Meadow Farm Park

Since you’re in such a historic region, investigating the past might be one of the first things on your mind. Locomotion (15 minutes’ drive) is a railway museum with locomotion models if that’s your sort of thing. Otherwise, The Bowes Museum (25 minutes) houses a huge collection of old art. Of course, there are historical sites that can be visited in the flesh too, like Barnard Castle (20 minutes) and the National Trust’s Moulton Hall (half an hour). The former has views over the river Tees and 12th-century enforcements, while the latter is a 17th-century manor house that can be visited with an appointment. Durham city centre (30 minutes) has more historical sites and city attractions, including a botanical garden, castle and museum. When you’re not chilling in the city or your countryside spot, catch an open-air live action show at Kynren (10 minutes). The next morning, you could take it easy with a peaceful walk around Low Barns Nature Reserve (10 minutes), seeing what wildlife you can tick off on your way around.