After living in Newcastle for over 2 years, I'm ashamed to confess that I haven't really explored much of Nortumberland. I've been to Bamburgh once or twice, but the bucket list of famous places such as Kielder, Alnwick, Alnmouth, and more, awoke this summer. At the start of this month, we finally packed our bags and headed North up to Kielder.
Initially, the plan was to stay in Kielder all day, but you'll find out a bit further down the post why this changed.
Kielder Forest Drive
Rather than going straight to the water's edge, we decided to head further up towards the Scottish border and approached Kielder via the 'Forest Drive'. This 12 mile stretch of road aids the transportation of Forestry England Vehicles but pairs up as a super scenic public toll road leading to Kielder Castle.
The website does advise this road is taken by 4x4 vehicles but we managed to do it in our compact Fiat Punto and found that, with a bit of care, the rubble roads are fine enough. The only time I would issue caution would be in harsher weather conditions; on a sunny morning this road is a breeze and the views are just breathtaking.
One of the points of interest along the way is Blakehope Nick - this is one of England's highest roads at 1500 feet and has a wonderful viewing platform which you can see on my IGTV below!
Kielder Lakeside Way Walk
Starting at Hawkhope Car park on the North East side of the water, we set off westward along the Lakeside Way route. This Lakeside walkway stretches the entirety of the water but we only managed a small chunk of it because of the warm weather and subsequent amount of mosquitos and black flies.
My word of warning: don't visit on a hot summer's day without a bottle of Deet or insect repellent.
Not only did we leave with 10-20 bites each (with only our arms exposed) but, since the walkway follows close to the water, there were few seating areas in which we could escape the insects to eat our picnic. Despite this, we saw some wonderful things along the way. From a little family of tiny field mice, a huge gold-ringed dragonfly, and a bunch of magical mushrooms peppered on the ground.
Since our sore, bitten arms sent us heading back early, we only ended up being out for around 2 hours. As we returned to the car at 1pm, we didn't want the day to be over just yet. Under the lovely blue skies and through beautiful country roads, we decided to head for Bellingham, since it had always been a place on our walking bucket list.
Hareshaw Linn
Arriving in the very busy and compact village of Bellingham, we realised it was the starting place for a walk we'd been eying up beforehand. Smack-bang in the middle of the village is the Hareshaw Burn with a busy but free car park. We set off on the walk after seeing a sign saying 'Hareshaw Linn - 1 mile' and boy OH BOY that was the longest mile of my life.
While the walk is beautiful and 100% worth it, I just simply don't believe the cartographer who erected that sign. Anyhow, as I mentioned, the walk is lovely. Feeling very immersed in the woodland around and tightly following the Burn the entire way, we reached the waterfall by surprise, turning the corner to see 30 foot of water cascade before us. On a warm day, the spray from the water is so refreshing and I could've sat watching and listening to the sounds all day.
The strength of the walk isn't too hard but, if like me you find inclines a little difficult, you'll want to keep yourself prepared with plenty of water, an inhaler, and a good pair of walking boots. The trail itself isn't particularly paths, maybe some parts of solid ground, but definitely, areas of mud will be found along the way.
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All in all, we left Bellingham feeling triumphant. Despite our dream of a long walk through Kielder being shaken up, we preserved and ultimately ended up on one of my favourite walks I've ever done. I would 100% recommend Hareshaw Linn the most, it's so natural and wholesome and a little less commercialised than Kielder.
Don't forget to check out my IGTV video to see some clips from across the day!
Did somebody order another 3 months of Newcastle food adventures? Get ready for a tour of the tables I was gobbling at throughout January, February and March.
O C T O B E R
N O V E M B E R
10-11-19 - Tani Modi, Edinburgh
The following morning, the food coma had well and truly passed and I was ready to take on breakfast. After being turned down for space in Rabble (note to self: book for breakfast there next time), we decided to move on to another one of our options - Tani Modi. Ultimately, we didn't draw the short straw at all. Again, this one has to be managed well for time because, we were lucky enough to get a seat for 4 shortly after we arrived but, while we were eating, a queue outside began to build up. The food, most importantly, was brilliant! I chose blueberry pancakes which were huge and packed full of berry compote and yoghurt; accompanied by (another) latte which this time was even stronger. I'd definitely recommend visiting Tani Modi - it has such a charm.
D E C E M B E R
As bloggers, we too often set our sights on working with the big shots and, far too rarely want to really showcase what the local community around us has to offer. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, every place has its quirks and unique areas or businesses and I think it's about time we show them off. Here's why you should be sharing more about your local life...
Rekindle your own desire
Since starting to blog more about what is around me in Newcastle, it’s enabling me to discover exactly that. I would have had no idea about half of the places on offer in the city centre if it wasn’t for other bloggers pointing them out on their feeds. Similarly, as I yearn to blog more and more about places in Newcastle, I’ve found myself researching the next place to go, opening my eyes to places that I probably would’ve walked past beforehand.
We’ve heard it all before; ‘support local businesses’ and ‘give back to the community’. With the likes of Brexit looming over, local businesses really do need your help to not only keep them running but helping to earn livings. For me, whenever I’m invited to check out a new venue in Newcastle, the thing that warms my heart the most is when I hear about how the artwork is local, the food is locally sourced, or the bar celebrates brewers from nearby. If you can help support these kinds of institutes, you’re not only helping one local business, but you’re creating a domino effect; aiding in the upkeep of many small and growing businesses all around you.
*This post contains gifted items.
One of my favourite kinds of invitation is that of a food invite. This time, it was the team at Slug & Lettuce in Durham who invited me to their new, updated venue to check out their menus and stunning interior.
Now that this venue has returned as a slug and lettuce, it's also come with a brand new look, featuring bird-cage booths, flower trellises, and dusty pink tones - I love the style they've gone for. Of course, it's worth mentioning that they have not one, but two selfie walls and everything else fit for an instagrammable location. But, of course, what would a tropical-themed and glamorous bar and restaurant be without its menus.
As I alluded, we succumbed to our sweet cravings and, opting for the trio system in order to get a taste of a few things. We chose salted caramel bites, limoncello drizzle sponge, and the macarignues. They were all lovely and I was pleasantly surprised. While the limoncello drizzle sponge wasn't overpoweringly alcoholic (thankfully), the meringues were super sweet and indulgent. As for the salted caramel bites, though, they were just a dream paired with our glasses of red wine.
All in all, it was a wonderful meal and I think this the perfect place to hang out with friends or family, in the heart of Durham, surrounded by instagrammable opportunities (which is always a bonus).
We'll kick off with a disclaimer: I'm an eager cook and frugal bunny, so eating out is always a treat for me. I see others out for food every weekend and, not only do I question 'how the hell do you afford that?!' but I also know that my own cooking is sometimes just as good (if I do say so myself). Of course, you stumbled across my blog expecting the typical 'perfect life' of a blogger/influencer but, I'm certainly not about that here. So, with that in mind, I'm going to chat on about the little treats that I allowed myself over the past few weeks.
1. The Brownie Bar - Heaton
I very recently popped into The Brownie Bar to try out some of their treats with a few friends. The staff were more than welcoming to us, chatting with us, double-checking any dietary requirements, making us laugh, and leaving me alone as I proceeded to take multiple pictures of my cookie. Oh and, if you're wondering why I got a cookie in a Brownie Bar, it's because this beauty has a brownie nestle inside it. What a dream! I paired it with a banana nut ice-cream milkshake which was pretty much gone in seconds.
2. Valerie's Tearoom - Whitley Bay
It was actually my first time to Whitley Bay when I came to this Tearoom but I knew from social media and word of mouth that this was a lovely little place to check out. It certainly didn't disappoint. I got 20s/30s vibes from the interior but was so pleasantly surprised by how clean it was, even considering it was an old fashioned style place. The selection of cakes was wonderful; almost every type of classic cake you could think of. I opted for a walnut and coffee cake slice (which was very rich and large) and a pot of tea, of course, served in silverware.
3. Bao Bar - Heaton
Just before our brownies, we tried out Bao Bar, also on Chillingham Road. Bao Bar serves, you guessed it, steamed Bao Buns filled with your choice of 5 fresh fillings. I was super impressed with the chicken in my Chicken Bao Bun - not only was it super fresh, but also tender and delicious. While it may feel a little on the pricey side, with 1 small bun being around £4, it's definitely worth giving a try.
4. The Punch Bowl - Cradlewell
Standing proud on Jesmond Road is the newly renovated The Punch Bowl Hotel. Owned by the same company that owns The Brandling Villa, this pub opened its doors in July and seems to have had a lot of mixed reviews since then. This, though, is mainly because of the cheeky remarks and controversial attitudes that it holds (yet it's mostly sarcastic). Jamie and I did, however, welcome it with open arms. The vibes inside are so reminiscent of an old fashioned pub, with racing green subway tiles, old leather sofas and log burner. Although, I'm here to talk about the food which is 100% worth going for. It's pub food that has been carefully tweaked and changed to showcase delicious, unique flavours unlike anything else. We tried the pastrami potato rosti with silverskin onions and the venison meatball garlic toasted sandwich with parmesan fries - absolutely wonderful.
5. Acropolis Street Food - Tynemouth Market
Whenever one of the local markets is on, I'm always mostly thinking about Acropolis Street food. Luckily, they seem to go to all of the main markets in Newcastle and, seeing as the Jesmond Food Market is super local to me, it's dangerous for my bank account. Their gyros, packed with everything they have to offer, is an absolute melody and, if it was possible, it would eat it over and over again. It's the only one on this list which I've already visited multiple times before and, I can guarantee it'll continue to be one of my favourite choices.
Having eaten at all of those new places, I've got to say that I'd love to revisit the Brownie Bar the most given the fact that I've already checked out their breakfast menu and, when breakfast that good is so local, I don't know how I'll be able to resist.
This blog post was inspired by the wonderful Bekki at mynameisbekki.co.uk. You can read her recent post of where she's been eating, here, and follow her on Instagram too.

What's there?
Starting from the bottom, as soon as you walk in you are enticed by the botanical theme; flower walls, punny neon signs, and botanical wallpaper; the Garden of Eden theme is completely floor to ceiling. There are two entrances, the door on the left brings you into the bar area (which eventually leads through the restaurant at the back) and the door on the right is an entrance to the stairs, leading up to the clubrooms.
Upon entering the bar, they pride themselves on their very luxurious gin bar, fully equipped with efficient staff members and what feels like an endless drinks menu. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy your drinks, from booths hidden away in private corners, to tables centred around very flamboyant trees.
Through the bar and into the restaurant, there is plenty of seating (again with a variety of different dining setups), each table laced with more botany vibes and crystal wine glasses all flickering in the light of the open kitchen and pizza oven.
On the first floor, I was surprised to find out how much I loved karaoke! You can hire out rooms for you and friends for as little as £5 an hour with pretty much any music you could ask for and on-hand drinks service at the push of a button.
Finally, the top floor is home to 3 new clubrooms. The first is my favourite, Genesis, which is the cheesiest, most extravagant mix of light up dancefloors, glitter balls, and 80s hits. With a huge window watching over Newgate Street, it looks fantastic at night. Through another door is the smallest club room, Forbidden, serving the R&B lovers, and finally, the main room is a new, open-plan venue that will host DJs and event, Hedonist.
The Food and Drink
While the place radiates such a luxurious vibe, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find out that the food is excellent value. At £9.50 for a 2-foot-long pizza that is so big, it's ideal for sharing, you really can't go wrong. My friends and I devoured 2 of these huge pizzas, as well as their tasty chunky 'Cheeky Eden Chips' and we have all already vowed to head back asap to get more of that delicious dough.
You will have definitely guessed by now what the theme is for the cocktail menu?! You got it - Floral. But fear not, the classics are all still listed there too, but you have to try their stunningly unique cocktail mixtures, mostly themed around botanicals. I recommend 'Petals & Peaches' and 'Le Bouquet'.
But wait, it might all sound to good to be true, but one of my favourite things is the happy hour between 5-9pm EVERY DAY! That's half-price drinks for 4 sweet hours. Not to mention their fizz Friday's, packages and masterclasses.
I adore finding new, exciting places in Newcastle and I'm delighted that Eden has graced the toon', bringing with it what it has to offer but welcoming our culture with open arms. I already can't wait to visit again soon.
































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