Things to Do in Corbridge: The Complete Guide

Corbridge is a small village on the north bank of the Tyne, about four miles east of Hexham, but it packs in nearly two thousand years of history within a short walk of the Market Place. There is a Roman town, a church founded in the 670s, a medieval tower you can drink in and a 17th-century bridge, with riverside paths and farmland leading off in every direction. This guide is an overview of what there is to do. Where we have a fuller guide on a subject, we link to it rather than repeat it.

Roman Corbridge

The village's headline attraction is Corbridge Roman Town, half a mile north-west of the centre and cared for by English Heritage. It describes Corbridge as the most northerly town in the Roman Empire, a supply base on Dere Street that fed the garrisons on Hadrian's Wall. You walk along the line of the Roman main street, past the remains of the granaries and the town fountain, and the museum holds the Corbridge Hoard, with its remarkably well-preserved Roman armour, and the carved Corbridge Lion.

At the time of writing, in November 2026, English Heritage lists the site as open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, with longer opening in spring and summer. Hours change through the year, so check before you go.

Our guide to visiting Corbridge Roman Town covers tickets, getting there on foot, by bus and by train, and visiting with children.

The Historic Village Centre

Corbridge reused a great deal of its Roman past, and you can see it without a ticket. St Andrew's Church in the Market Place was founded around 670, and the tall arch between its tower and nave is built from the stones of a single Roman arch. The church is Grade I listed and is open for private prayer from 9.30am to 4pm each day.

Beside the church stands the Vicar's Pele, a fortified tower built around 1300 for the vicar of Corbridge, partly from Roman stone. It is a scheduled monument and now houses The Pele, a micro bar serving local ales, coffee and tea. Look out, too, for the market cross in the square, which stands on a Roman altar.

A few minutes south, the seven-arched bridge was completed in 1674 and was the only Tyne bridge to survive the great flood of 1771. It is still the main way into the village from the station and the car park.

Walks, the River and Gardens

Corbridge makes a good base for walking. From the bridge you can follow the floodbank towards Dilston or the riverbank west towards the Roman Town, and longer routes head north through farmland towards Hadrian's Wall. Our walks around Corbridge guide gathers published routes, with distances, parking and flooding advice.

Best for: The floodbank south of the river is low-lying and has flooded before. Avoid it when the Tyne is running high, and check the Environment Agency's flood warnings first.

Dilston Physic Garden, just over a mile south-west of the village across the Tyne, is a charity-run science garden growing more than 700 plants with histories in health and medicine. From April to October it opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. In late autumn and early spring it opens Friday to Sunday afternoons, and it closes from 21 December to 4 February. It also runs workshops and a festive shopping weekend in the run-up to Christmas.

Aydon Castle, a 13th-century fortified manor house about a mile and a half from the Roman Town, is on one of the best-known circular walks from the village. English Heritage says it is closed for winter and will reopen in 2027, so for now you can see it only from the outside.

Free Things to Do in Corbridge

Plenty of the best of Corbridge costs nothing:

• Cross the 1674 bridge and stroll the riverside paths in either direction.
• Visit St Andrew's Church to see the Roman arch and the Saxon tower. It is free to go in during its daily opening hours.
• Look at the Vicar's Pele and the market cross, two pieces of the village's history in the Market Place.
• Walk the riverside path to the Roman Town. The walk itself is free, though entry to the Roman Town and its museum is ticketed.
• Browse Forum Books, an award-winning independent bookshop in a converted 1867 chapel, where the old pulpit is now a children's reading corner.
• Use the library. Corbridge Library on Hill Street has free Wi-Fi as well as books to borrow.
• See Hadrian's Wall for free. English Heritage lists Brunton Turret, about five miles north-west, as free to visit at any reasonable time in daylight hours.

The Corbridge Village Car Park, on the south side of the bridge, is free too.

Rainy-Day and Indoor Options

Corbridge is small, so on a wet day it pays to plan around opening hours.

• The Roman Town museum. Even when the weather is poor, the museum at Corbridge Roman Town is worth the trip for the Corbridge Hoard and the Romans, Rivers and Rituals exhibition, both included in admission. The rest of the site is outdoors, and there is no cafe on site, so bring a waterproof.
• St Andrew's Church is open daily from 9.30am to 4pm.
• Forum Books opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, and runs author events through the year.
• Corbridge Library opens on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.
• Cafes and pubs. The Market Place has Tea & Tipple and Grant's Bakery within a few steps of each other, and you can shelter in a medieval tower at The Pele. Our guides to coffee shops and cafes and the best pubs in Corbridge list the rest.
• Chesters Roman Fort, about six miles north-west near Chollerford, has the Clayton Museum and a coffee house with indoor seating. English Heritage currently lists it as open at weekends.
• Hexham, about four miles west, has the free-to-enter Hexham Abbey, the Queen's Hall Arts Centre and the Forum Cinema. See Hexham.live's things to do guide.

Best for: Several of these keep limited hours in winter: the library opens three days a week, and the Roman Town and Chesters Roman Fort open at weekends only. Check times before setting out.

Hadrian's Wall Nearby

English Heritage puts Hadrian's Wall about two and a half miles north of the Roman Town. Brunton Turret, a stretch of Wall with a turret standing two and a half metres high, is free and around a mile from Chesters Roman Fort, whose military bath house English Heritage calls the finest in Britain. The AD122 bus serves Chesters and Housesteads, so check its timetable if you want to see several sites in a day.

Sport and Spectating

Tynedale RFC, founded in 1876 and celebrating its 150th season in 2026–27, plays in National League 2 North at Tynedale Park on Station Road, just over the bridge. Home matches are a good way to spend a winter Saturday afternoon. In summer, Corbridge Cricket Club plays by the river at The Stanners. Our sport and clubs guide covers junior sections, tennis and karate.

Shopping, Eating and Drinking

The village centre is made up of independent shops, cafes and historic inns, mostly within a few minutes of the Market Place. For details see our guides to shopping in Corbridge, eating out, cafes and pubs.

Events Through the Year

Corbridge has a busy calendar for its size. The Corbridge Chamber Music Festival brings concerts to St Andrew's Church each summer, and Tynedale Park hosts the Tynedale Beer Festival in June. In the run-up to Christmas, the church usually holds a Christmas Tree Festival and the village shops stay open late for an evening of Christmas shopping. For dates, see our events calendar.

Getting Here

Corbridge station is on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle and Carlisle, about half a mile from the village centre over the bridge, and buses run to Hexham and Newcastle. Our guide to getting around Corbridge without a car has the details.

Spotted something we've missed, or a change to opening times? Get in touch and help us keep this guide up to date.