Rokeby

The house sits on a bend of the River Tees, about a mile south of Barnard Castle, and it's the kind of place that rewards a proper detour if you're into old houses and the people who lived in them. Rokeby is a late 17th-century country house that belonged to the Morritt family for centuries, and what makes it worth your time is that it actually feels lived-in rather than museum-sterile. You walk through rooms hung with art collections, family portraits, and furniture that tells you something real about taste and money across three hundred years. The house itself - pale stone, sensible Georgian proportions - sits well in its landscape without trying too hard to impress.

This isn't a destination attraction. It's a thoughtful hour or two if you're in the area, particularly if you've got an interest in 18th-century life or art collecting. Families with restless kids might find it a bit thin on the ground - there's no café, no gift shop theatre, just the house and its contents. But walkers heading along the Tees Valley or spending a week at one of the caravan parks around Barnard Castle - Thorpe Farm Centre is barely over a mile away - will find it a natural pairing with a riverside walk.

Check opening hours before you head over, as it's not open year-round, and admission usually carries a modest charge. The gardens are pleasant enough in fine weather, and the riverside setting means you can extend your visit with a stroll along the bank.