Your holiday cottage sits in Middleton in Teesdale, which makes up the Durham Dales with Weardale. If ever an area deserved the phrase ‘hidden gem’ or ‘undiscovered secret’, this is it.
There’s many things to do. With the Lake District to the west, the Yorkshire Dales to the south and historic Durham to the north, Teesdale’s often overlooked. Yet it has all the gorgeous charm of the Dales with none of the high-season crowds. And of course, those Lakes and Yorkshire Dales are just a short, scenic drive away.
Whistle Crag is an easy walk with a delicious view over the dales. Drink in the drystone walls, scattered settlements and high hills reaching to the far horizon. Watch out for the Air sculpture by Victoria Brailsford.
Kirkcarrion is an iconic landmark in Teesdale. There’s reputedly a Bronze-Age chieftain buried up there among the pines, but we suspect you’ll just want to soak up the views of Lunedale and Teesdale.
See everyday life from the 1940’s, 1950’s, Victorian and Edwardian times brought to life in this world-famous open-air museum.
Take the path from the Bowlees Visitors Centre and be hypnotised by the endless gush of the Tees over the Whin Sill.
High Force waterfall is a force of nature, plunging 21 metres over ancient rocks into the Tees below. A leisurely half-hour hike will take you there.
Potter the antique shops, cafes, and quirky independents that dot this ancient market town, then head to the castle ramparts to watch the canoes and anglers battle with the tumbling Tees.
Walk the five acres of ornamental walled gardens. Watch the red and fallow deer graze in the 200 acres of lush parkland. Hire bikes. Discover an absorbing collection of coaches and carriages in the coach yard. Watch hours fly by.
