Thwaites

Thwaites sits quietly in the landscape near Barnard Castle, a place where history isn't shouted about but quietly observed. It's a historic site - one of those proper old locations that rewards a bit of curiosity and doesn't come wrapped in the usual visitor infrastructure. You won't find gift shops or organised tours here; what you get instead is the real thing, left largely as it is.

The walk out to Thwaites is part of the draw. From Barnard Castle - a proper stone market town just a few miles away - you can make an afternoon of it on foot through the Teesdale landscape. The site itself speaks to those interested in how people actually lived and worked in County Durham centuries ago. History types, walkers keen to combine a bit of discovery with their rambling, and anyone wanting to escape the theme-park approach to heritage will find something worth their time here.

No queues, no entry fees as far as we can tell - just open land and the chance to think about what stood here before. Allow a couple of hours if you're making a proper visit, longer if you're walking from town. It works well as a stop-off when you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Leekworth or Mickleton Mill are both within easy striking distance - turning a park holiday into something with a bit more substance than just pitches and facilities.