The Aviva Tour of Britain arrives in Northumberland in less than two weeks’ time, giving cycling fans the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes.

The tour will be coming to the region for Stage Four and Five of the race on Wednesday September 9 and Thursday September 10.

Riders will pass through Northumberland with routes taking in Wooler, Alnwick, Bedlington, Blyth, Prudhoe, Hexham and Hadrian’s Wall.

Huge crowds are expected along the route as spectators try to see some of the world’s top riders competing over the two days.

Visitors can also enjoy some of Northumberland’s hidden gems along the Stage 5 route from Prudhoe to Gilsland.

Here’s a guide to some of the places visitors can enjoy on Thursday September 10.

Prudhoe Castle

Prudhoe Castle
Prudhoe Castle

Castle View, Prudhoe, NE42 6NA

Opening times: Weds - Sun 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:30)

Prudhoe Castle is a medieval fortress situated on a wooded hillside overlooking the River Tyne. It was built between 1100 and 1120 to defend a strategic crossing point on the River Tyne from Scottish invaders. Surviving two sieges during the 1170s, Prudhoe is the only Northumberland castle to resist the Scots.

Visitors can have a picnic and take in the surroundings, explore the keep, great hall and towered walls or visit the family-friendly exhibition to find out all about this long-lived fortress.

Admission: Adult £4.70, Child (5-15) £2.80, Concession £4.20, Family (2 adults, 3 children) £12.20

For more information visit the English Heritage website

Cherryburn - Thomas Bewick Birthplace Museum

Cherryburn Alpacas
Cherryburn Alpacas

Station Bank, Mickley, Northumberland, NE43 7DD

Opening times: Thurs – Tues 11:00 – 17:00 (Sept/Oct)

This tiny cottage and farmyard museum is the birthplace of Thomas Bewick, the Georgian wood engraver and naturalist. Visitors can discover the exhibition on Bewick’s life and work housed in the 19th century farmhouse, later home of the Bewick family, as well as taking in the views of the Tyne Valley and exploring the cottage gardens, farmyard and paddock walk.

Admission: adult £4.50, child £2.25, family from £7.00

For more information go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cherryburn

Corbridge Roman Town

Corbridge Roman Town
Corbridge Roman Town

Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5NT

Opening times: every day 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission 17:30)

Visitors to Corbridge can walk along the main street of this Roman garrison town, flanked by the remains of granaries, a fountain house, markets, workshops and temples.

Abandoned after the collapse of Roman rule in Britain, the town centre has been systematically excavated, producing the fascinating array of finds now displayed in the site museum.

Admission to the museum: adult £5.80, child (5-15) £3.40, concession £5.20, family (2 adults, 3 children) £15.00

For more information visit the English Heritage website

Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey

Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NB

Opening times: 09:30 – 17:00 (Services and events permitting)

The Abbey is one of the earliest surviving Christian foundations in Britain and the thriving parish church of the town. Originally a Benedictine Abbey, then an Augustinian Priory and the Parish Church of Hexham, it was founded in AD 674 by St Wilfrid. Later, St Cuthbert became Bishop of Hexham.

Visitors can see the atmospheric ‘Night Stair’, the last known example in the country; explore the 1300 year old crypt deep within the Abbey church and view a hands-on exhibition charting the history of the Abbey and the town. Suitable for all ages.

Admission: Free, but donation of £3 per person is welcome to help with maintenance and work

For more information go to www.hexham-abbey.org.uk

Hexham Old Gaol

Hexham Old Gaol
Hexham Old Gaol

Hallgate, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NH

Opening times: 11:00 – 16:30, Tuesday – Saturday (April – September)

Standing in the centre of the town, Hexham Old Gaol is the oldest purpose built prison in England. It was built between 1330 and 1333 and used as a prison for almost 500 years.

The museum offers an insight into crime and punishment in medieval Northumberland and inside visitors will find interactive displays on archaeology, costumes, armour and textiles.

Admission: adults £3.95, concession £3.50, child £2.50 (under 5 free), family (up to 5) £12.00

For more information go to www.hexhamoldgaol.org.uk

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge

Allen Banks & Staward Gorge Bridge
Allen Banks & Staward Gorge Bridge

Bardon Mill, Northumberland, NE47 7PB

Opening times: every day dawn to dusk

This extensive woodland area of gorge and river scenery, including the 41-hectare (101-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), sits within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

You can explore miles of waymarked walks through the ornamental and ancient woods, while trying to spot an array of wildlife. Visitors should also keep your eyes peeled for the remains of a medieval tower, a reconstructed Victorian summerhouse and ornamental pond.

Admission: Free, £2.00 car parking charge

For more information visit the National Trust website

Housesteads Roman Fort

Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland
Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland

Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, NE47 6NN

Opening times: 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission 17:15)

Set high on a dramatic escarpment on Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, Housesteads Roman Fort takes you back to the Roman Empire. Visitors can discover what life was like for the Roman soldiers garrisoned here. Wander the barrack blocks and the hospital and peer into the oldest toilets you’ll ever see. Keep an eye out for the Murder House, where two Roman bodies were buried under a newly laid floor - one with the tip of a blade between the ribs.

The interactive museum showcases objects once belonging to Roman soldiers, and the mini-cinema will take you on a journey through time.

Admission: adult £6.60, child (5-15) £4.00, concession £6.00, family (2 adults, 3 children) £17.20

For more information visit the English Heritage website

Vindolanda

Vindolanda Museum
Vindolanda Museum

Bardon Mill, Northumberland, NE47 7JN

Opening times: daily 10:00 – 18:00 (April – September)

Vindolanda lies just to the south of Hadrian’s Wall upon the first Roman frontier in the north – the Stanegate Road. Occupied for over 300 years, it was an important frontier fort and village long before the construction of Hadrian’s Wall.

The site combines Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum, and it is one of the few places in the UK where you can watch live archaeological excavations taking place. Visitors can browse the vast collection of finds, including the Vindolanda Writing Tablets – delicate slivers of wood now known to be the oldest surviving written documents in Britain.

Admission: Joint site ticket – adult £10.50, child £6.00, concession £9.00, family (2 adults, 2 children) £32.00

For more information go to www.vindolanda.com

Northumberland National Park

Cyclists on the Sandstone Way, Northumberland National Park
Cyclists on the Sandstone Way, Northumberland National Park

Recently voted one of the top 5 National Parks in the world by Conde Nast Traveller, Northumberland National Park is a wonderful wilderness to explore.

As shown on Robson Green’s Tales from Northumberland, the park has a rich array of wildlife, from skylarks to red squirrel and otters. Stretching from the Cheviot hills in the north to Hadrian’s Wall in the south, this is a place for adventure or relaxation. You can be as active or laid back as you want here.

For more information go to www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk

Sycamore Gap

Sycamore Gap by Tony Dixon
Sycamore Gap by Tony Dixon

Take a walk along Hadrian’s Wall to find some of the most picturesque locations, such as the iconic Sycamore Gap, made famous in the 1991 Kevin Costner film, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

For more information go to the Visit Northumberland website

Cawfields Crag Roman Wall and Milecastle

Cawfields, Hadrian's Wall
Cawfields, Hadrian's Wall

Visitors can enjoy a picnic at Cawfields Quarry, a dramatic section of Hadrian’s Wall with land falling away in sheer crags to the north. The milecastle, probably built by the Second Legion, hangs on the edge.

For more information go to the Visit Hadrian's Wall websit