Days Out by Metro from Hebburn

Hebburn has a quiet advantage that many bigger towns would envy: a Metro station right in the middle of it. Hebburn sits on the Yellow Line of the Tyne and Wear Metro, and from a single platform you can reach a Roman fort, two art galleries, a cathedral city, a string of proper seaside beaches and an Anglo-Saxon farm, all without touching a car. Trains run every few minutes for most of the day, the station has step-free access, and a day ticket covers as much hopping on and off as you like. This guide runs through the best days out on the line, roughly in the order the Yellow Line reaches them.

Why the Metro makes Hebburn so well placed

The Yellow Line runs from South Shields in the east, through Jarrow, Hebburn, Pelaw and Gateshead, into the heart of Newcastle, then loops out to the coast at Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Cullercoats before heading back to the city. That means Hebburn has two directions of interest: one short hop east to the mouth of the Tyne and the Roman coast, and one longer run west and north into the city and round to the seaside. Buy a DaySaver or a Pop pay-as-you-go card and the whole loop is yours. One thing to note for planning: Sunderland and South Hylton are on the Green Line, not the Yellow, so a trip there means a change (usually at one of the shared central stations). Check current times and fares on the Nexus website before you set off, as timetables and prices change.

Jarrow, one stop east

The very next stop towards South Shields is Jarrow, and it hides one of the region's most surprising days out. Jarrow Hall is an Anglo-Saxon farm, village and Bede museum set across eleven acres, with reconstructed timber dwellings, rare-breed and rescue animals, and a museum telling the story of the Venerable Bede, who lived and wrote here at the twin monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow in the eighth century. It has had a turbulent recent history, so it is worth checking opening days and events before you travel. Nearby stand the ruins of St Paul's Monastery and its still-active church, home to one of the oldest stained-glass windows in the world.

South Shields, the end of the line

Ride to the eastern terminus and you reach the coast at South Shields. It is a genuine seaside town: Sandhaven and Littlehaven beaches sweep along the mouth of the Tyne, and the promenade and Ocean Beach pleasure park give it a traditional holiday feel in summer. History runs deep here too. Arbeia Roman Fort has reconstructed gateways and barracks and is free to enter, while The Word, the striking National Centre for the Written Word on the market place, is a free modern library and exhibition space well worth an hour. For the full picture, see the things to do in South Shields and best beaches in South Shields guides on our sister site.

Gateshead, for art and music

Heading the other way, a short run west brings you to Gateshead and the Quays. The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, a converted flour mill on the south bank, is one of the largest galleries of its kind in Europe, and entry is free. Its top-floor viewing box gives a wonderful sweep of the river and the bridges. Next door, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (the curved Norman Foster building formerly known as Sage Gateshead) hosts concerts across every genre, and you can wander into its concourse and café for the view even without a ticket. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge tilts across the river to link the Quays to Newcastle's Quayside on the far bank.

Newcastle, the whole city in twenty minutes

The Yellow Line runs right under the city centre, so Newcastle is an easy hop. Above ground you have Grey Street and Grainger Town, the covered Victorian splendour of the Grainger Market, and the historic Quayside with its Sunday market beneath the bridges. For rainy days, the city's museums are free: the Great North Museum: Hancock, with its Hadrian's Wall gallery and life-size T. rex cast, and the Discovery Museum, which tells the story of Tyneside innovation around the Turbinia, the fastest ship in the world when it was built. Both suit families and cost nothing to enter.

The coast, all the way round

Stay on the Yellow Line past the city and it curves out to the North Sea, which is where Hebburn's Metro connection really earns its keep. Tynemouth is the jewel: the dramatic clifftop ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle, the long golden sweep of Longsands, and the wonderful weekend market held under the glass canopies of the Victorian station. One stop on, Whitley Bay has the restored Spanish City dome full of places to eat, a long beach, and the causeway out to St Mary's Lighthouse at low tide. Little Cullercoats, tucked between the two, has a pretty horseshoe bay and a working harbour. Any of them makes a fine half-day; strung together they are a classic Tyneside coastal wander.

Making a day of it

The beauty of it is that you can mix and match. A morning at BALTIC and an afternoon on Tynemouth beach, or the Roman fort at South Shields followed by an ice cream at Ocean Beach, all sit on one line and one ticket. When you are ready to explore closer to home, our guides to parks and green spaces in Hebburn and family things to do in Hebburn round up what is within walking distance of the station. And for ideas across the wider region, North East Alive gathers days out from right across the North East.

Frequently asked questions

Which Metro line is Hebburn on, and where does it go?

Hebburn is on the Yellow Line of the Tyne and Wear Metro. In one direction it runs east through Jarrow to South Shields, and in the other it runs west through Pelaw and Gateshead into Newcastle city centre, then loops out to the coast at Tynemouth, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay before returning to the city. Sunderland and South Hylton are on the separate Green Line and need a change.

What can I do by Metro from Hebburn for free?

Plenty. Arbeia Roman Fort and The Word at South Shields, the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art at Gateshead, and the Great North Museum and Discovery Museum in Newcastle are all free to enter. The beaches at South Shields, Tynemouth, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay cost nothing, and you can walk the causeway to St Mary's Lighthouse at low tide.

How long does the Metro take from Hebburn to the coast?

As a rough guide, South Shields is only a few minutes east, while Newcastle city centre is around twenty minutes west and Tynemouth and Whitley Bay a further stretch round the coastal loop. Trains run frequently for most of the day. Always check the live times and fares on the Nexus website before you travel, as timetables change.