Ashtree Farm

First stop for all history buffs may well be Hadrian’s Wall (five minutes’ drive), which you can explore on foot or by car, stopping off at museums including Housesteads Roman Fort (half an hour) and Vindolanda (40 minutes) along the way. There are remains of a garrison at Corbridge Roman Town (20 minutes), while you can come forward in time to discover the seventh-century abbey at Hexham (half an hour) as well as the Old Gaol, dating from late medieval times and thought to be the oldest prison in the UK. But it’s not all history around here. The Tyne Valley is walking and cycling country, with plenty of circular trails in Tyne Riverside Country Park (10 minutes) and through woodland around Bolam Lake (20 minutes) as well as long-distance routes. If you prefer your exercise taken on the golf course, there are several within 15 minutes’ drive, and if you need a real incentive to get those hiking shoes on, consider taking an alpaca for a trek at Barn Acre Alpacas (five minutes). Budding daredevils can look forward to a day out at Go Ape Matfen (15 minutes), where they can zoom down high-speed zipwires or have a go at axe throwing (apparently it’s quite therapeutic…).