Oakleaf Sports Complex

A proper sports facility rather than a tourist attraction, but worth knowing about if you're staying at Eden Grange Glamping or The Gables Pod Camping nearby. Oakleaf Sports Complex sits just outside Shildon and houses a swimming pool, sports hall, and gym - the kind of place where locals come to actually use things rather than gawk at them.

It's genuinely useful if you've got restless kids who need to burn energy during a park holiday. The pool is the main draw, and on a wet afternoon in County Durham it's about as good as it gets. The sports hall hosts badminton, basketball, and other indoor activities depending on the day. Nothing fancy or Instagram-worthy, but functional and clean.

Cost and opening hours aren't clearly published online, so ring ahead or check the Great Aycliffe council website before you go. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for a pool session. It's not the kind of place that'll keep a teenager entertained for a full day, but for younger children - say, under ten - a couple of hours here breaks up a rainy day nicely.

If you're based at either of the glamping sites and the weather turns, this beats sitting under canvas listening to the rain. It's three miles from Eden Grange, so easily doable as a backup plan rather than a main event.