Wolsingham Library

Wolsingham Library sits on the main street in this small County Durham town, about four miles west of Bishop Auckland. It's a proper working library - nothing fancy, nothing pretentious. You'll find the usual suspect: books arranged by genre, a reading area, computers for public use, and staff who actually know where things are.

Who gets the most from it? Locals, really. Families after a rainy afternoon activity, particularly if you've got kids who like browsing. History types doing research into the area might find local records useful. If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Bradley Burn or Kingfisher Holiday Park are less than two miles away - and the weather's turned, it's a decent pit stop for an hour.

It's free to browse, though you'll need membership to borrow books. Opening hours and specific services aren't listed online, so ring ahead on the Durham Council number if you're making a special trip. Honestly though, don't detour specifically for this if you're visiting the wider area. The Weardale landscape around here - walking trails, the river, stone villages - is far more rewarding than any indoor facility.

If you're staying at Manor Park or Greenfoot Holiday Home Park further out, you'd be better off exploring on foot. That said, as a rainy-day backup when you're already in Wolsingham doing the shops, it does the job well enough.