Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite

View prices & book 7.5 158 reviews
View across the site
View across the site
Hardstanding and grass pitches
Pub at the front of campsite available for food and drinks
Beer garden
Play ground
Level grass pitches surrounded by fields
A general view of the site
Camping field protected by mature trees
1/52
Hardstanding and grass pitches
Pub at the front of campsite available for food and drinks
Beer garden

  • Family-run site at a County Durham pub surrounded by the countryside
  • Durham and Raby Castle, Park and Gardens both 25 minutes’ drive
  • Restaurant and beer garden on site; supermarkets five minutes' drive
There’s much to see and do in County Durham, so it’s only right that you pick a nice base to unwind after a day’s exploration. And a very good choice would be Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite, a laidback spot barely five minutes’ drive from Newton Aycliffe and with one very important USP… It has pedestrian access to the Hammer and Pincers (open Wednesday to Sunday only; closed Mondays and Tuesdays), a pub with a restaurant and a spacious beer garden, where you can dodge any self-catering issues with a menu of good home-cooked food for lunch and evening meals. The site has well-kept grass pitches tucked in between the trees and surrounded by scenic countryside. There is a convenient facilities block with showers, loos and a washing-up. If you’re after entertainment, there’s an occasional schedule of live music events at the pub. A trainline runs along the bottom of the site, so there is some noise around the site. Supermarkets, shops and a train station are just over in Newton Aycliffe, five minutes' drive away. Here, you're only a 35- to 40-minute drive from the seaside towns of Hartlepool and Seaham, too. More inland, the boundaries of the North Pennines National Landscape are half an hour's drive away.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 14
Tent pitches 10
Motorhome pitches 14
Open all year
Opens

Tourist board rating

Please note

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Electricity is metered on site at £0.30 per kWh and must be paid onsite using a pre-paid topup card. Please note there may be noise from the train line running along the bottom of the site. The pub is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

7.5

Overall rating from 158 Pitchup.com customers

  • 32%
    10
  • 7%
    9
  • 24%
    8
  • 8%
    7
  • 6%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 4%
    4
  • 4%
    3
  • 3%
    2
  • 5%
    1
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 6
Budget/backpacker

72% would recommend this site to a friend

70% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a friendly, budget-friendly site with a popular on-site pub serving excellent food. Staff are consistently praised for their helpfulness and welcoming attitude. While pitches are generally level and facilities adequate, some reviewers mention they are basic and could benefit from updating. Noise from the nearby train line is a recurring theme, though many guests found it manageable. The site is well-located for A1 access.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 13/10/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

Give this place a miss

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 3
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Flat pitch

Disliked Toilets, showers, Two separate set ups for EHU. Quite a few long stayers on this site all using non metered EHU. We hooked up on arrival at 6pm but was disconnected and put on a metered EHU. Paid £5 as we only booked for one night. At 10.30 electric went off (out of credit). Had to pay for another £5 card. Site generally needs upgrading. Couldn't wait to leave and will never return.

Recommend to friends Visit again

ok for the price

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Alun F. 5 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked good value, nice pub that served good meals

Disliked arrival, my booking wasn't recorded and pitch allocation was non existent

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic owners very obliging and friendly,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
ivan g. 2 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Fantastic owners very obliging and friendly, also very friendly, the sit was very clean and easy to get to

Disliked Toilets could be a little better.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect stopover place the food at…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Vince A. 13 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Perfect stopover place the food at the pub was amazing, really good

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly people on site and lovely…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Friendly people on site and lovely food at the site pub.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great, cheap site with Pub/Restaurant on the doorstep.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Dave U. 1 review

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked This a small site with basic facilities and that's reflected in the great price.

We got a warm welcome from a lovely lady in the pub and she walked us to the site and showed us which pitches were available.

Once pitched and older chap who worked there came to see us and checked we were all set up and the power was working etc. He also told us of a walk along to the village of Aycliffe which has a great pub/restaurant. (The County)

The site is right next to The Hammer and Pincers pub which serves home cooked food Wednesday to Sunday and the prices are great value.

There seems to be quite a few long term resident's on the site who knew each other well and had a friendly word with us when they passed out van.

The main east coast railway line is at the bottom of the site but wasn't really an issue for us. It might be if you're a light sleeper.

Toilet facilities are basic and while there is only one shower I had no problem finding it free the two mornings I was there. It was also relatively clean by my standards and did the job.

All in all if you're after some of the facilities you get at someone the super sites at £50+ a night you'll be disappointed but if you want a good, cheap, basic site with a decent pub on the doorstep this is great.

Disliked Nothing I really disliked.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really friendly and great little site…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Paul R. 2 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Really friendly and great little site for us to stop the night with venturing to Durham the next day

Recommend to friends Visit again

Owners were nice.They had running water.…

Overall

4 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Owners were nice.They had running water. Pony is kinda cool. Pub would be cool if it was open when we were here.

Disliked Next to train tracks and A1(m). Grass was mediocre, toilets dirty.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Handy having a bar / restaurant…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 4
Value for money
 4
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
 John T. 31 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Handy having a bar / restaurant on site

Disliked Limited toilets and showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location , owners very friendly and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 June R. 6 reviews

Electric optional hardstanding pitch

Liked Location , owners very friendly and helpful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 pitches) Pub campsite

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite

Preston Lane

Newton Aycliffe

Co. Durham

England

DL5 6JH

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.60898°N
1.54143°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.9 mi Dolphin Centre
9.7 mi Roseberry Road
9.7 mi Swan Hotel
Rail
1.8 mi Heighington Rail Station
2 mi Newton Aycliffe Rail Station
4 mi Shildon Rail Station
Ferry
12.7 mi Transporter Bridge South Side
12.7 mi Transporter Bridge North Side
26.8 mi Newcastle International Ferry Terminal
Airport
8.1 mi Durham Tees Valley Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

There are loads of outdoor activities to keep the family happy: golfers can be out on the greens within 15 minutes’ drive, and there’s much alfresco fun to be had on wakeboards or kayaking at the North East Wake Park (10 minutes’ drive). There are plenty of options of a cultural nature in the region too. Raby Castle, Park and Gardens (25 minutes) has tours of opulent interiors, fabulous gardens, a kids’ adventure playground and a deer park for family walks. Visit The Bowes Museum (35 minutes) for its important collection of Spanish paintings, and in summer, book tickets for the historic outdoor extravaganza ‘Kynren’ in Bishop Auckland (15 minutes). If the kids are not objecting to all the history, set off for Durham (25 minutes) to explore the UNESCO-listed cathedral and castle. However, if tiny tempers are getting fractious, make a detour to Adventure Valley (35 minutes) for an afternoon of blowing cobwebs away on the crazy golf course and go-kart track.
(within 6.2 mi)
Castle, Aquarium, Theme park, Zoo and Cashpoint (within 10 mi)

Food and drink

  • Hammer and Pincers Pub 0.02 mi
  • The Gretna Green Hotel Pub 0.7 mi
  • Fayre & Square Restaurant 0.7 mi
  • The Royal Telegraph Pub 1.1 mi
  • The County Restaurant 1.2 mi
  • The Big Club Pub 1.3 mi
  • Blakes Sports & Lounge Bar Pub 1.4 mi
  • Thames Diner Restaurant 1.4 mi
  • Iron Horse Pub 1.4 mi
  • Steam Machine Pub 1.4 mi

Groceries

  • Tesco Extra 1.4 mi
  • Aldi 1.4 mi
  • Heron Foods 1.4 mi
  • Co-op Food 4 mi
  • Shildon Stores 4.3 mi
  • Asda 4.5 mi
  • M&S Foodhall 4.5 mi
  • Aldi 4.6 mi
  • The Co-operative 4.6 mi
  • LidI 4.7 mi

Parks and play

  • Aycliffe Village Play Area park 1 mi
  • St Oswald's Park 1.3 mi
  • Woodham Park 1.9 mi
  • West Park 1.9 mi
  • Scott Place Play Area Playground 2 mi
  • Rope Moor Plantation park 2.5 mi
  • Drinkfield Marsh Nature Reserve park 4 mi
  • Bensham Park 4.1 mi
  • Springfield Park 4.2 mi
  • Hardwick Park 4.3 mi

Family days out

  • Drinkfield Marsh Nature Reserve Visitor attraction 4 mi
  • Hardwick Park Visitor attraction 4.3 mi
  • Crown Slots Amusement arcade 5.7 mi
  • Arcadia Amusement arcade 5.9 mi
  • Auckland Castle 6.5 mi
  • Butterfly World Zoo 9.5 mi
  • Brancepeth Castle 9.8 mi
  • Witton Castle 9.8 mi

Public transport

  • North East Gate 0.9 mi
  • Durham Road 1 mi
  • Whinbank Rd-Whitworth Avenue 1 mi
  • Durham Way North 1 mi
  • Balliol Road 1 mi
  • Mellanby Crescent 1.1 mi
  • Shafto Way (Shafto House) 1.1 mi
  • Neville Parade 1.1 mi
  • Greville Way 1.1 mi
  • Groat Avenue 1.1 mi

Other nearby

  • Thames Shopping Shopping centre 1.4 mi
  • Ineos Golf Club Golf course 2.1 mi
  • Oakleaf Golf Complex Golf course 2.3 mi
  • Hall Garth Hotel golf course 2.3 mi
  • Woodham Golf & Country Club Golf course 2.5 mi
  • Eden Grange Fishery Fishing 3.3 mi
  • Darlington Golf Course 4 mi
  • Knotty Hill Golf Centre Golf course 4.9 mi
  • Brusselton Reservoir Fishing 5.2 mi
  • Queen Street Shopping Centre 5.7 mi

Local services

  • HSBC UK Cashpoint 5.4 mi
  • Barclays Cashpoint 5.5 mi
  • Halifax Cashpoint 5.5 mi
  • Neville Pharmacy 1 mi
  • Esso Fuel station 1.1 mi
  • Bewick Crescent Surgery Doctors 1.4 mi
  • Tesco Filling Station Fuel station 1.4 mi
  • Boots Pharmacy 1.4 mi
  • Newton Pharmacy 1.5 mi
  • Peaseway Medical Centre Doctors 1.6 mi
  • Shell Fuel station 1.8 mi
  • Fastend Charging Station - Forrest Park 1.8 mi
  • Jet Fuel station 1.9 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Locomotion:The National Railway Museum at Shildon 4.2 mi

Durham Cathedral 11.4 mi

Durham Castle 11.6 mi

mima 12.6 mi

Captain Cook Birthplace Museum 13.5 mi

National Trust

Moulton Hall 13.4 mi

Ormesby Hall 15.1 mi

Mount Grace Priory 18.3 mi

Washington Old Hall 20.3 mi

Gibside 22.8 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Brafferton 1.6 mi

WINDLESTONE HALL 3.4 mi

Hardwick Hall Country Park (Durham) 4.4 mi

HARDWICK PARK 4.5 mi

Ceddesfeld Hall Gardens 4.8 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Co. Durham?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite? There are loads of outdoor activities to keep the family happy: golfers can be out on the greens within 15 minutes’ drive, and there’s much alfresco fun to be had on wakeboards … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite? From £22 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.