Wearhead Kids Play Ground

The play area tucked into Wearhead sits right where the moorland starts getting serious, between Bishop Auckland and the Pennine edge. It's a proper little setup - wooden play structures built into a grassy clearing with the Wear Valley countryside rolling away behind it. Kids can burn off energy on the climbing frames and swings without you having to drive them somewhere overly commercialised.

What works about it is the setting. You're genuinely in nature here, not in a suburban park surrounded by housing. The Pennines loom close enough that you feel away from things, but the playground itself is well-maintained and safe. It's the sort of place families pop into while they're rambling in the area, rather than a destination in itself.

Bring the kids if they're between about three and eight - older kids will find it a bit tame after fifteen minutes, and toddlers need constant supervision on some of the climbing equipment. Expect to spend an hour maximum, unless you're planning a proper walk in the surrounding moorland.

It's free, which is handy, and the fact that Westgate Caravan & Camping Site is under three miles away means families staying in the area can easily pop over. Combine it with a walk along the river or head into Bishop Auckland if you need lunch. Not a reason to travel miles for, but genuinely useful if you're based nearby for a week.