Gefallenen Denkmal

The Gefallenen Denkmal sits quietly in the Durham countryside, a few miles from Bishop Auckland - easy to miss if you're not looking for it, which rather suits the place. It's a nature reserve that rewards proper exploration rather than a quick glance from the car park.

Walking through here, you get a real sense of how the landscape recovers when you leave it alone. Woodland, open grassland, the works. It's the kind of spot where serious birdwatchers come with their binoculars and notebooks, though families with decent walking legs will find plenty to occupy themselves for a couple of hours. The paths are straightforward enough, though muddy in wet weather - bring proper boots.

Historically minded visitors might get more from this than casual strollers, given the name carries weight from another era. It's worth doing some homework before you visit if that angle interests you.

If you're based at Bradley Burn Caravan Park just 1.7 miles away, or Kingfisher Holiday Park over in Verdant Parks territory, this makes a morning's outing without the faff of a long drive. Not the sort of place you'll photograph obsessively or stay for hours on end, but absolutely worth including in a walking itinerary across the county. Go early if you want any solitude - mornings are considerably quieter than afternoons.