Scar Head

Out on the moorland south of Barnard Castle sits Scar Head, a Bronze Age cairn that most tourists completely miss. It's the sort of place you stumble upon whilst walking the wider moorland rather than somewhere you'd drive out specifically to see, but it's worth knowing about if you're spending time in the Teesdale area.

The site itself is a stone cairn - essentially a pile of rocks raised over a burial from thousands of years ago. It's not dramatic or towering, just a modest mound of stones sitting on open moorland, but that's rather the point. Standing there in the wind, you get a real sense of how people marked their dead in this landscape long before roads or villages existed. The views across the moor are genuinely good, and on a clear day you can see across proper wild country.

Historically-minded walkers will find this worth a detour if they're already out hiking the moorland paths nearby. It won't take long - half an hour to find it and have a look about. Families with young children might find it a bit underwhelming unless they're already keen on archaeology; there's nothing to climb on or interact with, just rocks and views.

If you're staying at Leekworth or Mickleton Mill Caravan Parks, you're perfectly positioned for this sort of exploring. Both are close enough to Barnard Castle to be a good base for a few days of moorland walking. Access should be free - it's out on open land - but always check local conditions before heading out, and bring proper footwear. The moors can turn boggy.