Cornsay Colliery (Colepike & Ford Drifts)

The remains of Cornsay Colliery sit quietly in the Durham countryside, two mine shafts - Colepike and Ford Drifts - that once pulled coal from deep underground. What you're looking at now is industrial archaeology in its rawest form: earth banks, subsidence hollows, and the physical scars of 19th-century extraction. There's nothing reconstructed or tidied up about it.

It's the kind of place that appeals most to walkers with an interest in industrial history, or anyone curious about how the North East was actually shaped. You won't find visitor facilities or interpretation boards here - this is a read-it-yourself affair. The site sits near Derecroft, making it manageable as part of a broader ramble through the area rather than a destination in itself. Allow 30 minutes to an hour to poke around, depending on how deep you want to dig into the history.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks - Haystax or Manor Park aren't far away - it's worth a detour on a decent afternoon. The landscape tells a story if you know how to read it, and there's something rather moving about standing where thousands of men once worked underground. Not for everyone, but if industrial heritage gets you going, it's proper worthwhile. Go when the weather's decent; these sites aren't much fun in the rain.