Cornsay Colliery

The remains of Cornsay Colliery sit quietly in the Durham countryside, a stark reminder of the region's industrial past. This isn't a polished visitor attraction with gift shops and guided tours - it's an archaeological site where you can actually walk among the remnants of a working coal mine and see firsthand how extraction happened here over a century ago.

What's left are the brick structures, old machinery scattered about, and the landscape itself scarred by decades of mining. You get a proper sense of the scale and grit of the work that went on. For anyone interested in industrial heritage or the social history of northern England, it's genuinely fascinating. Kids might find it a bit grim at first - there's no interactive element here - but older children and teenagers studying local history will get something real out of it.

The site is free to access, which is why you should make the effort. Allow an hour to nose around properly and take photographs. There's no visitor centre or facilities, so come prepared. It works brilliantly as part of a longer walk through the area, or as a stop if you're staying at one of the caravan parks near Derecroft - Haystax or Manor Park are both within easy reach. The closest town is Derecroft itself, which has the basics you'll need.

Go when the weather's decent. It's open land with no shelter, and wet underfoot after rain. Winter here means muddy ground and poor light for photography.