St. James' Park, if your sons are into soccer at all. You can also go to the beach from there - Tynemouth is a lovely seaside town.

There's also Durham, an historic town just south of Newcastle with a famous cathedral. Some parts of Harry Potter were filmed there too.

Lastly, there's Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Never been there myself but it's popular with tourists so it's worth looking into.

Thank you so much for your quick reply. This is just the information I was looking for.

...to add a bit more detail, no Harry Potter fans in our family; sadly, no interest in soccer. Both boys like history (Saxon, Roman, Viking) and we always try to see a Catholic church or two on our visits abroad.

How much time do you have on this drive? One day?

Durham has a Viking history to it (the histories of Holy Island and Durham are linked), as well as Norman. Durham Cathedral was also a Catholic monastery until Henry VIII had his way.

@Eef -- We plan to make the drive in 1 (long) day.

@akkejakke -- Thanks for the added info on Durham. I will read up on it before we decide on a final route.

Akkejakke has named every place I'd recommend. Housesteads Fort and Vindolanda are probably the best Hadrian's Wall sights near its eastern end where you'll be. Durham Cathedral is stunning and very interesting, as is the nearby college. You could easily spend a day there. We liked the church at Hexham with its Roman and Saxon artifacts. Bambergh Castle has a spectacular coastal setting but needn't take a lot of time. We liked Alnwick even without the Potter connection, and I understand its garden (which we missed) is also very good. We didn't get to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) because the tides didn't work for us but we would have gone if they had.

We also didn't get to Newcastle but it would be another worthwhile destination. There's plenty to see and do between York and Berwick. If your time allows I'd suggest at least two days for that drive. Durham or Newcastle would be a good overnight stop.

With only one day, you are going to have to choose very carefully what you will see. Don't try to see too much, and spend the whole day racing from sight to sight. This part of England is full of wonderful things to see and do. We came back a second time because we missed so much the first time. I think you need at least a week -- so prepare yourself for another trip. I also have 2 teenage sons.

Roman things are always a hit with my family. We loved Hadrian's Wall (spent 2 days in Haltwhistle). With limited time, I would opt for Housesteads which is right on the wall. Be sure to walk along the wall at least a little. I think Vindolanda is actually better than Housesteads, but it is not on the wall. You need to get up on the ridge so you can see the landscape and appreciate all the building that went along with the wall.

I adore Durham Cathedral. I think this is my favorite, and I have been to a lot of cathedrals. It would be a shame to miss it, but it would be hard to do Durham and Hadrian's Wall in the same day.

I also liked Holy Island. Check the tides. The timing of the tides may just rule this out for this trip.

With only one day, I would spend all the time along the wall. Bring a picnic lunch to save time.