Hide and Bolt

If you're aiming for some angling, you can get your fix at Grassholme Reservoir (25 minutes’ drive), which is also a favourite local location for scenic waterside walks and watersports – you can book paddleboarding taster sessions for a first go on the water if you like. The Grassholme Observatory (20 minutes) will turn your attention to the stars with themed talks, family astronomy sessions and other activities. Those of you who’d rather look back to the past can head to grand buildings like the medieval Raby Castle Park and Gardens (10 minutes), which has a 200-acre deer park and trails in the 18th-century walled garden. Egglestone Abbey (10 minutes) on the river Tees is a ruined Premonstratensian abbey with remains of canons and living quarters. And don't forget about darling Darlington (20 minutes). This town’s claim to fame is that it had the world’s first permanent passenger steam locomotive. There’s a museum all about it, called the Head of Steam Darlington Railway Museum (25 minutes).