Durham Dales

The Durham Dales is a peaceful, rich and varied landscape of moors and hills, valleys and meandering rivers, dotted with picturesque villages and market towns and home to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Spend time in Stanhope, the green and tranquil market town at the heart of the Durham Dales that is home to the Durham Dales Centre, where you will find an award-winning tearoom along with craft shops and a Tourist Information Centre. Whilst in the town, hop aboard the Weardale Railway. Originally built in 1847 by the Stockton and Darlington Railway to transport limestone, it now transports visitors on scenic trips along the line to Wolsingham.

Visit High House Chapel, the world’s oldest Methodist Chapel still in continuous weekly use, and the Weardale Museum – a small independent folk museum where visitors can discover what life was like in Weardale in the 19thcentury.

In Upper Teesdale take the pleasant woodland walk to High Force, the highest unbroken fall of water in England, where the River Tees spectacularly drops 21 metres - an awe-inspiring sight!

The peaceful and tranquil Eggleston Hall Gardens, with its nursery specialising in rare and unusual plants, is a great place to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature, with over four acres of gardens overlooking the fells of Upper Teesdale.

One of England’s most impressive medieval castles, Raby Castle was built in the 14th century and is surrounded by beautiful walled gardens and extensive parkland which is home to herds of fallow and roe deer.

Hamsterley Forest is a fantastic adventure playground of woodland with walks, cycle routes and horse-riding trails open to all. Visitors can hire bikes in the forest and tackle a range of rides to suit all abilities.

Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, is the most complete lead mining site in Great Britain and features a huge working water wheel. Visitors can experience the life and work of the lead mining families of the Pennine dales and put on hard hats before descending into the mine to take a tour underground - an unforgettable experience.