• Family friendly, pet friendly, peaceful campsite. No adult groups. Family group bookings by prior approval only. This is a site to come and relax – not to party
  • Four-acre Co Durham site close to Coast to Coast cycle route
  • A 10-minute drive from Seaham and 20 minutes from Durham
  • Campfires allowed; kids’ pedal go-karts available to borrow

As cracking Co Durham locations go, Sharpley Camping has surely managed to bag one of the finest spots: this spacious rural site is in a particularly nifty location between Durham (20 minutes’ drive) and the seaside at Seaham (10 minutes). In fact, you can even spot the sea from various points around the site, to whet your appetite for coastal outings.

So that’s city and coast sorted, but this is a fine spot for fresh-air jaunts into the countryside too: it’s close to lots of local – and the Coast to Coast bike route if you’re feeling more energetic/ambitious.

Alternatively, you could simply settle in to soak up the fresh air and fine views on site instead: there should be plenty of space for such things around the four-acre field. Campfires are allowed to keep you warm of an evening, and there’s space for kids to play well away from the flames too (with free go-karts to pedal if they’re after a bit of extra entertainment).

Facilities at this laidback site are fairly minimal, but all the basics are covered, including a washing-up area, showers and toilets. There’s a pub in the village of Seaton (five minutes’ drive) and supermarkets within a similar length of drive.