Any North/NE/Yorkshire day trip recommendations?

Can anyone recommend any areas of interest for a quick day out? We're in Newcastle and would preferably like to visit somewhere close as we don't want to be on a bus or a train all day, but we're not picky. Just going a little stir crazy and would like to get out of the house next Saturday. We've done York, Durham and Whitby and wouldn't necessarily rule out going to those places again if there was something new to do.

If anyone has any suggestions we would greatly appreciate it!

Are you a James Herriot fan?  You could visit Thirsk where he lived and worked.  I have not done so yet, but it is definitely on my list. 

Also, check out The National Trust in your area.  Looks like some neat things there

http://www.visitnorthyorkshiremoors.co.uk/

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/

Anywhere along the North Yorkshire coast.

I could suggest things further down this way (Leeds/Harrogate area) but it would be a bit more travel.

Harrogate is a nice Victorian spa town to visit as well.

What have you done in York?  We don't have lots of things per se to do, but there are loads of nooks and crannies to explore.

I'd also recommend Hadrian's wall or Vindolanda, when it gets warmer.  We're history nerds, so we enjoyed that. 

Do you drive or are you using mostly trains and buses?  There are loads of big country houses with gardens that are open to the public in the Leeds/York/Harrogate area.  Not to mention there are abbeys and other things of that nature.  Castle Howard, Newby Hall, and Harewood House all are nice. 

I'll be totally honest and admit I've never even heard of James Herriot... am I exposing a serious gap in my general knowledge?

I tried going to the National Trust website but it appears to be down (at least for me) at the moment

Neither of us drive so we are limited to public transportation unfortunately which is what complicates the situation! I don't know if we would be able to make a day of the North Yorkshire coast because of this.

I definitely want to make a day of walking along Hadrian's wall but I think we may save it for the summer so that we don't get caught out in terrible weather the whole time (nothing worse than wet socks!).

We haven't been to York in absolutely ages (must be years now that I think about it as the wheel wasn't there). We did the minster, Cliff's tower, the shambles... etc. Didn't visit the viking museum but were told by friends that it wasn't really worth it. I'm also curious about the dungeons but not sure what to expect of it during the day time.

The dungeons (from the reports I've heard) are similar to the London ones, but smaller. 

There is also the Castle Museum, which has daily life in Yorkshire over different periods.  It even has a full scale Victorian street to explore.  Plus, you get to see the former prison cells.  It's by Clifford's Tower.  I'll admit the rest of our museums aren't great, but the one in the park called Museum gardens sometimes gets some interesting exibits, even if it's small.  There is also the national railway museum.  Or for ambiance, there's Lendal Cellars which is a pub converted from a monastary's wine cellar, and a few others with loads of character. 

If you want more metropolitan, about 30 minutes train ride from York is Leeds.  It has the armoury, which is very cool.  There is the abbey museum that I believe is dedicated to Kirkstall Abbey.  There also are many art museums and galleries.  There are many others who probably know Leeds much better than I do and might better give you an idea about it though.    

We go to Scarborough several times each year.  You may like to check out Discover Yorkshire Coast or Visit Yorkshire for more ideas of things to do in the area.

I'll be totally honest and admit I've never even heard of James Herriot... am I exposing a serious gap in my general knowledge?

I tried going to the National Trust website but it appears to be down (at least for me) at the moment

Neither of us drive so we are limited to public transportation unfortunately which is what complicates the situation! I don't know if we would be able to make a day of the North Yorkshire coast because of this.

James Alfred Wight (AKA James Herriot) is quite possibly the world's most famous veterinarian :-) He wrote a series of books about his experiences as a large/small animal vet in rural Yorkshire. Loving both Yorkshire, and the veterinary field, you can see why I highly recommend the books to anyone who asks ;-). They are really quite entertaining though, whether you've an interest in the field or not. A lovely peek back at a bygone time too, as much of what he wrote about took place in WWII or post WWII England.

I have to throw in my two cents about places to see...I see people have recommended National Trust sites - and my absolute favorite is Fountains Abbey. Ripon (which is very close by) is really lovely too, they have a cathedral with a seventh century crypt. I think there might be coaches to Fountain's Abbey from Harrogate or Ripon...but I'm not sure as I've never had to take one to get there. Good luck! Have fun seeing the sights around Yorkshire!

Oh, silly me - I left out James Herriot's book titles in case you're interested in checking some out :-)

They're published in the US under these titles:

All Creatures Great and Small
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Wise and Wonderful

as well as a few others

The Lord God Made them all (sensing a theme yet? ;-))
James Herriot's favo(u)rite Cat/Dog stories (two separate books)

There was also a TV series, "All Creatures Great and Small" based on the Herriot Books.  You can buy the DVDs though some of the UKGold channels still show it too, I believe.

I want to second Reinadeluz's recommendation to read his books.  They are absolutely lovely.  A great read on a rainy day by the fire with a good cuppa and some Hobnobs!   

As the weather looks like it's going to be cold this weekend, can I recommend a short trip to Corbridge and/or Hexham?  It's a 30 min train ride from Newcastle and there are some GREAT cosy pubs and cafes in both towns.  Hexham is bigger and has more choice, with good shops and a market.  Both have nice riverside walks.  Have a look at www.tynevalleyrail.org.uk.

If you fancy somewhere a bit further afield, Carlisle is a surpisingly attractive and historic city to visit, about 1 hr by train from Newcastle via the lovely Tyne Valley.

Aww I love James Herriot, I was really sad I missed seeing some of his associated places when I was in the area.

Some National Trust recommends .. I'm way too big of a fan.
Wallington House is GORGEOUS. I think you can get there by coach and it's not too far a drive. It has amazing grounds, literally the Secret Garden is contained within them.
Fountain's Abbey is beautiful. There's nothing more to say without serious hyperbole. Go!
I really liked Hadrian's Wall, but I'm a bit of a classics/archaeology nut. It's a great place to go and think about how short a time a thousand years is just in the scale of things.

Not National Trust, and I never made it (I was sick one free weekend, occupied in Durham the next  ) but I heard Alnwick Castle is worth a trip, the gardens have quite the curiosities and you can find enough in town to fill a day trip.

Within Durham, have you been up to the top of the Cathedral? It's scary - but exhilarating. The side chamber where they shot Harry Potter interiors is quite nice too, then you go back and watch the film... again... If you haven't been, the Oriental Museum is quite nice. They have a small, but well-organised collection, mostly East Asian.

There's a really fun wee dress-up box too (okay, I had fun with it  ), and they have an Egyptian section also.. with an actual mummy. Plus when the weather is nice the walk along the river is one of those pleasures I dream about having again in my life.

Robin Hood's Bay.

It's a BEAUTIFUL village - lots of nooks and crannys to explore. Good photography spots. Sweet little pubs with coal fires. And locals who, if you turn up at a pub in the dead of winter will instantly want to talk to you to find out what ON EARTH you're doing there.