Quarryhouse Wood

Quarryhouse Wood sits on the outskirts of Durham, a proper working woodland that feels a world away from the city centre despite being barely outside the town boundary. The paths wind through dense broadleaf trees with the occasional clearing where you can actually see what you're doing - crucial in winter when the canopy gets thick enough to swallow the light.

It's the sort of place where you go for a decent walk rather than for spectacular vistas. The quarried history is visible if you know where to look - old stone workings hidden under moss and bramble - but don't come expecting dramatic geology. What you get instead is birdsong, actual peace, and proper woodland air that does something to your head after time in Durham itself.

Walkers will find their feet here. Kids will tolerate it for maybe an hour unless they're the type who get excited about finding newts and turning over logs. There are no facilities that I could find, so bring water and sensible boots - the paths get muddy fast after rain. Coming in spring when the bluebells push through makes it worth timing your visit for, though by midsummer the gnats can be a bit much.

If you're staying at The Barn at Easington just down the road, Quarryhouse Wood offers a quick escape without the faffing about of getting proper distances under your feet. Good for a morning before moving on to whatever else Durham County throws at you.