| elegant country-style rooms, some with canopy beds, offer free wi-fi and flat-screen tvs. breakfast and parking are complimentary. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:30 am. it's 7 miles from the a1 road. set on a sprawling estate with a famous deer park, this posh hotel in a storied country house is 6 miles from the historical live-action show at kynren and 9 miles from durham university botanic garden. other amenities include landscaped gardens and a fishing lake. upgraded rooms add whirlpool baths, park views and/or minibars. room service is available. there's also a fine-dining restaurant, a brasserie and a tearoom, plus event space, a church and a helipad
Newcastle International Airport 47 min
Hamsterley Forest (29 min)
Forest offering trails for walking, cycling & horseback riding, plus a cafe & wildlife viewing. Hamsterley Forest (56 min)
Valley woods with walking trails, wildlife-watching, mountain biking & a kid's adventure play area. Hall Hill Farm (24 min)
Visitor farm with cows, rabbits and guinea pigs, a play barn, a toddler area and donkey rides. Oriental Museum (15 min)
Focusing on Asian art and culture, covering ancient Egypt to India, China and Japan. Crook Hall and Gardens (18 min)
Stone manor house originally built in the 13th century, with picturesque English-style gardens. Adventure Valley (23 min)
Kids' indoor and outdoor soft play areas, plus roller disco, crazy golf, farm animals and a cafe. Diggerland Durham (22 min)
Family attraction with real ride-on diggers, go-karting, costumed guides and regular events. Kynren (15 min) Beamish, the Living Museum of the North (31 min)
A recreation of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian life with costumed staff, plus trams and buses. Locomotion (16 min)
Part of the 2-venue biggest railway museum in the world, with locomotives and interactive displays. Raby Castle (23 min)
Imposing medieval castle with art treasures and tapestries in a scenic deer park setting. Botanic Garden (17 min)
10-hectare garden with plants from round the world, glasshouses, outdoor art and a visitor centre. Auckland Castle (11 min)
Deer, castle, painting, history, and garden Durham Castle (19 min)
College in an 11th-century castle offering a B&B with 2 plush suites, plus seasonal casual rooms. Durham Cathedral (20 min)
Architecturally innovative Norman CofE cathedral with St Cuthbert's shrine and a treasury museum. | 
