High Spen is a small former mining village in the metropolitan borough of Gateshead, in Tyne and Wear and historically part of County Durham. It sits on the edge of the Derwent Valley amid rolling countryside and woodland, with easy access to the green corridor of the Derwent Walk Country Park and reasonable commuting links to Newcastle and the wider Tyneside conurbation.
Built around coal mining in the 19th and 20th centuries, High Spen retains a strong village identity despite post‑industrial change, with local clubs, a village hall and walking routes along former railway lines such as the old Derwent Valley Railway. Today it is largely residential, valued for its rural feel and community spirit while many residents commute to nearby towns for work.
Postcode districts covering High Spen
Most populated places nearby
- Newcastle upon Tyne 7.6 miles
- Sunderland 14.6 miles
- South Shields 14.8 miles
- Gateshead 7.7 miles
- Washington 10.9 miles
- Durham 13.4 miles
- Wallsend 11.5 miles
- Newburn 4.1 miles
- Whitley Bay 15 miles
- Houghton-le-Spring 13.7 miles
- Blyth 16.7 miles
- Peterlee 21 miles
Neighbouring places
- Chopwell and Rowlands Gill Ward 0.8 miles
- Rowlands Gill Built-up area 1.1 miles
- Winlaton and High Spen Ward 1.2 miles
- Chopwell Built-up area 1.6 miles
- Hamsterley Mill Built-up area 1.9 miles
- Crawcrook and Greenside Built-up area 2.2 miles
- Low Westwood Built-up area 2.4 miles
- Burnopfield Built-up area 2.6 miles
- Prudhoe South Ward 2.9 miles
- Hedley Parish 2.9 miles
- Burnopfield and Dipton Ward 2.9 miles
- Hobson Built-up area 3.1 miles
Example postcodes in High Spen
NE39 2HQ, NE39 2BJ, NE39 2BH, NE39 2BL, NE39 2AG, NE39 2AR, NE39 2DN, NE39 2BP, NE39 2AP … See all
Transport links
- Newcastle International Airport 8.3 miles
- Durham Tees Valley Airport 32.2 miles
- Wylam Railway Station 3.4 miles
- Blaydon Railway Station 3.7 miles
- Eldon Square bus station 7.4 miles
- Haymarket bus station 7.4 miles
Hotels near High Spen Ad
- Anchor Inn 4 4.5 miles
- INNSiDE Newcastle 4 7.3 miles
- Michelangelos - Rooms, Restaurant & Bar 3.5 miles
- Oak Tree Inn 3.7 miles
- Holiday Inn Express Newcastle Gateshead 3 4.6 miles
- Crowne Plaza Newcastle - Stephenson Quarter 4 7 miles
- The Beamish Park Hotel 3 4.6 miles
- The Ship Inn 3.7 miles
- Gibside Hotel 3 4.2 miles
- Maldron Hotel Newcastle 4 7.2 miles
Schools in High Spen
- High Spen Primary School Primary
Local points of interest
- Ravensworth Estate 5.7 miles
- Beamish Museum Museum 6.4 miles
- Discovery Museum Museum 6.9 miles
- Life Science Musuem Museum 6.9 miles
- St James' Park Stadium 7.1 miles
- Woolsington Hall Estate 7.2 miles
- Eldon Square Shopping centre 7.3 miles
- Holy Jesus Hospital Historic site 7.5 miles
- Laing Art Gallery Museum 7.5 miles
- Hancock Museum Museum 7.6 miles
- Baltic Art Centre Museum 7.8 miles
- Barn at The Biscuit factory Museum 8 miles