A weekend in County Durham with older parents

This is a weekend built around short hops rather than long hauls. Day one pairs Normanby Hall with Ormesby Hall, a National Trust property just 1 mile away — near enough that you can take the morning slowly, break for lunch, and still arrive at the second house with plenty of afternoon left. Day two stretches a little further, 22.7 miles to Brough Hall, then an easy 3.3 miles on to the Richmondshire Museum, which makes a neat, indoor finish if the weather turns.

Base yourselves in Barnard Castle, where BritStays has four cottages within a few hundred yards of each other: Olive, Swan and Raven Cottage each sleep 4, while Chapel Court Apartment suits a couple. All four sit near a bus stop with EV charging nearby, and Bishop Auckland — the nearest station to County Durham — is 12.5 to 12.6 miles away, so arriving by train and taxi is perfectly workable.