
Tynemouth Priory and Castle begins overnight access trial
The ruins of the medieval monastic church sits atop a headland overlooking the River Tyne as it enters the North Sea.Mrs Lilley said: "It's a great viewing point, as I'm up high so can see further."Let's hope everyone acts responsibly and doesn't spoil it for the majority."English Heritage said it was trialling access to the moat "because we believe in the community and want to offer a safe, respectful place for everyone to enjoy the summer evenings".The gate at the bottom of the site will also be opened as part of the trial.The charity asked people to avoid smoking and littering and has banned barbecues on the moat.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Destruction of historic Durham kiln causes mixed emotions
The destruction of a 19th Century country brick kiln has caused mixed structure, which stood close to the site of the former Kepier Hospital near Durham, was demolished in late-July, according to photographer David County Council said its planning enforcement team was Moor resident Richard Turner said he enjoyed taking his dog for a walk past the kiln and had thought "it would always be there", but Frank Lee from Cumbria, who had been a regular visitor, said it had been falling apart for years. Mr Lee, from Brampton, said he was surprised the kiln had stood for as long as it 80-year-old said he used to play in the building in the 1940s as a child and it was "disintegrating" even back then. "There were trees growing out of it," he said. "I imagine if you took the vegetation away the whole thing would fall down anyway because the roots were holding it together."He said the kiln had been "exciting" and "scary" and that he and his friends used to dare each other to go said he had last seen it about a year he said he was not that unhappy to see it go."I could see that nobody was going to look after it," he said, adding: "It wasn't a beautiful thing, it was just a country brick kiln." 'Part of our heritage' Mr Turner said he felt "angry and sad" about the loss of the building."Just like churches and other old buildings I feel there should be some protection order on unique industrial buildings," he said.A 2019 City of Durham Parish Council document included the structure in a list of "notable unlisted buildings" in its conservation area. "It is part of our industrial heritage like mining and it should be protected," Mr Turner said. The BBC contacted someone who it believes is connected with the owner for comment. Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.


The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Households have just HOURS left to get £100 fuel vouchers – see if you're eligible
HOUSEHOLDS have just hours left to get help applying for free £100 fuel vouchers to cover energy bills. The aid comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £742million and has been shared between councils in England. 1 Councils have until March 31, 2026, to distribute their share of the fund. Local authorities decide who to offer support to and what form it will take. Leicestershire County Council is issuing hard-up households electronic fuel vouchers worth up to £98. Single households are eligible for vouchers worth £56 while family households can get £98. The e-vouchers can be redeemed at PayPoint stations. No direct applications can be made, however, and you must be referred from a professional support worker or agency. This can include a registered charity, a school, food bank or care organisation. Leicestershire County Council says the current round of HSF will close to new referrals tomorrow (August 4), so households have just hours left to speak with a professional and get help applying. Before doing this, you'll need to have met eligibility criteria though. This includes proving you're struggling to heat your home or having fallen behind on bills, while being a Leicestershire resident. Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence The full qualifying criteria can be found via: What about if I don't live in Leicestershire? Because councils have until March next year to administer their share of funding from the HSF, you might still be able to get help in your local area. But this depends on where you live, because each council is responsible for issuing its share of the fund. Some local authorities are already distributing their share while others haven't opened applications yet. The type of help you will receive depends on where you live, with some local authorities giving out cash payments and others vouchers for food or energy. Some councils are also opening their HSF up to community groups who are then responsible for giving out grants or other help to residents in need. Usually, but not always, councils distribute their share of the HSF to those on benefits, a low income or classed as vulnerable. Most councils have pages on their websites dedicated to the HSF which contain eligibility criteria and what type of help you can get. Other help if you're on a low income It's worth checking if you're eligible for benefits - it could boost your bank balance by thousands of pounds a year. Some benefits come with added perks as well, like Pension Credit which can unlock a free TV licence for those aged 75 or older. Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for. Meanwhile, if you're struggling with the cost of food, check where your nearest food bank is. The Trussell Trust has hundreds of food banks across the UK, and you can find your nearest one here - The Trust's food banks issue emergency parcels to people who cannot afford to cover costs themselves. If you have fallen behind on your energy bills, you might be able to get a grant to wipe any debt. British Gas and Octopus Energy, the UK's two biggest energy firms, both run schemes offering customers grants worth up to £2,000. Some energy firms will debt match any repayments as well.


The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Jess Phillips slams UK's reliance on women's charity as ‘sexist'
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips has said that the UK has grown "fat" on the unpaid labour of women, deeming it "fundamentally sexist". She argued that the nation's dependence on women's charitable contributions for decades has led to a reluctance from the government to provide these services itself. Ms Phillips expressed her disdain for her job title, suggesting that safeguarding against gender-based violence should be a mainstream responsibility across all government departments, not just the Home Office. She said that women historically set up vital services like refuges and counselling for free, filling gaps where government provision was absent. Ms Phillips said that undoing this reliance on free female labour and elevating the issue to a mainstream concern will be a difficult and lengthy process.