Belle View Community Sports & Youth Centre

The Belle View Community Sports & Youth Centre sits on the outskirts of Hartlepool, a straightforward facility that serves the local community rather than pull tourists off the A19. It's a genuine working sports centre - indoor courts, gym equipment, the lot - which means it's genuinely useful if you're staying nearby and need to burn off energy on a rainy afternoon rather than something you'd plan a day around.

Families with sporty kids will get the most from it. There's badminton, basketball, sometimes swimming depending on what's on that week, and the usual indoor activity roster. It's the sort of place where you ring ahead and ask what's actually running because the timetable changes seasonally. If you're based at Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene - which is about five miles away - and the weather turns, it's worth knowing it's there.

Don't expect frills or a visitor experience. This is functional rather than fancy. Admission costs aren't published online, so you'll need to phone or drop in. Allow an hour or two depending on what you're doing. The real value here is as a backup plan for your park holiday rather than a destination in itself. Hartlepool itself has better attractions if you're after a proper day out - the Historic Quay, the Headland - but if you need somewhere to tire out the kids between breakfast and lunch without leaving town, this does the job.