Weardale Open Air Pool

There's something rather brilliant about an open-air pool in County Durham - you're either going to have a glorious summer day or you're going to be very brave indeed. Weardale Open Air Pool sits in Bishop Auckland territory, a proper old-school lido that feels like stepping back into the 1970s, though it's been updated over the years. You get a decent-sized swimming pool, changing facilities, and the kind of unpretentious atmosphere that chain leisure centres have completely lost.

It's genuinely good for families wanting a day out that doesn't involve screens or theme parks. Kids will have a laugh, adults can actually swim without fighting through crowds, and on a warm day it beats driving to an indoor pool. The water temperature is what you'd expect from an open-air venue - refreshing, let's say - so don't pitch up expecting Caribbean conditions.

Being unheated, it's really only properly enjoyable from late May through August, and even then a decent summer's day matters. Go midweek if you can; weekends get busier. Allow a good three to four hours if you're making an afternoon of it.

What's helpful is the number of caravan parks within spitting distance - Greenfoot and Heather View are barely half a mile away, making this an easy inclusion in a Weardale touring holiday. It's not fancy, but it's honest, and that counts for something. Definitely worth a visit if you're already in the area with the family.