The Burnside

The creak of a farmhouse gate, the scent of bacon drifting from stone-built rooms, and beyond the hedgerows the rolling Durham hills that soften into moorland — The Burnside sits in Consett country, where old mining towns meet big skies and quiet walking country.

This one's for anyone wanting a proper bed after a day on the Pennine trails, or families testing the camping-pod waters without committing to canvas. You've got indoor guest-house comfort and outdoor pods under the same roof, so mixed groups or weather-wary campers can hedge their bets. Consett itself is a working town with solid shops and cafés, and you're a stone's throw from Derwent Reservoir and the old railway paths that lace the valley — great for legs (human and canine, though ask ahead about bringing dogs).

Facilities aren't spelled out in detail, so it's worth ringing to confirm what's where — especially around campfires, which need checking on arrival. Open all year, which tells you the hosts are serious about making it work through the seasons. Expect a working, unpretentious base with a foot in both the B&B and camping worlds, handy for anyone chasing Hadrian's Wall or the North Pennines without the fuss.