Hadrian's Wall
Firstly, we can hop on the train to Haltwhistle to explore the historic wonder that is Hadrian’s Wall. The Roman-built wall has been standing for over 2,000 years and boasts an amazing walking route that allows you to visit many of the forts and mile castles littered along it. After getting the 681 bus from the station to Walltown Crags, you can walk pretty much as far East as you’d like. There is also a specific Hadrian’s Wall bus (AD122 by Go North East) that can take you back to your starting point from many points along the road that runs next to the wall – that way you can do double the exploring!
Roseberry Topping
For something a bit more challenging, Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire is an excellent hike. The official National Trust route starts from Great Ayton train station, so no need for any extra transport! Plus, the price of a ticket from Newcastle to Great Ayton seems to be around £7.50-£11 with a railcard, making it an easy and relatively cheap day out! The route in total is around an hour and a half that takes you up to the summit of Roseberry Topping, providing 360° views of the surrounding landscape, making it the perfect place to stop for some photos for your uni highlights. Plus, taking a small detour further into Great Ayton, you can visit the Royal Oak pub for your post-hike pint and Sunday Lunch!
Simonside Hills loop
My favourite of the bunch is definitely the Simonside Hills loop. Whilst it is slightly more difficult to get to without a car, it is certainly worth it for the cracking lunch spot at the summit. Getting the X14 to Thropton from Haymarket Bus Station, it is a 30 minute walk (or a 13 minute taxi ride) to the car park, which is the start of the circular route. With a meal deal in your bag, make your way around the 2 hour 45 to 3 hour route, of course stopping for some lunch at the top after the rather steep incline. Whilst there isn’t a pub in the car park, the Three Wheat Heads Inn, where the bus stop home is, has a beer garden looking out onto the hills for a lovely treat at the end!