things to do

Pennine Way near High Force High Force Waterfall

Nearby Things To Do

Part of the fun and enjoyment of your holiday can be exploring and discovering the area and what it has to offer you. Just to give you an idea of the range of interests and activities that are available, listed here is a selection of nearby attractions

Cockfield Fell is Englands largest Scheduled Ancient Monument being 350 hectares in size. There is evidence of medieval settlements, coal mines, packhorse trails, wagonways and railways. The ideal place to start is the visitor centre just outside the village, see the video of the areas history. You will also find leaflets of several local circular walks, places of interest and things to do.

Raby Castle - home of Lord Barnard, set in deer park. Rooms display artwork furniture and architecture.
Barnard Castle - large ruined Norman castle, in the busy old market town.
Bowes Museum - built in the late 19th century, houses the life size silver musical automaton swan.
Auckland Castle and park - official home of the Bishop Of Durham, originally a 12th fortified manor house.
Binchester Roman Fort - remains of Roman Baths Suite, and section of Dere Street Roman road.
Harpeley POW camp - a WW2 prison of war camp, including 1940’s style restaurant
Weardale Railway - running trains between Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope, some steam engines.
Locomotion National Railway Museum Shildon and adjacent the:
Timothy Hackworth Victorian & Railway Museum.
Darlington Railway Centre And Museum

Enjoy The Great Outdoors. Durham Dales Described As A Largely Undiscovered Corner Of England Ideal For An Active Holiday Or Complete Relaxation Far Away From The Crowds.
Walk for miles in the North Pennines Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Visit the waterfalls along the rivers, High Force in Teesdale being the largest waterfall in England. See Cauldron Snout Feeding the Tees from Cow Green Reservoir. The nature reserves and trails at places like Moor House, Bowlees visitor centre with Gibsons Cave, the meadow of Hannah Hauxwell can all be full of discoveries and surprises. Low Barns Nature Reserve provides a wide range of habitat in a 50 hectare site where bird life is abundant. Hamsterley Forest provides walks, mountain bike trails (hire your bike here as well) and pony trekking . Hamsterley boasts trails suitable for the youngest cyclist, up to hair raising downhill specialist routes.
Whether road biking or mountain biking, there are plenty of options in this area. Both the National Cycle Network Routes, the C2C 7 and the W2W 20 pass through the Durham Dales on their way to Sunderland. There is a National Byway route using lightly trafficked roads, and the county of Durham has nearly 70 miles of reclaimed railway paths. Visit Rainton Meadows and see how the site of the Rye hill Surface Coal Mine has been transformed into a conservation and recreation area.

Golf. Bishop Auckland has one of the finest mature parkland courses in the country. The course at Crook is set on the hillside and offers a very picturesque and challenging course, “play golf at Crook and you can play anywhere” is the cry! There are also courses at nearby Darlington. Two minutes from Bishop Auckland is the Eleven Arches Driving Range, with picnic areas and a friendly atmosphere the whole family can enjoy a day out.
Fishing visitors can obtain permits from some angling clubs to allow them to fish in the rivers. There is fishing allowed in some of the reservoirs such as Tunstall Derwent or Burnhope.
Pony Trekking available at Evenwood Gate, Hamsterley and Hole in the Wall Riding School at Crook. From beginners to advanced riders, you can be sure of being catered for in beautiful scenic countryside.
Sailing Grassholme Reservoir
Water Skiing Balderhead Reservoir
Canoeing On river Tees, downstream from High Force. Restrictions apply.

Recommended Outings
Beamish Open Air Museum
Durham and Cathedral (use park and ride, as congestion charge apply in city centre).
Killhope Lead Mining Museum.
Metro Centre and Metro Land.

The East coast, Saltburn, Staithes, Whitby, the North Yorkshire Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, Hadrians Wall, The Metro Centre, Riverside Stadium at Chester Le Street, and the Lake District are all within an easy day trip.

DETAILS FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES

Tourist Information

Swaledale Outdoor Club

Beamish Museum

Raby Castle

Auckland Castle