Dunston Monument

The Monument sits on a hilltop just outside Stanley, commanding views across the Tyne Valley. It's a sturdy, Victorian-era column put up in the 1860s to commemorate local industry and civic pride - the sort of thing that made perfect sense to Victorians and still does if you're after a proper walk with a payoff at the end.

The real draw isn't the monument itself, which is fairly modest. It's the walk up to it and what you see from the top. On a clear day the views stretch for miles across the North East landscape. The surrounding area is open moorland, so it feels remote despite being close to civilisation. History buffs will appreciate the connection to the industrial heritage of the region - this whole corner of Tyne and Wear has deep roots in coal and engineering.

You can reach it on foot from Stanley in under an hour, which makes it a decent half-day excursion. It's free to visit and there are no formal opening hours - you just turn up. Families with older children will enjoy the walk, though younger kids might find it a bit of a slog without the payoff being obvious enough.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Beamish Glamping is excellent, the reviews speak for themselves - this works well as a morning or afternoon outing. Beamish Holiday Park is closer and cheaper if that matters to you. Both give you access to Beamish Museum itself, which is the real heavyweight of the area. The Monument is worth doing, but don't go out of your way specially.