Durham Dales

Attractions

Interested in castles?
We can offer you a choice of medieval castles to visit, Auckland Castle at Bishop Auckland, the official residence of the Bishop of Durham or Raby Castle near Staindrop, home of the Lord Barnard. These are castles that have played their part in regional and national history but are still very much family homes today. It isn’t just priceless works of art you will see hanging on the walls inside and there are many, including the world famous Zurbarans, but you are just as likely to see photographs and paintings of the present owners and their families.

Interested in stunning scenery?
Then you couldn’t visit a more beautiful and better place. Part of the Wear Valley district is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. That itself would be good enough for some, however in 2003 the North Pennines AONB was designated Great Britain’s first European Geopark, an accolade only given to an area with internationally important geology and flora and fauna.

Interested in heritage?
A visit to Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum will help you understand the story of just one of the Dales’ important industrial stories. It’s a brilliant attraction for families having won the Guardian's Family Friendly Museum in 2004. On the moors to the north of Weardale’s signature town Stanhope are the remains of a route of an early 19th century rope-hauled railway. But you don’t have to settle for industrial remains. Recapture the romance of Dales rail travel with a ride on the Weardale Railway that currently operates between Wolsingham and Stanhope.

Amongst all the varied churches in Wear Valley two totally but equally absorbing gems await you. The first is Escomb Church (near Bishop Auckland) not only one of the very few complete English Saxon stone churches still standing, but is also one of the oldest still to be worshipped in today. How can something so small be so awesome? It’s a must to visit and find out for yourself. Head up Wear Valley into the heart of Weardale and visit Weardale Museum and High House Chapel at Ireshopeburn and learn about the world’s oldest Methodist Chapel still in continuous weekly use, as well as the visits of
John Wesley.

If two church gems aren’t enough you could make it three by extending your journey north across the moors to the River Derwent Valley to take in historic Blanchland village and its Abbey, or into Bishop Auckland to Auckland Castle’s St Peters Chapel. We want you to know, too, that this is not just a summer destination. A number of Durham Dales visitor attractions stay open all year round and in Wear Valley that includes Escomb Church, Low Barnes Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre, Harperley Prisoner of War Camp and the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope.

Of course the picturesque beauty of the North Pennine upland landscape complimented by the pastoral and wooded Wear Valley is available 24/7 and 365 days a year to anyone wanting to simply soak up that all-important tranquillity. Here you will find a sense of well-being and an opportunity for revitalisation which only truly unspoilt landscape can offer. And that bit comes free of charge!

Interested in Events?
Plan your visit around local events…There are numerous, from the Wear Valley Food Festival held annually at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland. Along with the not-to-bemissed opportunity to meet the local farming community at one of the annual agricultural shows in Wear Valley. Try St John’s Chapel in August and Wolsingham and Stanhope in September. Add in a visit during “Northern Rocks: The North Pennines Festival of Geology and Landscape” and join a guided tour to unlock some of the secrets of the Durham Dales landscape. A Monthly Farmers Market takes place at the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope on the fourth Saturday of the month, along with weekly traditional markets in Bishop Auckland and Crook. Further markets are also held in Teesdale and Derwentside as well as surrounding areas.

And while you are here enjoy good locally produced food at one of our cosy pubs. There are many, that to name some would be a mistake in the omission of other, but whether you are looking for a leisurely lunch or a la carte dining we have it all.