Harelowcurrock Plantation

Walking through Harelowcurrock Plantation feels like stepping into one of those proper wild corners of County Durham that most visitors never find. It's a forest - straightforward as that - where the trees do the talking and you're left to your own devices to wander the paths at whatever pace suits you.

The plantation covers decent ground and works well if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - White House & Hagg Bridge is barely a mile away, or Westgate just a touch further. It's the sort of place where families with older kids who can manage a bit of proper walking will get more out of it than those after a quick ten-minute stroll. The trees are tall enough to feel like you've actually got some shelter, which matters when the weather turns, as it does up here.

I'd allow a good hour if you want to see what there is without rushing. The paths themselves aren't dramatic, but that's kind of the point - it's gentle woodland, the sort you remember for the quiet rather than any showstopping views. Bring proper footwear though; after rain it gets a bit boggy in places.

There's no café, no visitor centre, none of that. Just forest. Whether that's your thing depends entirely on whether you came up here to escape rather than be entertained. From Bishop Auckland it's close enough for an afternoon outing, and it slots nicely into a walking holiday if you're exploring the wider Durham countryside.