Morpeth Guide

Your Guide to Morpeth 

Morpeth is located towards the Southern end of Northumberland, approximately 15 miles North of Newcastle and 18 miles South of Alnwick. It is known as Northumberland's historic County Town and has very stylish, upmarket shopping and amenities. The Town has a long and interesting history dating back to the construction of a Norman motte and bailey Castle in 1095.

The newly renovated Sanderson Arcade is the jewel in Morpeth's shopping crown, it has been improved very sympathetically with the rest of the Town and fits in well with the 'old market' style setting. Morpeth has excellent transport links and lots to see and do, there's the 13th Century Chantry that houses the Bagpipe Museum and Arts Gallery and Carlisle Park, home of the Turner Garden. Morpeth also is the home of the annual Morpeth Gathering, a wonderful event that includes crafts, street performances, barn dances and writing. The event is a celebration of Northumbrian traditions and becomes more popular with locals and visitors each year. Buy a full guide to Morpeth.

Attractions: Sanderson Shopping Arcade, Bagpipe Museum, Northumbrian Arts and Crafts Gallery, Carlisle Park, Turner Garden.

Getting There

Morpeth is just a mile from the A1, the main road that runs right through the heart of Northumberland from South to North. This makes it easy to access Morpeth by road, with many car parks in the Town Centre which are free on Sundays and Bank Holidays (highlighted on our interactive Town Centre map). The Town is also extremely well served by Public Transport. The Bus Station was recently given a face lift along with the Sanderson Arcade and provides links to many places across the County, South to Newcastle, North to Alnwick and Berwick and Eastwards towards the Coast. See the Arriva website for full route information.

Morpeth also has a Train Station conveniently located just outside the Town Centre, South of the River Wansbeck. The station is part of the East Coast Mainline, so as you can imagine there are frequent trains from as far South as London and as far North as Edinburgh and Glasgow. East Coast Trains Route Information can be found by clicking on the link. The main stations on the East Coast Line are Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick although some smaller stations are included in some routes. There is a taxi rank conveniently located at the side of the train station should you need onward travel. For details of other Taxi companies please see our Amenities sections below. Newcastle Airport is just 9 miles South-West of Morpeth and has regular flights from all over the world.

Morpeth's Attractions and Things To DoThere is a wealth of things to do in Morpeth whether you are staying in the Town or just visiting for a day. The Sanderson Arcade is a stylish and beautifully created shopping area that is definitely worth a mention as an attraction, not just a place to shop. Carlisle Park is a wonderful public open space that is also home of the Turner Garden and many amenities such as tennis courts, children's play areas, rowing boats and a skate park. The Morpeth Bagpipe Museum is located in the 13th Century Chantry along with the Northumbrian Arts and Crafts Gallery. Just outside of Morpeth is the Whitehouse Farm Centre, a 40 acre farm with a large range of exciting and often rare animals, they have been welcoming and educating visitors for years. There are walks that take you through woodland and along the river banks, excellent golf facilities and Farmers markets, no end of things to do in this lovely Town. Explore your guide to Morpeth's Attractions... 

Morpeth's Restaurants, Pubs and Cafes - Places to Eat and Drink

Being the 'County Town' you would expect a strong selection of restaurants and places to eat and Morpeth doesn't disappoint. The choice ranges from fine international cuisine, a Thai Restaurant, Spanish Tapas and Italian Restaurants to modern british bistro-style food. There is of course the usual Pubs serving good quality bar meals and refreshing beer. Morpeth also has a good coffee culture scene with many stylish coffee shops tea rooms and deli's to enjoy. Explore your guide to Places to Eat and Drink in Morpeth...

Morpeth's Shopping

As I have mentioned earlier, shopping is definitely one of Morpeth's strong points. The Sanderson Arcade is beautiful and manages to combine the needs of the modern shopper and keep the look traditional and fresh. There is a wide choice of shops here from upmarket Deli's to clothing stores, coffee shops and Marks and Spencer. The Arcade leads on to Bridge Street which houses a number of larger chain stores and Morpeth's very own independent Department Store Rutherfords. Add into all this the regular markets and you have an excellent recipe for shopping. Explore your guide to Morpeth's shopping...

Food Shopping and Supermarkets

Morpeth is lucky in that it is well served by the larger supermarkets and local people come from miles around to use the facilities here. The largest of them all is Morrison's, just behind the Sanderson Arcade and the Bus Station. Next to Morrison's there is a Lidl and also just inside the Sanderson Arcade there is a Marks and Spencer Food hall. Morpeth also has many independent Deli's and food shops worth visiting including the Corbridge Larder and don't forget about the regular local markets. There is a weekly market on a Wednesday and a Farmers Market on the first Saturday of every month (except January). The Veg Box Company deliver to the Morpeth area and aim to bring fresh fruit and veg to your door at a cheaper price than the supermarkets.

Morpeth's Amenities

The town centre also has excellent amenities. There is a Tourist Information Centre that is open 7 days a week located in 'The Chantry' on Bridge Street. The public toilets are located near the Tourist Information Centre and are clearly signposted. There are numerous Banks and Building Society's which are mainly located on Bridge Street. For a full list of Amenities including Banks, Hospital A&E, Police Station, Vets, Dentist, Post Office and more, along with location and contact information, click below.

Explore your guide to Morpeth's Amenities...

Have we missed something? Can you recommend an attraction, restaurant or accommodation? Or maybe you have a business you would like to be included? Let us know.