Templetown Park

The woodland walk around Templetown Park catches you off guard if you're driving through Consett expecting industrial heritage sites. Instead, you get proper forest - the kind where you can actually hear yourself think. It's a nature reserve that feels like someone's simply left the trees alone and let them get on with it.

The main appeal is straightforward: walking trails through mixed woodland with decent paths that don't demand special kit. You'll find birdsong, the odd deer if you're lucky, and enough green to wash the grime off your eyeballs. It's not mountainous terrain - more of a gentle potter through the trees - so families with younger legs will manage fine, though there's not much here to keep kids entertained beyond "look at the trees" after about an hour.

Historically minded visitors might find it interesting given Consett's industrial past, though the park itself is really just nature doing its thing rather than a heritage attraction. Allow ninety minutes to two hours for a full circuit without rushing.

It works well as a leg-stretcher between stays at nearby Bonners Lodge or Village Green Holiday Park. Both are five miles or so away, making it a realistic morning excursion. Spring and early autumn are best - fewer midges, better light for walking. Summer gets thick and humid; winter's too muddy to be pleasant. Free access, no facilities that we could spot, so sort yourself out before you arrive.