Our guide to County Durham
15th May 2021
In our 5 weeks up norf’ norf’, we’ve crammed a lot in yet again; an eclectic mix of shorelines, cities and rolling hills, County Durham really has it all.
Newcastle
On the second weekend of our stay, we visited Newcastle city centre. Driving in was mental — lots of very confusing road ways. But eventually we parked up in an NPC car park and wandered towards the centre.
We arrived practically in time for lunch, and due to the restrictions, we needed to find somewhere outside but relatively warm — and somewhere that had space!
We happened upon Stack Newcastle. If anyone knows Pop Brixton or the Box Parks in London, it’s really similar. Lots of independent food and drink vendors which you can order via your phone! We ordered some bao buns and we tried our first “chicken parmo” — I was a fan because cheese, Alex not so much… because cheese… so much cheese.
Walking up and down the river was really peaceful; at one point, we sat on the Gateshead Millennium bridge (pictured) and took it all in.
Newcastle — 7/10
Durham
We visited Durham a couple of times; the first time completely on a whim, on a day when we woke up to unexpected beautiful clear skies and sun. To make the most of it, we drove into Durham centre, about 20 minutes in the car.
A short walk from the car park we were in the town centre. On route, we passed some bars and restaurants which seemed like the place to be — Slug and Lettuce, Champagne bar, and a few more modern cool looking places. In contrast, the very centre has cute little town vibes; the buildings are old and full of character and there’s cobbled streets and small arcades everywhere. The market was on that day, and we wandered around the stalls admiring the craftsmanship.
Once we’d had our fill of shopping, we headed towards the cathedral. It’s large and very nice to say the least. Just down from the castle, there’s a small trail path following the river, which was beautiful to walk around; you almost forget you’re in a city centre — it’s so quiet!
The next time we were in Durham was for a haircut!!!!! SO long overdue. Thanks to Wendy at Toni and Guy for looking after me and my dry af hair. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as good that day, so we didn’t stick around after. Although with fresh hair, it would have been great to have one at the Champagne bar!
Durham — 9/10
Tunstall reservoir
After a particularly stressful week at work, we clocked out a bit early and Alex found us a reservoir to go explore.
It didn’t look good as we headed over — the clouds were dropping, we even had a few spots of rain. However when we arrived at the little fisherman’s car park, mother nature decided to treat us — the skies cleared and the sun was out. We then had a beautiful walk around the reservoir, skimming stones, exploring the woodlands, and admiring the local cottages. We even saw a few bunnies hopping around one of the fields nearby.
The beach!
We visited the coast twice during our stay. Once to explore Durham Heritage Coast line, and another time to visit family in Redcar. Both were beautiful.
Go to Seaton for sand. Go to Seaham for the cliffs.
Over to the west of Middlestone, within about a 15 minutes drive of each other are Raby Castle, a private estate and deer park, complete with cute cafe and further over Barnard Castle, which has its own town surrounding it.
Barnard Castle
We explored Barnard Castle town first, parking in the centre, we wandered down the high street and then back up to the castle ruins — sadly it was closed due to COVID restrictions but we found a nature trail instead; it followed the river and it was full of wild garlic!
Raby Castle
Raby Castle was a bit more of a structured morning out; there was a car park attendant and we had to pay entry to get into the grounds — unexpected but not a big deal. Again, we couldn’t go into the castle, but this time because it was a hotel not a ruin! We saw cows, sheep, deer and rabbits — wild life heaven. After looping round the grounds, we stopped for a soft drink, a brownie and some carrot cake and sat underneath the umbrellas. Very chill, very civilised.
High Force Waterfall
How could we not go when it has a name like that?
The drive there is stunning and the waterfall ain’t half bad either! There are two walks there — one tiny one that goes to the base of the waterfall which you need to pay for admission (5/10), and another that walks you down the river before turning back up the bridge which is very pretty (9/10).
Note: We wish we did a bit more of our homework here - there are swing bridges and lovely loops near Low Force Waterfalls too. After our walk, we went to Middleton-in-Teesdale for lunch — in a cute French place.
High Force waterfall — 5/10 on its own, 8/10 after finding the longer walk.
Middlestone
The cute little village where we stayed. The cottage we’re in is adorable yet spacious and the views over the rolling hills are spectacular — we can even see the North York moors in the distance. On top of that, the local pub The Ship Inn is right over the road, which has made for some fun evenings. They even do pizzas on a Thursday and Friday which are super tasty.
The morning and evening walks are plentiful too — we’ve been able to wander over the fields and round to the nearby villages, which have been all the more prettier when the sun was out. We reached out to Kirk Merrington, Leeholme and Westerton, and even as far as Ferryhill and Spennymoor, just by following the trails and paths around the edges of farmers fields.
One of our guilty pleasures while we stayed here was popping to the local McDonald’s drive thru and driving just through Ferryhill to a spot where you can overlook the sun setting over the rapeseed fields.
A few favourites
Favourite walk?
A close contest but Tunstall reservoir wins it. An easy drive, barely a soul there, lots of wildlife, great weather and a beautiful loop.
Favourite pub?
The Ship Inn — the one opposite us! How could we not?! Fantastic hosts, lovely local feel that want you to join in, and super pretty. The Ship Inn is a delight.
Favourite view?
Probably the view out of the window from the house. It is a delight to look up from your laptop and see the horses frolicking, the swallows singing, and the bunnies jumping.
Favourite memory?
Seeing family! We were finally able to see some of our family, after months of separation! The weather and the beach were added bonuses!
Thanks for reading,
Lots of love from your nomadic eggs x
