UNITED KINGDOM - England

Location - Western Europe; Capital - London; Population - England: 50.5 million; Currency - Pound Sterling MORE UK - ENGLAND

Newcastle and Durham are two very worthy British destinations, found in north east England. Also in here is one of WWII's sea forts in the Thames estuary, and Leigh-on-Sea is a seaside resort town an hour's train ride east of London - April 2013.

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A beautiful night view of Durham Cathedral set high above the River Wear - Durham

And slightly earlier in the day the Cathedral from the opposite angle, with Durham Castle on the left - Durham

Durham Cathedral dominates the old quarter of the city - Durham

The Cathedral dates back to the 11th century, though much of it has been rebuilt over the years - Durham

It's known as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in the UK and Europe - Durham

Inside the Cathedral is the impressive 'The Pieta' sculpture depicting Mary standing over the body of Jesus - Durham

Climb the twisting 325+ steps to the top of the tower for a bird's eye view of Durham Castle and the River Wear (left) - Durham

Also take a wander round the Cathedral cloisters - Durham

Sunshine and shadow in the cloisters - Durham

You can see the Cathedral from pretty much anywhere in Durham

Framwellgate Bridge provides a link for pedestrians to the old town - Durham

An illuminated Durham Castle with Framwellgate Bridge below - Durham

The Cathedral and Castle sit on opposite sides of Palace Green, with the Palace Green Library (part of Durham University) on the left in this picture - Durham

Are these bishopric emblems mounted on the University wall? Memory like a sieve.. Durham

The entrance to the 11th century Durham Castle - Durham

The Keep forms part of the grounds of Durham Castle - Durham

The castle was originally occupied by the Bishop of Durham on behalf of the King but is now used as living quarters for Durham University students - Durham

Even the Keep is used as student accommodation. Better quality digs than I was used to for sure - Durham

Within the castle is the 13th century Great Hall, now used as a college dining hall - Durham

Missericords (or mercy seats) appear on seat bases in Tunstall Chapel and depict various quirky/humorous scenes - Durham

Winding down from the Castle and Cathedral is the Saddler Street shopping area - Durham

Saddler Street leads to the central Market Place which is home to an indoor market, Town Hall and St Nicholas' Church - Durham

Head in the opposite direction and the bustle comes to a halt on South Bailey - Durham

There's several alleyways and 'hidden' paths that provide shortcuts through the city centre - Durham

Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle are both World Heritage sites - Durham

The castle walls stretch down from the keep - Durham

A walk along the river beneath the cathedral is a must on a sunny day - Durham

It's a very picturesque area - Durham

Durham Cathedral and the River Wear - Durham

The trail between Framwellgate Bridge and Prebend's Bridge - Durham

Birdlife on the river - Durham

There's more great views from Prebend's Bridge - Durham

It's that cathedral and river again - Durham

Elvet Bridge with the cathedral (left) and castle (right) in the background - Durham

You can get this shot from Wharton Park above the train station, or from the train itself - Durham

One last shot of the Cathedral at night, from Prebend's Bridge - Durham

A busy Sunday market greets arrivals to Tynemouth train station

The Tynemouth coast line rolls up and down

Tynemouth is a short metro ride from Newcastle to the north east coast

Tynemouth Castle and Priory stands on a beach headland - Tynemouth

The area is known for its surfing and surfing events - Tynemouth

Tynemouth Castle and Priory - Tynemouth

At the base of the castle is the pier and lighthouse - Tynemouth

And next to the pier is another small bay - Tynemouth

Walking the length of the pier affords views of the local coast - Tynemouth

The calm, protected bay waters with the priory on the right - Tynemouth

The huge Collingwood Monument overlooks the North Sea - Tynemouth

Collingwood was Lord Nelson's second-in-command during the Napoleonic wars - Tynemouth

The coast continues southwards to North Shields followed by South Shields and on to Sunderland - Tynemouth

A speedboat passes by North Shields beach - Tynemouth

Looking inland from the Colloingwood Monument to the castle and priory - Tynemouth

A surprising (but deserved) mural at Tynemouth train station, by actors from Shatila, a refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon

The famous Angel of the North, built by Antony Gormley and measuring 54m across, welcomes visitors to Newcastle and Gateshead

Thanks to the bloke in the Italian wool jumper for this photo - Newcastle and Gateshead

Grey's Monument is at the heart of the city - Newcastle

From Grey's Monument admire the classical buildings along Grey Street - Newcastle

Slow going: Walking between Westgate Road and Neville Street - Newcastle

Bars and restaurants at The Gate are pretty chilled during the day but the whole area is mad busy on a Saturday night - Newcastle

A welcoming message on the way to Ouseburn - Newcastle

The Queen says hi - Newcastle

Ouseburn is home to an artist quarter and to The Biscuit Factory which is an art gallery, shop and cafe rolled into one - Newcastle

A statue of legendary Newcastle United striker Jackie Milburn stands outside St James's Park - Newcastle

The BALTIC (Centre for Contemporary Art) peeks through the Millenium Bridge - Newcastle

The BALTIC has rotating art exhibitions and galleries - Newcastle

There's a viewing platform near the top of the BALTIC - Newcastle

It's the perfect location to check out the Millenium Bridge, Tyne Bridge and the glass covered Sage Gateshead, not forgetting the River Tyne - Newcastle

Quayside buildings next to the Tyne Bridge - Newcastle

The Millenium Bridge links Newcastle to the city of Gateshead on the opposite side of the river

It was opened to the public in 2001 and is popularly known as the Blinking Eye Bridge. It looks fantastic at night, gradually changing colour - Newcastle

Take in The Sage Gateshead and Tyne Bridge while crossing the river - Newcastle

The Sage Gateshead is a sparkling-new live music venue on the Gateshead side of the Tyne - Newcastle

A lively market takes place every Sunday on Quayside - Newcastle

The Tyne Bridge is the most famous of Newcastle's bridges, seen here from the Swing Bridge - Newcastle

Bessie Surtee's House is a 16th/17th century merchant building converted to a museum - Newcastle

The junction of Side and Sandhill - Newcastle

The terrace/beer garden of a bar restaurant in Side near Quayside - Newcastle

Grainger Street is another fancy looking shopping thoroughfare in the centre of Newcastle

The Castle Keep is the attraction that gave the city its name. I guess it was a 'new' castle once upon a time! Newcastle

On the right, the Black Gate formed part of the castle complex. To the left is St Nicholas Cathedral - Newcastle

The Castle Keep has good views of the Tyne Bridge - Newcastle

Outside the Laing Art Gallery is the Blue Carpet, a clever interpretation of a street furniture carpet. If not very blue.. - Newcastle

You may stumble across this square on the way to the Great North Museum: Hancock - Newcastle

The city has a small Chinatown with the usual food shops and restaurants - Newcastle

The brash neon signs of Southend's seafront

Amusement arcades, fast food and pubs are typical of a British seaside resort - Southend

Southend's claim to fame is its pier, the world's longest pleasure pier at 1.34 miles long (2.16km)

For those with tired feet a train rides back and forth along the pier - Southend

The pedestrian walkway on the right with the train tracks on the left - Southend

The pier provides a chance to look back at Southend's beachfront

The 19th century Kursaal houses a bowling alley and amusements - Southend

Southend has a long stretch of pebble beach

Bright colours on Southend beach

The beach is very popular on a sunny day - Southend

Minced-beef pie with mashed potato and liquor sauce (made from parsley) is a traditional East London meal - Southend

Continue walking along the beachfront and fishing boats mark the beginning of Thorpe Bay

At the end of the Southend trainline is Shoeburyness. Several kms off the coast is Red Sand Fort, one of the fascinatingMaunsell Forts, armed sea forts built during WWII to protect against German air raids

Red Sand Fort is comprised of 7 fortified towers originally connected by walkways. Project Redsand hopes to preserve the fort

An upmarket alternative to Southend, and just a few kms away, is Leigh-on-Sea

A rain cloud hangs over beached boats at low tide - Leigh-on-Sea

There's plenty of seafood shops and cockle sheds on the short walk from the train station to the old town - Leigh-on-Sea

The sun fights for the spotlight on a gloomy day at Leigh-on-Sea

A stretch of beach just outside Leigh-on-Sea at Chalkwell

Leigh-on-Sea is an easy day trip from London

Pubs, restaurants (naturally with fish & chips on the menu), galleries and shops line the seafront of Leigh-on-Sea

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LINKS

www.enjoyengland.com - England tourist board

www.visitbritain.com - Britain's official website

www.britainexpress.com

www.yorkshire.com - guide to Yorkshire

www.visitsouthwest.co.uk - guide to south west England

www.visitsoutheastengland.com - guide to south east England

www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com - guide to north west England

www.visitnortheastengland.com - guide to north east England

www.eetb.org.uk - guide to east England

www.thetrainline.com - train information across Britain

www.nationalexpress.com - National Express coaches cover Britain

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