Morpeth (England)
Morpeth is a historic market town of 14,000 people (2011) in Northumberland, England, on the River Wansbeck. Morpeth's Carlisle Park hosts one of the four floral clocks in England.
Get in
🌍 Morpeth station. on the East Coast Main Line, and is served by LNER and Cross Country intercity services as well as Northern local services from Newcastle. It is about 80 min from Edinburgh, 20 min from Newcastle or just over 3 hours from London King's Cross. Just south of the station is the infamous Morpeth curve, reputably the tightest curve on a British main line, which has been the site of several derailments caused by trains travelling too fast around it.
Lumo train runs twice Su-F and once Sa from London King's Cross, taking 3 hr 15 min via Newcastle, and continuing to Edinburgh. It's been much hyped, but see Edinburgh#Get in for the reality check.
Arriva Bus X15 runs hourly from Newcastle Haymarket, taking 30 min via Gosforth and continuing north to Alnwick; alternate buses there go on up the A1 to Beal (for Lindisfarne), Scremerston and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
By road follow A1, which bypasses the town to the west.
See
- 🌍 Bagpipe Museum, All Saints Chantry, Bridge Street. M–Sa 10AM-5PM. Museum primarily about Northumbrian bagpipes in All Saints Chantry which was built in 1296. Occasional concerts and performances.The building also houses the tourist information centre. free.
- 🌍 Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Belsay, NE20 0DX (10 miles south-west of Morpeth), ☏ +44 1661 881636. adults £7.90, children £4.70, concessions £7.10.
- See Alnwick for Blinkburn Priory, Cragside and Rothbury.
Buy
- Wednesday Market, Market Place. W 9AM-4PM. weekly market with 16 - 20 stalls selling a mixture of food and hardware.
- Farmer's Market, Market Place. Dirst Saturday each month 9AM-3PM. A monthly market with traders selling stuff (mainly food) that they have made themselves within 50 miles of Morpeth.
Eat
- 🌍 The Electrical Wizard, 11 New Market. Wetherspoon's pub with meals. mains from £6.
Sleep
- 🌍 Stepping Stones, 75 Newgate St., ☏ +44 1670 517869. B&B from £50.
- 🌍 Morpeth Lodge Guest House, 6 Staithes Lane, ☏ +44 1670 518550. 21-room lodge from £45.
- 🌍 Thistleyhaugh Farm, Longhorseley NE65 8RG (off A697 seven miles north of Morpeth), ☏ +44 1665 570629. Charming B&B in Georgian farmhouse by River Coquet. Open Feb to mid Dec, no dogs. B&B double £110.
- 🌍 St Mary's Inn, St Mary's Lane, Morpeth NE61 6BL, ☏ +44 1670 293293. It looks like an old station on the Midlands line, it's actually a converted hospital, now a pub with 11 rooms. Clean, comfy, good eating. B&B double £100.
Connect
As of July 2021, Morpeth has 5G from EE and 4G from the other UK carriers.
Go next
- South to Cramlington, Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne
- North to Amble, Alnmouth and Alnwick
- West to Prudhoe, Corbridge and Hexham
| Routes through Morpeth |
| Edinburgh ← Alnwick ← | N S | → Newcastle upon Tyne |