Leadgate War Memorial

You'll find this stone memorial standing in Leadgate, a former mining village in County Durham that's seen better days but hasn't forgotten what it lost. It's a straightforward tribute to the local men who died in the World Wars - the kind of thing you pass without thinking until you actually stop and read the names carved into it.

There's no visitor centre or interpretation board here. You turn up, you stand in front of it, and you think about the scale of loss in a place this small. That's rather the point. The memorial sits within easy reach of Derecroft, making it a natural stop if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Derecroft Glamping or Allensford Holiday Park Consett.

It takes five minutes to look at properly - ten if you're the type to read every name. Families with older children who understand what they're looking at will get something from it. Walkers exploring the Durham countryside should absolutely make the detour. This isn't a destination in itself, but as part of a broader loop around the area's industrial heritage sites, it tells you something true about who lived and worked here.

Free to visit, naturally. There's no entrance fee to remember the dead. Go early morning or late afternoon when you won't be jostling for space - though in a place like this, crowds are rarely an issue. It's worth the stop, if you're in the area.