Driving tours around the north of England
26 June 2024
North, south, east or west - the north of England's ideal touring base near Barnard Castle
Whist it’s true that Headlam Hall is just a taxi ride from the East Coast Main Line at Darlington, and has fantastic railway heritage in the area – including the National Railway Museum at Locomotion in Shildon and the famous Stockton to Darlington Railway with its Railway 200 festival celebrations coming next year – it’s also true to say that four out of every five of the hotel’s guests arrive by car and, in doing so, manage to take advantage of the hotel’s ideal location for exploring this gem of a region.
Whether it’s the family saloon you arrive in, or a vintage Jaguar, you’ll soon realise that Teesdale – and Headlam Hall in particular – is the ideal base for travelling north, south, east or west. And the Robinson family who own and manage Headlam Hall are car enthusiasts themselves, having a collection of classics, some of which are available to guests to hire out for the day. But more of that later.
Headlam Hall dates back to the 17th century, and the hamlet of Headlam is located in the beautiful rolling countryside of lower Teesdale in County Durham, part of the lovely Durham Dales- an ideal location in which to base yourself if you’re wanting to see the wider area.
To our west is the lovely market town of Barnard Castle – made famous nationally by Dominic Cummings’ exploits during lockdown – and also Raby Castle, one of the best preserved medieval castles in England. Once you’re at Barnard Castle, after enjoying a walk around the town’s antiques shops, super views of the River Tees, or parking up at the amazing Bowes Museum, then you’re half way up Teesdale and not too far from the dales villages of Cotherstone (famous for its cheese!), Middleton-in-Teesdale or even Romaldkirk, where you’ll find our sister property, The Rose & Crown, is a great location for a drink or a spot of lunch.
You’re also not too far from High Force, England’s tallest waterfall, which offers plenty of car parking and some excellent walks nearby. Slightly further west, about an hours drive from Headlam, you are at the gateway to the Lake District.
Looking east from Headlam, you have the opportunity to drive via Darlington (market days are Mondays and Saturdays) towards the Durham Heritage Coast or perhaps the North Yorkshire destinations of Guisborough, Redcar or even across the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby, consistently voted one of England’s top seaside towns with its wonderful Abbey and atmospheric historic streets and alleyways.
Heading north on a day out from Headlam, you’ll realise that the countryside just doesn’t get any better than this! Durham Dales towns and villages such as Wolsingham, Stanhope and Blanchland ooze personality with their quaint tearooms and speciality shops, whilst the 2,000 hectare Hamsterley Forest, and even the Northumberland National Park and Northumberland Coast can be great touring stops, with attractions such as Ford & Etal, Bamburgh Castle and even Lindisfarne/Holy Island.
Last but not least, for many, “south is best”, and from Headlam Hall you can be within North Yorkshire’s gorgeous Yorkshire Dales within 15 or 20 minutes. Market towns such as Richmond, Leyburn, Hawes and Reeth are just waiting to be explored, and all evoke a real “Herriot Country” feel with their timeless treasures and dales heritage. And as well as Swaledale, you can also drive through Arkengarthdale, passing the Tan Hill Inn, England’s highest pub, on your way.
Finally, we briefly mentioned the classic cars that guests can hire when they stay at Headlam. Whether a special birthday or anniversary – or just a romantic weekend break – if you’re staying at Headlam, why not pop your own car in the hotel’s car park and head out in a 1959 open-top Jaguar or an Aston Martin DB7 for a day! More details on the Headlam Hall website.