Egglestone Abbey

The ruins of Egglestone Abbey sit on a bend of the River Tees just outside Barnard Castle, and they're genuinely worth the short drive from wherever you're camping nearby. What you get is the skeletal remains of a Premonstratensian monastery founded in the 12th century - crumbling stone walls, the ghostly outline of the church, and enough surviving architecture to actually picture what the place looked like when the monks were here.

It's a proper walker's stop rather than a sit-down attraction. The site itself takes twenty minutes to properly explore, following the remnants of the cloisters and peering into what's left of the domestic buildings. The riverside location is lovely - the Tees curves right past the abbey, so you're not just looking at old stones, you're looking at them in a genuine landscape.

This works best if you've got an interest in medieval monasteries or you're combining it with other Durham attractions. Kids might manage half an hour if they're into scrambling over ruins, but it's not action-packed. Entrance is free and managed by English Heritage, though you might want to check their website for seasonal opening times.

From any of the caravan parks clustered around Barnard Castle - Teesdale or Pecknell Farm are closest at under three miles - the abbey is a fifteen-minute drive through proper Teesdale scenery. It's the sort of detour that feels worthwhile when you're already exploring the area, but I wouldn't plan a trip around it alone.