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Photo: John Darch, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Grand estate formerly owned by the Bowes-Lyon dynasty (ancestors of HM Elizabeth Queen Mother) - they got so rich from Durham coal that they acquired more castles and mansions than they knew what to do with. Gibside Hall was built 1603-1620 but fell into disuse then dereliction from the 19th century, so only a shell remains. The Banqueting Hall is a separate building which also fell derelict but has been restored - it's described as "Gothick" but resembles a mortuary. The Georgian chapel is the estate's finest feature and it, rather than the Hall, is the focus of the landscaping, with a vista towards the Column to Liberty. There's also a stable block, orangery and extensive grounds, dogs on leads welcome. The estate is now managed by the National Trust.
Gibside is an estate in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located in the valley of the River Derwent on the border with County Durham, between Rowlands Gill and Burnopfield. The estate is the surviving part of a Georgian landscaped park, primarily created under the ownership of Sir George Bowes (1701–60) and designed in large part by Stephen Switzer and William Joyce.
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Small but well-stocked gallery of Dutch and British art and craftwork, including ceramics, wood, metal, glass, textiles and furniture.
1998 sculpture by Antony Gormley that was initially disliked by many, but is now symbolic of the northeast. It's 20 metres / 66 ft tall, with a wingspan of 54 m / 177 ft. The site is free, 24 hours.
A modern music arena, designed by Foster and Partners in the early 2000s. The building houses two large concert halls, bars, a restaurant and a reference library. The building hosts a wide variety of musical talent, especially classical and folk.
Opened in 2002, this is in the former Rank Hovis flour mill. It has changing exhibitions of contemporary art and has few permanent works; perhaps the most memorable is Mark Wallinger's vertigo-inducing Heaven and Hell on the main stairwell. From the balcony, there are fine views over the riverside, and from May to September, you have the intimate sight of the world's most inland colony of kittywakes raising their young on the cliff-like walls of the centre. Wheelchair accessible.
Standard-gauge colliery railway, originally 15 miles long, and the central 6 miles were so steep that they were cable-hauled by static engines.