Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite

View prices & book 9.6 5 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
Level grass pitches surrounded by fields
A general view of the site
Camping field protected by mature trees
Plenty of seating in the pub beer garden
1/14
New
Hardstanding and grass pitches
Pub at the front of campsite available for food and drinks
Beer garden

  • Quiet family site at a County Durham pub just outside Newton Aycliffe
  • Durham and Raby Castle, Park and Gardens both 25 minutes’ drive
  • Restaurant and beer garden; delicatessen and gift shop on site
There’s much to see and do in County Durham, so it’s only right that you pick a quiet 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. Yes, the site has well-kept grass pitches tucked in between the trees, plus a facilities block with showers, loos and a washing-up sink. But much more importantly, it has pedestrian access to the Hammer and Pincers – a pub with a restaurant and spacious beer garden, where you can dodge any self-catering issues with a menu of good home-cooked food for breakfast, lunch and evening meals. Should you need to stock up on anything, there’s a deli and gift shop on the premises selling homemade jams, chutneys, cakes and takeaway savoury dishes as well as beers and wine. If you’re after entertainment, there’s an occasional schedule of live music events at the pub too.

Campground type

Caravan sites 30
Tent sites 30
RV & Motorhome sites 30
Open all year
Opens

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.
  • Electricity is metered on site at £0.30 per kWh and must be paid onsite using a pre-paid topup card.

Languages spoken

English

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating based on 5 reviews View breakdown

60%

would recommend this campground to a friend

60%

would stay here again

  • 80%
    10
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    9
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    8
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    7
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    6
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

A really good value, lovely site with the friendliest of staff.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Clare M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Power optional concrete and grass site

Liked: What a great, friendly site! We stayed for two nights and really enjoyed it. The setting is fab ( so handy for the A1 and would be the perfect stop-over e.g. travelling from Scotland to the South of UK) and the whole vibe easy-going and laid back. Ruth, Henry and family who run it are so helpful and personable, they couldn't have been nicer and it was a sheer joy to meet the lovely grandchildren. The pub on site is excellent and was very busy both nights we were there ( you may need to book if you want to eat) lush warm, homely atmosphere. Local artisans sell some of their wares within, such a lovely touch. Excellent value too! £44 for two nights plus ehu. Top-up card with added £10 for electricity was plenty for us, even though it was icy cold frost both nights we were there ( and ran small oil-filled heater all night for 2 berth van plus fridge). Would recommend and would definitely go back as Locomotion museum worth a second visit at the very least!

Disliked: Toilets and showers a bit basic still, but perfectly functionable.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Henry was so helpful went above and beyond to help and make…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Ian W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Power optional concrete and grass site

Liked: Henry was so helpful went above and beyond to help and make sure our stay was comfortable food in hotel was amazing as were staff

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant stay at the Hammer & Pincers

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Andrew S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Power optional concrete and grass site

Liked: Due to family obligations we stayed at the Hammer & Pincers caravan site near Newton Aycliffe. From the moment we arrived we could not have asked for a warmer welcome. Now, the owners have only owned the pub/restaurant caravan site for 6/7 months, so the site, whilst functional, is a work in progress. The showers are beautifully hot, the toilets clean and the pitches are level.
Now as for the pub/restaurant, we cannot recommend highly enough. The food is outstanding, plentiful and priced fairly. The owner Ruth, and assistants Denise and Eve always serve with a cheerful smile and are always willing to have a quick chat. The chef and his team are brilliant serving beautifully presented hot food which is totally delicious. Because I enjoyed a previous meal so much, on our last night, they went out of their way to repeat that meal, and it wasn’t even on the menu - fantastic. We would rate our experience here as a 11/10. We’ve been truly spoiled. We will be back.

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

The pub was lovely and the staff very welcoming especially to our…

Overall 8/10
Location 6
Value for money 8
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Power optional concrete and grass site

Liked: The pub was lovely and the staff very welcoming especially to our dog. Huge portions and the food was lovely.

Disliked: The site was very close to busy road and train track so quite noisy.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely go again

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Geoff M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered concrete and grass site

Liked: Excellent place clean tidy shower block and toilets
Restaurant food excellent
Staff very friendly

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 Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry 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 Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites) Pub campground

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

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 GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

54.60898°N
-1.54143°W

Nearest transport

Coach
9.5 km Dolphin Centre
15.6 km Roseberry Road
15.6 km Swan Hotel
Rail
2.9 km Heighington Rail Station
3.2 km Newton Aycliffe Rail Station
6.4 km Shildon Rail Station
Ferry
20.4 km Transporter Bridge South Side
20.5 km Transporter Bridge North Side
43.1 km Newcastle International Ferry Terminal
Airport
13 km 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 wake boards or kayaking at the North East Wake Park (10 minutes’ drive). There’s 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.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Crimdon 23 km Sea GoodExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seaton Carew North 23.7 km Sea N/AN/AGoodGood
Seaton Carew Centre 23.9 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seaton Carew North Gare 24.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seaham Beach 29.6 km Sea N/AGoodExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Locomotion:The National Railway Museum at Shildon 6.8 km

Durham Cathedral 18.3 km

Durham Castle 18.7 km

mima 20.2 km

Captain Cook Birthplace Museum 21.8 km

National Trust

Moulton Hall 21.6 km

Ormesby Hall 24.3 km

Mount Grace Priory 29.4 km

Washington Old Hall 32.6 km

Gibside 36.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Brafferton 2.6 km

WINDLESTONE HALL 5.5 km

Hardwick Hall Country Park (Durham) 7.1 km

HARDWICK PARK 7.3 km

Ceddesfeld Hall Gardens 7.7 km

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.

Offers

Conditions apply - see site type section for details

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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 wake … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hammer and Pincers Caravan and Campsite? From $40.52 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.