Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county in north-east England offering everything from historic cathedrals to museums of antiquities to living museums, cascading waterfalls, castles, wilderness and rail history. At Durham Cathedral, you’ll see the elegant Romanesque architecture of an iconic spiritual site. Head for Beamish and explore the open-air Living Museum of the North to step back in time. At the Bowes Museum, you’ll see a vast collection of ceramics, antiques and artworks from hundreds of years of history, while at Durham Castle, you can book a room and stay at a historic bed and breakfast.

The High Force Waterfall is a massively powerful cascade between rocky cliffs surrounded by untamed wilds. Auckland Castle allows you to explore historic artworks and see herds of wild deer in their native habitat. The Oriental Museum displays classical Far Eastern artwork, and at Finchale Priory, you will witness the jagged stone remains of a medieval Grade I-listed monastery. For kids, check out Adventure Valley or Hall Hill Farm to get up close to animals.