A holiday in a County Durham cottage offers the chance to sample the varied natural and man-made attractions of this lovely area. Without doubt the jewel in the crown of this county is the city of Durham and the impressive cathedral which, together with the nearby castle, has been a World Heritage site since 1987. Thought by many to be the finest example of Norman church architecture in England the cathedral dominates the old city on a rocky peninsula where the Rive Wear almost bends back on itself.
Following the river upstream towards its source takes you to the bleak yet beautiful northern Pennines. This is a remote and sparsely populated area of moorland and dales, home to an industrial heritage of lead mines and quarries that will fill you with admiration for the people who worked here in this uncompromising landscape.
To appreciate fully the workings of a community in 19th century Durham, visit the Beamish Open Air Museum. With guides in authentic period costume and trams serving different parts of the site it is careful enough to avoid a romanticised view of the past. Another of the North's mighty rivers, the Tees, runs its course through County Durham.
Above the handsome market town of Middleton-in-Teesdale, where there is a good choice of holiday cottages Durham Dales attraction Cauldron Snout draws visitors. The river snarls its way over this natural feature, forming what is reckoned to be the longest waterfall in England, only to cascade a few miles later over the aptly named High Force - one of the most spectacular.
Further downstream lies Barnard Castle, a market town with impressive old shop fronts, a cobbled market square and, just out of town, the French chateau-style Bowes Museum, home to a collection of outstanding European fine and decorative arts including works by Goya, El Greco and Canaletto.
Peter has worked in senior positions within the travel industry for nearly 30 years and lives in the Yorkshire Dales. He has a passion for exploring the beautiful island of Britain and believes that staying in a holiday cottage is one of the best ways to really get to know it. To see a selection of holiday cottages in County Durham go to http://www.ukcottages.co.uk/holiday-region-guides/north-of-england/county-durham/ Or, for cottages in some of the other wonderful areas of Britain go to http://www.ukcottages.co.uk.
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