Escomb Park

The Wear Valley's best kept nature reserve sits just outside Bishop Auckland, and it's the sort of place you stumble into without expecting much and leave thinking you've found something proper. Escomb Park spreads across meadows and woodland where the River Wear loops through, and you'll spot kingfishers if you're lucky - locals know to bring binoculars and patience.

It's a walker's reserve rather than a destination with facilities or attractions. You're here to move through it slowly, spot birds and wildflowers depending on the season, and maybe sit by the water for twenty minutes listening to it work past the rocks. Children under ten might find it a bit too quiet, but older kids who can handle a gentle woodland walk without needing a play area will take to it fine. Families staying at Stag Park or Cragwood - both within four miles - could easily slot a two-hour ramble here into a morning before heading elsewhere.

The park is free, as far as anyone can tell (and County Durham reserves usually are). Allow at least ninety minutes if you want to actually see something, longer if you're birdwatching seriously. Spring and early summer are best - the water meadows are alive then, and you won't be sweating buckets on the paths. Winter's fine too if you don't mind damp boots.

It's not a showstopper, but it's real. No cafe, no visitor centre, just a nature reserve that gets on with being one. Exactly what some people want, and nothing like what others do.