Derecroft Glamping

Walkers and cyclists are in for a treat, with many local routes through lovely landscapes. Derwent Valley Railway Path (10 minutes’ drive) reveals river views and a sculpture park, while the Waskerley Way (15 minutes) traverses wild moorland into rugged Weardale (half an hour). If cycling is your thing, local routes include demanding off-road forestry trails. Combine getting active with a history lesson along Hadrian’s Wall, with Roman garrison remains near Corbridge and museums like Binchester Roman Fort (all half an hour). The carriage rides and period houses at open-air Beamish Museum (15 minutes) showcase regional life over the last 200 years, and in summer a live show with a cast of hundreds relates a millennia of history at Kynren (half an hour). Fancy changing the pace with a day or night out in the big city? As well as its stately cathedral, Durham (20 minutes) has pubs and restaurants aplenty in its hilly cobbled lanes. Newcastle upon Tyne (40 minutes) has some excellent art galleries and museums along the River Tyne and morphs into party-central after dark, with bars, pubs and clubs open until the wee hours.