Step back in time

The sign for Durham has always held some allure. Finally, after years of bypassing the city and its surrounding countryside, I did stop. I stayed the weekend and wish I'd done it sooner.

Durham, beautiful, small and historic, offers a perfect day out. For shoppers there are high street chains and some interesting independents. You can easily escape the crowds with a stroll on the banks of the River Wear and for history and architecture lovers there are lots of old buildings including the absolute must-see that is Durham Cathedral.

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the Norman Romanesque style and is awe inspiring. If you're the emotional sort, like me, it might bring tears to your eyes. For 5 you can climb up the steep spiral stairs of the cathedral tower. I like to think I'm fairly fit for a fortysomething, but getting to the top of the tower is a real test of stamina and you will be windswept for your efforts, but the view is well worth it. What you'll see is the city surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the Durham Dales, which are far quieter than their better-known Yorkshire counterparts. We found a place with great food, good walks and a touch of luxury – Headlam Hall, in Lower Teesdale, a 17th century country mansion converted into a family-run hotel with a well-deserved clutch of awards. It offers some good weekend break packages and real value for money given that a stay also gives you dinner and free access to the spa – swimming pool, gym, steamroom, sauna and a hot tub on the terrace. The food lives up to its reputation for excellence, and the service was lovely. Unlike some country house hotels, that can be a little stuffy, the hall is wonderfully relaxed and friendly with some thoughtful touches, including leaflets featuring walks from the door and a couple of jogging trails.

On our way home on Sunday morning we stopped at the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle. The French-style chateau, the collection and the contemporary caf are well worth the visit, but the story behind it all is what makes this place so special. Even my hard to please 13-year-old daughters were entranced.

It was built by John Bowes, illegitimate son of the tenth Earl of Strathmore and Mary Millner, a working class village girl. Although his father married Mary on his deathbed to make sure his beloved son inherited his wealth, the "bastard" stigma lingered. So in 1847 John moved to France, bought a theatre and married Josephine, an actress. Unable to have children, they became voracious collectors of paintings, ceramics and furniture and decided to create a world-class museum back in Teesdale that ordinary people could enjoy. Both died before it was completed, but under the leadership of trustees it opened in 1892 and was filled with the Bowes' treasures.

Chris Lawton writes

It's a long drive from South Yorkshire to Bath. After an earlyish start we headed down the M1 and the M69 and then found ourselves winding through pretty towns like Royal Leamington Spa and Moreton-in-Marsh which made the trip a pleasure, not a chore. Bath, a World Heritage Site, is best enjoyed on foot. The blue badge walking tour of the city (about an hour) started at Bath Abbey, known as the Lantern of the West because of its exceptional stained glass. We visited The Circus, designed by architect John Wood the Elder and considered his masterpiece and culmination of his career. It was part of his grand vision to recreate a classical Palladian architectural landscape for the city. Work began in 1754 and was completed in 1768. It is crafted from warm, honey coloured bath stone which gives the city its distinctive appearance. It is divided into three segments of equal length, a circular space surrounded by large townhouses with large plane trees in the centre. Sadly, he never lived to see his plans put into effect as he died less than three months after the first stone was laid. It was left to his son John Wood the Younger to complete the scheme to his father's design.

Next we visited one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the UK – the Royal Crescent. The 30 houses laid out in a crescent shape were designed by John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774. A Grade 1 listed building, the Crescent now houses a hotel and museum, flats and offices.

Then it was back to Pulteney Bridge, the only historic bridge – apart from the Ponte Vechio in Florence – to have shops on it, and to the weir on the River Avon which flows through the city and where you can take boat trips.

We were staying at the four star Barcel Combe Grove Manor Hotel which has just had an extensive half a million pound makeover to restore the Georgian property to its former glory. The stylish new look has not compromised the hotel's original charm, and we were given a great Yorkshire welcome from Doncaster born and bred general manager Debbie Hibbins. Even the bottled water is from Harrogate. After a busy day of sightseeing it was a treat to get back to the hotel's green oasis of tranquillity with the sound of birdsong and the striking views across to the Westbury White Horse carved in chalk 14 miles away in Wiltshire.

We dined in the hotel's award-winning Georgian Rooms restaurant. Next day, fortified by an excellent English breakfast in the light and airy Orangery, we took the short taxi trip into Bath to tour the Roman Baths. Three natural springs in its heart deliver over a million litres of mineral-rich water every day. Uniquely in the UK, it rises to the surface at a constant temperature of at least 45 degrees centigrade. We tried a glass of the warm water in the Pump Room. We're still waiting for its restorative qualities to work. Then it was back to the hotel for a classy afternoon tea before checking out.

Durham: Where to stay and what to see

Headlam Hall, Headlam, tel: 01325 730238, www.headlamhall.co.uk

www.thisisdurham.com or www.visitcountydurham.org

Durham Cathedral: www.durhamcathedral.co.uk

The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. 8 adults, 7 concessions, children free. Tel: 01833 690606 www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

Where to stay and what to do in Bath

Barcel Combe Grove Manor Hotel, Brassknocker Hill, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HU.

www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk

www.visitbath.co.uk

YP MAG 7/8/10