Doggy Delights

The sculpture garden tucked just outside Peterlee is a bit of an oddity - in the best way. Doggy Delights is essentially what it sounds like: a collection of outsized dog statues scattered across a modest outdoor space. It's not trying to be the Louvre, and that's precisely why it works.

You'll find everything from snarling alsatians to soppy spaniels, all rendered in that cheerful, slightly kitsch style that makes you smile despite yourself. The whole thing takes about twenty minutes to walk around properly, though families with dogs often linger longer - seeing your actual mutt pose next to a fifteen-foot fiberglass labrador never gets old. It's free to visit, which helps justify the journey from Peterlee, especially if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like The Barn at Easington or Castledene.

The real value here is as a quirky pit stop rather than a destination in itself. It breaks up a caravan holiday nicely, gives kids something to photograph, and dog lovers will get a genuine kick from it. Rain doesn't particularly help matters - the whole thing plays better on a decent day when you can actually enjoy being outside. If you're basing yourself at Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene or Woodside Ridge for a week, it's worth an afternoon slot. Solo travellers probably won't find much to hold them, but families and couples with a sense of humour will leave in better spirits than they arrived.