Horden Welfare Park

Just outside Peterlee, Horden Welfare Park sits quietly on land that once served the local mining community. It's a proper nature reserve now, with wetland areas and woodland trails that attract birdwatchers and anyone after a gentle walk away from the coast. The paths are straightforward enough for families, though it's not exactly dramatic scenery - more the sort of place where you notice things if you slow down. Dragonflies over the ponds, woodpeckers if you're lucky.

Local walkers tend to know it well, but it doesn't pull in the day-tripper crowds you'd find further along the Durham coast. That's rather the point. You can spend an hour here or dawdle for three, depending on whether you've brought binoculars and a bird guide. It's free to access, which makes it a low-stakes option if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks like Castledene or The Barn at Easington.

Truth is, it works best as part of a broader coastal trip rather than a destination in itself. Combine it with a walk to Crimdon Dene if the weather's decent, or use it as a quieter counterpoint to busier attractions. The reserve has that understated appeal of many North East nature spots - no visitor centre, no café, no fanfare. Just habitat and habitat watchers. If you're the type who finds joy in spotting a lesser spotted woodpecker or watching the light change over a reed bed, you'll get it. If you need something more obvious, keep moving.