14 Things to do in Morpeth with Kids

Morpeth is a market town in South Northumberland and a place I have been a regular visitor from being very small. It's a lovely place to spend a day with a nice variety of things to do. This post will share some of my favourites.

Morpeth is easy to get to by public transport - there is a train and bus station in the town centre as well as a few car parks. Parking in most car parks is free with a Northumberland Parking Disc (within restrictions). You can buy a disc from machines in car parks or the leisure centre. 

If the sun is shining and it's school holidays, parking can be tricky and I'd recommend public transport if you can. However if you are visiting on a weekday in term time or evening, finding a space isn't usually too much of a problem.

I recommend Newmarket East for car parking next to the park (although it has a 3 hour time restriction at certain periods) or you could try Matheson's Gardens. We parked in a temporary car park at the end of Gas House Lane last time we visited and that one didn't have any time restrictions (although this may have changed now). 

3 Reasons to Visit Morpeth 

1. It's a lovely place for a picnic with benches, lots of grass, playgrounds, a paddling pool and takeaway food options 
2. Easy to get to by car, bus or train and many places offer free parking (do check restrictions / need for a parking disc)
3. It's dog-friendly - lots of dog walks through the woods and by the river plus a good selction of independent pet shops 

14 Things to do in Morpeth with Kids 

All of the suggestions in the first half of this list are located in Morpeth Town Centre within easy reach of the car parks, bus station and train station. 

Playground, Paddling Pool & Cafe 

Carlisle Park is lovely with an enclosed playground and giant outdoor paddling pool for little ones plus a playground for slightly older children. There are picnic benches, lots of grass, a cafe and toilets plus in the summer they usually have doughnut vans and inflatables too. 

The paddling pool is usually cleaned and filled for the season for use on the last weekend in May and remains open until the first weekend in September. You don't need to book and it's free. It does get busy on sunny days though. 

I have memories visiting the paddling pool and park as a child myself as well as taking my own children.

The park overlooks the river and also features a skate park and tennis courts. 

Find out more here.  

Grab Lunch from the Legendary Chinese Van 

Located in the car park by Carlisle Park, we LOVE the Chinese Van and have even dedicated a whole post to it here. It's a fantastic spot for a cheap, cheerful and satisfying lunch. 

Riverside Circular Walk & Stepping Stones 

If you walk a little way along the river from the park, you will find a set of steppy stones which are great fun for kids and grown ups alike. Do check it is safe to cross before making the journey though as the River Wansbeck can sometimes cover some of the stones after heavy rain. 

If you're unsure how to find the steppy stones, I've shared a post about How to find Morpeth Steppy Stones here. You can cross them as part of a circular riverside walk. 

Feed the Ducks 

Sometimes the simplist activities are the best and we've spent many happy hours having a play in the park followed by feeding the ducks in the river. They always seem very happy to see visitors here. 

Morpeth Treasure Trail 

A few years ago we completed a treasure trail around Morpeth. Despite visiting the town hundreds of times in the past, the trail showed us some new areas and we all had fun learning more about the town. I'd recommend. 

Visit the Aviary & Emily Davison 

On the opposite side of Carlisle Park to the playgrounds you will find more formal gardens, a statue of Emily Davison, the William Turner Gardens, Ha' Hill and an aviary. Lots of interesting things to spot as you walk around. 

Hire a Rowing Boat

You can hire rowing boats just by the bridge as you cross into the park. I used to love doing this with my grandad when I was little. No need to book - just turn up and pay. Last time I checked they weren't too much to hire. 

Go Swimming 

Morpeth has a swimming pool right in the town centre. Morpeth Riverside Leisure offers a 25m swimming pool for visitors to enjoy. Find out more here. 

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum 

Yes you read that correctly, Morpeth is home to a small bagpipe museum which is in fact the only one in the UK of it's kind. The museum boasts 120 different sets of pipes on display from all across the world alongside regular live demonstrations and performances. Find out more here. 

Treasure Island Pirate Themed Soft Play 

Treasure Island Soft Play is located in the industrial estate just behind the train station so ideal to visit before catching a train home. Expect lots of pirate themed play frames and toys. They can close early in warm weather / when there is a party so do check their social media before visiting.  Find out more here. 

Pub Lunch 

There are quite a few pubs and restaurants where you can enjoy a family meal in Morpeth. We are fans of the Sun Inn and I have my eye on family Sunday Lunch at Novo. 

The following places to visit are still considered to be part of Morpeth but are not in the town centre and a little further out/ a short drive from the centre:

Whitehouse Farm 

Whitehouse Farm is 4 miles from the town centre and an excellent place to spend the day with lots to do inside and out including farm animals to pet and feed, adventure playgrounds, soft play, tractor rides, birds of prey, reptile shows and more. Read our guide to visiting here. 

Play Pirate Golf 

Morpeth Golf Club is just over a mile from the town centre and home to a fantastic pirate-themed crazy golf course which we would highly recommend to families. Find out more and read our full review here. 

Visit Plessey Woods 

Plessey Woods is just over 4 miles from Morpeth Town Centre and one of our favourite places to enjoy a day out. There's a playground, sculpture trail, ogre swamp, troll doors, cafe, toilets, ice cream van, river to splodge in, woodland walks and more. Read our guide to visiting Plessey Woods here. 


Moorhouse Farm Shop 

Moorhouse Farm Shop is just over 3 miles outside of Morpeth Town Centre and an excellent place to stop by for some shopping in their fabulous farm shop or a drink/cake in the tea room. 

Children will enjoy taking a walk around the farm and saying hello to the animals and the farmer - you can see pigs with their own viewing window, goats with a climbing frame, chickens in the coop and more.

There are also tractors to ride on, giant bricks to build and a sand pit as well as a small playground near the car park. It's all free to visit and this place is a bit of a gem. Find out more here. 

Read my blog guide to visiting Moorhouse Farm Shop here. 

Dinosaur Golf and Soft Play at Dobbies Morpeth 

Dobbies Morpeth is just over 3 miles from Morpeth Town Centre and a nice spot to visit with kids. At the moment, kids eat free after 12noon in the restaurant (with a paying adult - t&cs apply), an hour in the soft play is just £3 and you can play a round of dino golf. 

Read our guide to soft play at Dobbies Morpeth here 

Read our guide to Dino Golf at Dobbies Morpeth here. 

Little Morpeth Role Play Centre 

Located close to Morpeth Train Station, Little Morpeth is a lovely role play cafe for under 6s. You can read more about it and see more photos in our Little Morpeth Role Play Cafe Review. 

As you can see, there is loads to do in Morpeth and you can easily spend a full day trying a few of the activities here. We would definitely recommend a trip if you are looking for something to do. 

Want to make a weekend of it? Here are some ideas for places to stay: 

• (ad) Premier Inn Ashington has family rooms available from £29 per night and overlooks Queen Elizabeth II lake which is a nice walk. 
  
  
• (ad) Here is a selection of lodges, cottages and caravans close to Morpeth 
  
  
• The Morpeth Apartment is a gorgeous apartment in a central location / the heart of town
  
  
• You can stay in the cottages on Whitehouse Farm. Free access to the farm is included during your stay. Here are the links to their properties. 
  
  
• St Mary's Inn in nearby Stannington is a gorgeous pub with rooms - somewhere I have stayed a couple of times myself and thoroughly enjoyed 
  
  
• Cresswell Towers Holiday Park is less than 10 miles away and offers affordable holidays by the seaside so the best of both worlds