Things to Do in Hebburn: A Local Guide

Sitting on the south bank of the Tyne between Jarrow and Gateshead, Hebburn is an easy-going Tyneside town with more going on than a passing Metro rider might guess. It has one of the region's best modern leisure centres, a Victorian park complete with its own lakes, a riverside reclaimed from the shipyards, and — unusually for a town its size — its own affectionately remembered BBC sitcom. Here is how to make a day of it.

Hebburn Central

The heart of the town is Hebburn Central on Glen Street, the award-winning hub that opened in 2015 and pulls the library, pool and gym under one roof. There are two swimming pools running everything from lessons to inflatable fun sessions, a well-equipped gym, outdoor sports courts, a soft-play area for younger children, and a café to collapse into afterwards — plus a proper library with public computers. It is the town's default rainy-day answer, and a genuinely good one.

Best for: Best for a family day out whatever the weather.

Carr-Ellison Park

For fresh air, head to Carr-Ellison Park — long known to locals simply as Hebburn Park. The land came from Colonel Ralph Henry Carr Ellison, who opened his pleasure gardens to the town in 1897 and presented 25 acres as a public park in 1920, laid out in the grounds of Hebburn Hall. Over the years it gained a bandstand, bowling greens, tennis courts and a Boer War memorial, and to the south-east lie the Hebburn Hall Ponds — the man-made "Lakes" created by damming Bede's Burn in the 1870s, once a favourite spot for walking, boating and socialising. It remains a calm, characterful green space with a real sense of the town's past.

Best for: Best for a relaxed stroll with a bit of local history.

The riverside

Hebburn's stretch of the Tyne has been quietly transformed. Where the banks were once given over to coal staithes and shipyards, there is now riverside parkland and a marina, with level paths and open views across the water. It is an easy, scenic walk with plenty of spots to stop for a picnic and watch the river go by — a reminder of how completely this part of Tyneside has reinvented itself.

Best for: Best for a flat, waterside walk with big skies.

Hebburn on screen

Few towns of Hebburn's size can claim their own sitcom. Hebburn, which ran on BBC Two across 2012 and 2013, was created by comedian Jason Cook, who grew up in the town, and followed the Pearson family — played by Vic Reeves (under his real name, Jim Moir), Gina McKee and Chris Ramsey. It was filmed on location in Hebburn, with the production based at the town's High Lane Social Club and Park Road, the street where Cook was raised, appearing on screen. Warm rather than mocking, it remains a fond portrait of the place, and spotting the real locations is a small pleasure in itself.

Getting there and a bite to eat

Hebburn sits on the Tyne and Wear Metro between South Shields and Newcastle, so it is a short, direct ride from either. The town centre has the usual run of pubs and takeaways, and the café inside Hebburn Central is a reliable stop mid-visit. From here you are also well placed to carry on to neighbouring Jarrow, a couple of minutes further along the line.

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Know a Hebburn spot we should include? Get in touch — we would love to add it.