NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England — "Many Americans don't know about this area," commented Tom Keating, my Newcastle Blue Badge tour guide. "So many do London, Cambridge, Edinburgh."

And when most folks think of the North of England, it's Liverpool and Manchester that come to mind. But there are other cities, towns, and villages in the heart of this region that are definitely worth a visit.

Although I've toured the region several times, this was my first trip to Newcastle, pop. 265,000, in the midst of Industrial Heritage country, formerly the Mecca of coalmining and shipbuilding, the depressed, ugly and dull industrial area of Britain.

But today, with these industries shut down and high tech fields taking over, it's becoming a thriving cosmopolitan glistening gem, with arts and culture, shopping, and unique restaurants housed amid the city's historic sites.

"There are areas in the North of England that have gone through much social and cultural change in the last 20 to 30 years," emphasized Gordon Watson, Project Director of the Wakefield Art Gallery. "The change has been radical."

And as I toured around Newcastle with guide Keating, I was amazed. The heart of Newcastle's shopping district is Grey Street, named after former British Prime Minister Earl Grey of the famous tea. It was voted the Finest Street in Britain in 2007.

"The people of this region (dubbed "Geordies") are very special," Keating proudly noted. "This was a very important industrial area. And our history goes right back to Roman times: Hadrian's Wall started here."

In the 11th century, the Normans built a castle on the site of a Roman fort - hence the city's name of Newcastle.

Later the region's industry developed around coal mining, which, says Keating, "was the lifeblood of the area, with 450 mines at the peak." But they began closing in the 1950s; the last one shut down in 2006. "We had a great shipbuilding industry," he adds; the last one closed in 2007. "Iron, steel, chemicals, glass — they're all gone."

Despite the massive changes, says Keating, "People still think of this place as an old industrial area. Newcastle today has become a service city, with banking, insurance, and scientific research. Tourism is now one of the major industries, and that surprises a lot of people. We have a wonderful coastline (on the North Sea) and countryside. We wanted to change our image, and recently arts and culture has increased the city's profile. And that started with 'Angel of the North' in 1998."

Set on a hill—on the former site of a coal mine, near the A1 motorway-sculptor Antony Gormley's massive — 65-foot-tall, 175-foot wingspan — famed landmark steel sculpture is one of the most viewed pieces of art in the world — named one of the Seven Wonders of Britain by the Sunday Times. It greets some 100,000 cars each day (33 million viewers annually), welcoming travelers to the area.

"He wanted to bring new life out of the dark coal mine days," says Keating of Gormley's work. "It's quite a stunning structure."

After I paid homage to the "Angel," I took a 10-minute train ride from Newcastle to revisit charming Durham. Its Cathedral, along with the nearby Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was voted Britain's best-loved building in a nationwide British Broadcasting Corp. poll.

"I never cease to be thrilled and inspired by Durham Cathedral," says renowned travel writer Bill Bryson, an Iowa native and Chancellor of Durham University, succeeding actor Peter Ustinov, who fondly refers to Durham as "a perfect little city."

The vast Cathedral, begun in 1093, took 40 years to build. It's said to be the greatest Norman building in England, if not Europe. It has been used for several film sites, including scenes of 1998's "Elizabeth," which starred Cate Blanchett. And it's renowned as a shrine and treasuretrove of St. Cuthbert. "One of our hidden gems," observed Jan Williams, my Blue Badge guide.

"The great thing about Durham is that it's compact, you can walk anywhere in 10 minutes," she pointed out. "There's a mix of population here, family, professional, student (86,000; 32,000 central). This is the perfect medieval hilltop town" and a modern city as well, with quirky little shops. The river (Wear) brings the countryside into the city."

And Durham University, with 12,000 students, is the first in the North of England and claims to be the third oldest in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. Tourists can stay here at the Castle during the summer for a reasonable fee (as my husband did while I was on a business trip nearby), and its charming dining hall is right out of Harry Potter.

"The Castle, which dates from 1072, is one of the longest continuously inhabited buildings in Britain," points out Williams.

Other North of England gems that I've enjoyed visiting over the years include Beamish Open-Air Museum (just a few miles from Newcastle and Durham); tiny Saltaire (native home of famed artist David Hockney); the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth; the exquisite National Railway Museum in York, one of the world's best, and Bradford's National Museum of Photography, Film, & Television.

Here are even more North of England gems worth seeing:

Harrogate: This charming spa town, where Agatha Christie famously escaped to during her mysterious 10-day disappearance in 1926 — is well worth a visit. After spending a few hours relaxing in its historic Turkish Baths and Health Spa, you can tour the Royal Pump Room Museum. (You might like the taste of its reportedly healthy sulphur water, but I didn't! "Don't inhale, just sip!" I was advised.) Then walk around the nearby, exquisitely gorgeous Valley Gardens, which won the "Europe in Bloom" competition in 2004. A short stroll away you can take a peek inside the breathtaking, recently renovated Harrogate Theatre. Better yet, attend a performance.

It's fun to shop in town. And when you need a rest and a bite to eay, head to the famed Betty's Tea Room. But be prepared to wait in a long line.

Charles Dickens, who visited Harrogate in 1858, commented that it was "the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading, and dining."

"People love coming here because it's so relaxing," noted my Blue Badge guide Claire Bostel.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park: A renowned international art center for modern and contemporary art, this is a fun, offbeat place to stroll around amid the sheep and sculptures housed on 500 acres of 18th-century parkland. You can spend several hours here. And, for serious art lovers, plan to visit nearby Wakefield, the birthplace of modern British sculpture. The Hepworth Wakefield art gallery and creative center, scheduled to open winter 2009/2010, will showcase works from renowned sculptors Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore (natives of the area), among others.

Ripley Castle. "It's been in our family for 700 years," exclaimed Sir Thomas Ingilby as he shook my hand. "We're still paying off the mortgage!" he joked. King James I of Scotland was a houseguest in 1603; two years later the Ingilbys plotted to kill him! Some 35,000 annual visitors tour the castle and gardens.

— Southport: For flower fans, the annual Southport Flower Show is the largest independent flower show in England, set on 34 acres. Next year's is Aug. 20-23, 2009.

This seaside town, currently undergoing a redevelopment, is great for shopping and golf (it's England's golfing capital, and the nearby Royal Birkdale Golf Course was the site of the 2008 British Open). And, for art lovers, sculptor Antony Gormley has turned up again: His "Another Place" is comprised of 100 cast-iron men (he used his own body for the mold) who stand spread over two miles on the beach, facing the Irish Sea to greet those sailing or swimming in!

Who said the North of England was dull?

IF YOU GO

For free maps, brochures, and vacation-planning advice, contact VisitBritain: www.visitbritain.com.

Harrogate: www.aboutbritain.com/towns/harrogate.asp.

Harrogate Theatre: www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

Betty's Tea Room: www.bettys.co.uk/cafe.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park: www.ysp.co.uk.

Hepworth Wakefield art gallery and creative center: www.hepworthwakefield.com.

Ripley Castle: www.ripleycastle.co.uk.

Southport Flower Show: www.southportflowershow.co.uk.

Sharon Whitley Larson is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.