Museums In and Near Corbridge

Corbridge has one museum of its own, and an unusually good one: the collection at Corbridge Roman Town. Within half an hour's drive there are several more, from a medieval prison in Hexham to the Roman forts along Hadrian's Wall and the birthplace of the engraver Thomas Bewick. This guide covers the ones worth the trip, in order of distance from the village.

Opening days change with the seasons, and several of these places close or open less often over the winter, so check each website before you travel. Distances are approximate, measured from the Market Place.

Corbridge Roman Town museum

In the village, about half a mile west of the centre

The museum at Corbridge Roman Town, run by English Heritage, is the reason many visitors come to Corbridge. It holds finds from the Roman town and the forts that came before it, and its centrepiece is the Corbridge Hoard: a chest of armour, weapons, tools and other items buried in the 2nd century AD. The hoard includes some of the best-preserved Roman armour found in Britain.

Alongside it are carved stones, altars, tombstones, sculpture and smaller finds such as brooches and rings. Entry to the museum is included in the ticket for the Roman site, and English Heritage members get in free. For opening hours, getting there and visiting with children, see our guide to visiting Corbridge Roman Town.

Hexham Old Gaol

Hexham, about 4 miles west

Hexham Old Gaol on Hallgate is England's oldest purpose-built prison, built in the 1330s, partly with stone reused from the Roman site at Corbridge. It is now a museum run by North East Museums, spread over four floors, covering Border history, the reivers, crime and punishment, and the gaol itself. You can look down into the dungeon from the lift.

North East Museums lists it as open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and every day during Northumberland school holidays. Adult tickets are £8 and work as an annual pass, and under-18s go free. In 2026 there have been periods when lift problems meant guided access only, so check the website before you go. The Old Gaol is a short walk from Hexham Abbey, which has its own exhibition on the abbey's history.

Chesters Roman Fort and the Clayton Museum

Chollerford, about 7 miles north-west

Chesters, run by English Heritage, is a Roman cavalry fort on Hadrian's Wall beside the North Tyne. As well as the fort itself and a well-preserved bathhouse by the river, it has the Clayton Museum, a small Victorian museum built to house the collection of John Clayton, the 19th-century antiquarian who bought up and excavated long stretches of the Wall. Its displays of Roman altars, inscriptions and sculpture have changed little in feel since it opened, which is part of the appeal.

Vindolanda

Near Bardon Mill, about 15 miles west

Vindolanda, run by the Vindolanda Trust, is a Roman fort and settlement just south of Hadrian's Wall. Its museum is best known for the Vindolanda writing tablets, thin wooden letters and documents from around 2,000 years ago, and for a remarkable collection of leather shoes, textiles and other objects that rarely survive elsewhere. Excavations take place on site in the warmer months. The Trust also runs the Roman Army Museum further west at Greenhead, and has offered joint tickets for the two sites.

Housesteads Roman Fort

About 15 miles west

Housesteads, run by English Heritage with the National Trust, is the most complete Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall, set high on the Whin Sill. Its small museum puts the finds from the fort in context before you walk up to the remains. It combines well with Vindolanda for a full day out along the Wall.

Cherryburn

Mickley, about 7 miles east

Cherryburn, run by the National Trust, is the birthplace of Thomas Bewick, the wood engraver and naturalist best known for his illustrated books of British birds. Bewick was born here in 1753. You can see the small cottage where he was born, the later farmhouse which now holds a museum of his life and work, a farmyard and a garden, and there are printing demonstrations using his techniques. The address is Station Bank, Mickley Square, Stocksfield NE43 7DD.

Cherryburn opens on a limited, seasonal basis, and the National Trust calendar shows it closed at the start of November 2026, so check before you travel.

Closer to home: heritage you can visit

Corbridge itself is something of an open-air museum. St Andrew's Church, open daily, has a Saxon tower and an arch built from the stones of a Roman arch, and the Vicar's Pele tower in the churchyard dates from the 14th century. Our Corbridge heritage walking trail links these up with the 1674 bridge and the village's other listed buildings.

Tips for a museum day

• English Heritage and National Trust members get free entry to Corbridge Roman Town, Chesters and Housesteads (English Heritage), and to Cherryburn and Housesteads (National Trust).
• Without a car, Corbridge and Hexham are both on the Tyne Valley railway line, and the Old Gaol is a walk from Hexham station. The Wall sites are much easier by car, although a seasonal Hadrian's Wall bus has run from Hexham in past summers.
• Rainy days: the Roman Town museum and the Old Gaol are the best indoor options close to the village. For more ideas, see our guide to things to do in Corbridge.