looking for new day trips near Newcastle

So my husband and son just left for the States for two weeks. As I'm too pregnant to travel, I'm left behind and since I'm a stay-at-home-mom I'm totally at loose ends. So I'm looking for some lesser-known places to go within a short drive of Newcastle. I've done all the big stuff - Lindisfarne, Alnwick, Durham, etc - so I'm wondering about smaller towns, like Corbridge. I don't have tons of energy anyway to do big cities so small stuff is better. Any suggestions?

I like Corbridge, it has a lovely square (which unfortunately has far too many cars parked around it) surrounded by good places to eat and shop.  The views over the river are beautiful too.  I also like Hexham, which has a market, a beautiful park near the abbey (which is really neat if you haven't seen it yet), and more good places to eat and shop. 

Are there specific things you enjoy doing out and about?

If I were you, I would find some local spas.  Quiet and massages.  I have a vague memory of what those were like before my daughter came into my life!   

A couple of months ago we stopped in at Warkworth on our way to Edinburgh.  Lovely village where we had lunch, admired the medieval bridge, and visited the castle and Hermitage. The village itself is small with 2 or 3 cafes plus a riverside walk.  It's not too far from Alnwick but not so well known.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/warkworth-castle-and-hermitage/

If I weren't super pregnant I'd say I loved long nature walks and exploring wild places! But I still like doing those things in smaller doses, so the river walks sound really nice. We've been to Warkworth but the weather was miserable so we didn't spend much time there - good idea to head back! I also love good food, especially since right now I can eat it without having to worry about how long my son will tolerate sitting still!

I went to Vallum Farm yesterday, which was slightly disappointing as the artisan food market has closed (I think they're focusing on being a wedding and events venue now) but the drive out was gorgeous and I did get to have a nice meal!

You could stay at home....and watch every horrible tv show there is. I would like to say with a drink...but that isn't wise of course. Find interest.....in things close to you. I'm always amazed at what is close by that people just don't know about....or care about.

How about joining the National trust?  There will be plenty of properties near you, and they are usually a low energy mellow visit, perhaps with a nice walk through the garden.  They always have a nice cafe as well, with easy parking and provisions for kids.  It's not all stately homes, there are factories and docks as well.

More importantly  if you are alone , there are tons of volunteers who love to have a chat about whatever.  It's not so awkward going somewhere by yourself if there's someone you can talk to like another human.

Our family has been members for years and we really get lots of use.  Any time we are somewhere doing tourism and the original destination is closed, or it's raining or whatever, we can always open the app and find some interesting NT place nearby. 

Well I have just started Stranger Things on Netflix... the weather's been so lovely it's hard to want to stay inside though!

We are National Trust members, which I love. You make a good point about going and actually having a chat about the properties rather than just going to the playgrounds (which is what we usually do).

Forgot to say how fascinating it is to visit the houses of the filthy rich people of the past.  I always find it fun to trace the money and more often than not it comes from slavery or colonialism.  The good karma for that kind of situation is that they are dead and I get to have a boozy picnic in the middle of their front lawn.

We are guilty of just going to the playgrounds as well.  We also do geocaching at a lot of the places.  The kids moan about taking walks, but if you throw in some geocaching they love it.

It's not exactly what you asked, but if you want to fill your days,  you could volunteer to read with kids at a school.  My wife used to do it for a few hours a week. 

Forgot to say how fascinating it is to visit the houses of the filthy rich people of the past.  I always find it fun to trace the money and more often than not it comes from slavery or colonialism.  The good karma for that kind of situation is that they are dead and I get to have a boozy picnic in the middle of their front lawn.

"Hey! Sir Guy <hic>! .....I'm peeing on your begonias..."