Outdoor activity breaks in County Durham
Durham’s Outdoor and Active Week runs from April 5-11, as part of National Outdoor Adventure Week, and features more than 17 free and great-value events for visitors to pick from and construct their own bespoke activity holiday.
Events include guided mountain biking, orienteering, guided walks and hiking, landscape photography workshops and entry to high ropes activity courses.
Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of Visit County Durham, said: “Durham is sandwiched between Northumberland and Yorkshire and is often overlooked or forgotten about as a place for outdoor activity.
For many, the essence of true escape and outdoors exploration is the feeling of tranquillity, the awe of incredible natural landscapes and having the space, freedom and time to enjoy them – quite simply this is Durham.”
In 2007, the Campaign to Protect Rural England carried out a tranquillity mapping survey of the UK, looking for the least polluted, quietest and best preserved natural environments.
North East England was voted the most tranquil region in Britain and County Durham was voted its fourth most peaceful place.
Many events are taking place in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and European Geopark, an area known as “England’s last remaining wilderness,” and in the Durham Dales. The area is known for its high sweeping moorland ridges, heather clad uplands, powerful waterfalls and isolated reservoirs.
The AONB shares a boundary with the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the South and extends as far as the Tyne Valley in the North. Its western boundary follows the Pennine Escarpment and in the east it grades into West Durham
Maria Murphy, countryside information officer for Durham County Council, said: “Durham’s industrial past has left a massive footpath network which is great for outdoor leisure and recreational use. Old quarries and mining sites have been turned into nature reserves and many former railway tracks have become scenic footpaths, it’s a brilliant county to explore on foot or on two wheels.”
Top-5 Facts about the North Pennines AONB
1. It’s the second largest AONB in the UK behind the Cotswolds
2. It is Britain’s first UNESCO European Geopark, awarded 2003
3. 40% of the UK’s upland hay meadows are in the AONB
4. 80% of England’s Black Grouse live in the area
5. England’s biggest waterfall, High Force in Teesdale, is in the AONB
In addition to the organised events, many self catering cottages, guesthouses, hotels and B&B’s are offering special short break packages during Spring and into Summer, including three nights for the price of two, 25% off, or discounts on mountain bike hire and outdoor activities.
For full details about Outdoor and Active Week and accommodation packages, log onto: thisisdurham.com/active
