The City Bar and Hotel

A proper Victorian landmark right in the heart of Durham, The City Bar and Hotel cuts a distinctive figure on the high street. Built in that confident 19th-century style when pubs were meant to look like pubs, it's got the sort of solid, no-nonsense architecture that makes you understand why people gather there year after year.

You'll find it's functioning as both a working pub and hotel - so you can slip in for a drink and a look around without necessarily staying over, though a room upstairs is obviously an option if you fancy it. The interior still feels like an actual pub rather than a theme park version of one, which is refreshing. Real brass, dark wood, the sort of place where regulars have their spots.

Historically minded visitors will appreciate that it's woven into Durham's fabric - a town with plenty of medieval heritage, and this Victorian era building has been through its own changes and survived them. If you're camping at one of the parks nearby - Durham Grange is closest at just over two miles - the bar is a genuine reason to venture into town for an evening rather than cooking over a campfire again.

Unlike some attractions that demand three hours of your day, this fits into a proper night out or a quick reconnaissance mission. Worth knowing about if you're basing yourself at any of the caravan sites in the area, but don't detour specially. It's more about understanding Durham itself than ticking a tourist box.