LOCAL AMENITIES and PLACES TO VISIT
Nearest pub and restaurant 10 minute leisurely walk
Post office and small convenience store 10 minute walk
Petrol Station 2 miles
Railway Station 4 miles away in Bishop Auckland or 9 miles to Durham Station
Larger supermarkets 4 miles away in Bishop Auckland
County Durham has beautiful scenery, whether it’s the dramatic and unique coastline or the rolling picturesque countryside visitors will not be disappointed. County Durham has some beautiful areas of natural beauty for visitors to explore by car, foot or bike.
WITHIN HALF AN HOURS DRIVE OF THE COTTAGE
Brandon – Bishop Auckland Railway Path which runs along old railways lines that are now alive with vibrant wildflowers and birdlife
Brandon - Bishop Auckland Railway Path
Low Barns Nature Reserve with café only 2 miles from the cottage
Low Barns Nature Reserve
Walney to Wear and Whitby (W2W) This 151 mile challenge route links Walney Island on the south western tip of Cumbria's Irish Sea coast with the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea coast, following National Route 70.
Auckland Castle & Deer Park – Palace of the Prince Bishops for over 900 years
Auckland-Castle
Auckland-Castle-Interior
Kynren: A spellbinding, live action night show of electrifying proportions.
Be transported through 2000 years of British history with the help of dazzling pyrotechnic, light and water effects and a spine-tingling soundtrack experienced in epic surround sound. Witness history unfold from your vantage point in the 8000 seater Tribune, as a cast and crew of 1000, a cavalry of horses and a host of other surprises take you from Roman times to the Industrial Revolution and beyond. This, on a stage the size 5 football pitches with a lake at its centre…
Myth and legend, battles and conquests, experiencing Kynren is a must.
Kynren - An Epic Tale Of England
Binchester Roman Fort - home to the best preserved Roman military bath house in Britain.
Binchester-Roman-Fort
Oakenshaw Wildlife Reserve The walk takes you through the young plantation trees of the Hundred Acre Plantation and round the three ponds that form the wetlands.
Oakenshaw-Wildlife-Reserve
The Weardale Way –This long distance walk is 77 miles in length running through the “Land of the Prince Bishops”
Weardale-Way
Escomb Saxon Church – one of the most complete Saxon Churches in Europe
Escomb-Saxon-Church
Locomotion (part of the National Railway Museum) Shildon - It is the home of the first ever steam hauled passenger train which operated during the opening ceremony of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825
Locomotion
Durham City where traditional England meets the cosmopolitan culture of modern society. Enjoy a stroll through the small, cobbled streets and take in the picturesque architecture or visit some unusual boutiques along the way. In the evening enjoy a nice meal in one of the cities many restaurants or bars.
Durham
Durham Cathedral is one of the great buildings of Europe set grandly on a rocky promontory next to the Castle with the medieval city huddled below
Durham-Cathedral
Durham-Castle
Crook Hall & Gardens – Historic medieval hall with English theme gardens
Crook-Hall-and-Gardens
Botanic Garden Durham - 10 acres university botanic garden set amongst beautiful mature woodlands
Durham-Botanical-Gardens
Oriental Museum Durham is the only museum in the North of Britain devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the Orient. Our Chinese and Egyptian collections are amongst the finest to be found anywhere in Britain.
Oriental-Museum
Durham Heritage Centre & Museum tells the story of the City of Durham from medieval times to present day. The museum is situated in an historic church next to the World Heritage Site of Durham Cathedral and Castle.
Durham-Heritage-Centre
Prince Bishop River Cruiser offers cruises with spectacular view s of historic Durham City, Cathedral, Castle and bridges plus evening cruises with a difference.
Prince-Bishop-River-Cruiser
Hamsterley Forest is an enjoyable woodland area with walks, cycle routes and horse riding trails open to all. Visitors can hire bikes in the forest and tackle a range of rides to suit all abilities.
Hamsterley-Forest
Hamsterley Forest Cycle Routes – The forest is an enjoyable woodland area with walks, cycle routes and horse riding trails open to all. Visitors can hire bikes in the forest and tackle a range of rides to suit all abilities.
Hamsterley-Forest-cycle
Hardwick Park - You can stroll through the historic parkland admiring the natural beauty of the lake, woodland and wildlife. No visit is complete without calling into the visitor centre to learn about the history and restoration of the park, taking a look in the new gift shop and calling in to the Tower Cafe
Hardwick-Park
Raby Castle built in the 14th Century, occupies an impressive position surrounded by parkland which is home to herds of fallow and roe deer.
Raby-Castle
Weardale & Teesdale part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Wolsingham – a small market town on the River Wear with a number of shops and cafes. Home to Wolsingham Agricultural show. Tunstall Reservoir is only 3 miles away and ideal for walking or fly fishing.
Wolsingham
Wolsingham Agricultural Show first weekend in September
Wolsingham-Agricultural-Show
Stanhope Agricultural Show is held on the second weekend of September each year
Stanhope-Agricultural-Show
Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope with tea room, tourist information and craft shops
Durham-Dales-Centre
Weardale Railway & Polar Express
Weardale Railway
Polar-Express
Barnard Castle is in Teesdale and is an idyllic market town, well known for its array of antique shops and beautiful river walk, not forgetting being the home of The Bowes Museum (right hand side picture) with its wonderful history and outstanding treasures
Barnard-Castle
WITHIN AN HOUR FROM THE COTTAGE
High Force in Teesdale where the River Tees drops 21 metres
High-Force-Waterfall
The open air and world renowned Beamish Museum is also an interactive day out where visitors can experience what North East life was like in 1913.
Beamish-Museum
Causey Arch the world’s oldest surviving railway bridge
Causey-Arch
Tanfield Railway – The Worlds Oldest Railway - Working historical railway. A day out for all the family –Includes railway history, train timetables and events diary
Tanfield-Railway
Cuddys Course walk is in the footsteps of St Cuthbert's on his journey from Chester-le-Street to Durham Cathedral
Weardale Museum a fascinating and enchanting small museum and historic Methodist chapel, featuring the beautiful Weardale Tapestry. Three attractions in one. Well worth the journey to the Durham Dales.
Weardale Museum
Killhope Museum is the most complete lead mining site in Britain featuring a huge working water wheel. Visitors can experience the life and work of lead mining families and put on hard hats to descend into the mine and take a tour underground.
Killhope-Museum
Durham Heritage Coast is particularly unique and has emerged as one of the finest coastlines in England. There is dramatic scenery where the cliff tops are met with wide grasslands full of wildlife and foliage.
Durham-Heritage-Coast
St Johns Chapel Agricultural Show
Dalton Park The Biggest outlet shopping centre in the North East
Dalton-Park-Outlet
The Angel of the North sculpture standing 20 meters high with a wingspan to match that of a jumbo jet
The-Angel-of-the-North
Metro Centre largest shopping centre in the UK
Metro-Centre
Sage Gatehsead is a centre for musical education, performance and conferences, located in Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne
The-Sage-Gateshead
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art - international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in Gateshead
Baltic-Centre-for-Contemporary Art
Newcastle Upon Tyne – united by 7 bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination with world class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture. All are linked here as nowhere else by the famous Geordie spirit.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
THE WIDER NORTH EAST
Hadrians Wall - Hadrians Wall Country stretches across the north of England from the west Cumbrian Roman coastal defences at Ravenglass along Hadrian's Wall to Newcastle Upon Tyne, Wallsend and South Shields.
Hadrians-Wall-Country
Alnwick Castle and Gardens for a day out to fire the imagination. Discover sumptuous State Rooms, the extraordinary contemporary gardens and the tree house
Alnwick-Castle-and-Gardens
Holy Island of Lindisfarne Skim over the sands and causeway to Holy Island and prepare to enter another world
Holy-Island-of-Lindisfarne
Yorkshire Dales is an area of great natural beauty in Northern England, a large part of which has been designated as a national park
Yorkshire-Dales-National-Park
City of York with a wealth of heritage, culture and attractions
City-of-York
City of Harrogate a spa town in North Yorkshire
City-of-Harrogate
The Lake District National Park with dramatic scenery, lakes and mountains
The-Lake-District-National-Park
