Cleadon Windmill stands on the ridge above South Shields, an unmistakable landmark that has looked out across the fields and coastline since the early nineteenth century. Built in the 1820s, it operated as a working mill until around the 1870s, grinding corn for the surrounding farms and villages of South Tyneside. Its location on Cleadon Hills was no accident – the elevated position provided reliable winds, and the mill quickly became a vital part of the local agricultural e

Alnwick Castle is one of the most iconic fortresses in northern England, a stronghold whose history stretches back to the Norman conquest. First established in the late eleventh century and expanded significantly in the centuries that followed, it became the principal seat of the Percy family, one of the most powerful dynasties in British history. The castle has seen everything from medieval warfare to political upheaval, and its architecture reflects that long evolution: mas

Byland Abbey is one of the most impressive monastic ruins in northern England, even in its fragmented state. Founded in the twelfth century and later taken over by the Cistercian order, Byland quickly grew into a powerful and influential abbey at the heart of medieval Yorkshire. At its height, it held lands across the region and maintained a community of monks and lay brothers who farmed, milled and produced goods essential to the surrounding villages. The great abbey church,

Whitby Abbey has looked out over the North Sea for nearly fourteen centuries, its story woven into some of the most important chapters of English history. The first monastery on this headland was founded in 657 by the Northumbrian king Oswiu and led by the formidable St Hild. It was here, in 664, that the Synod of Whitby was held – the moment that set the course for the English Church by aligning it with Roman rather than Celtic practice. The early monastery was destroyed dur

Warkworth Castle sits on a dramatic loop of the River Coquet, its position alone telling you everything about why it became one of Northumberland’s most important medieval strongholds. First mentioned in the twelfth century, the castle grew significantly during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries when it became the principal seat of the Percy family, one of the most powerful dynasties in northern England. The great tower, rising square and uncompromising at the centre of t

Preston Park Museum, housed within the elegant Victorian mansion known as Preston Hall, is one of Teesside’s most important heritage sites. The hall itself was built in 1825 for Sir Robert Ropner, a shipbuilder and industrialist whose influence stretched across the region during a period of rapid expansion. By the mid-twentieth century the estate changed hands, eventually becoming a museum that preserves and presents the history of Stockton-on-Tees and the wider Teesside area

Brough Castle occupies a commanding position at the western end of the Stainmore Pass, a route that has connected Cumbria with the North East since Roman times. The first fortification here was the Roman fort of Verteris, built to control movement across the Pennines and protect the vital trans-Pennine road. When the Normans arrived after the Conquest, they recognised the strategic value of the site and constructed a motte-and-bailey castle on the same ground. Much of the med

Durham Cathedral has towered over its dramatic peninsula since 1093, built as a monumental home for the shrine of St Cuthbert and quickly becoming one of the most important religious landmarks in medieval England. Its Romanesque architecture remains among the finest in Europe, from the soaring nave to the rib-vaulted ceilings that marked a major leap in building design. The cathedral and the adjacent castle form one of the earliest UNESCO World Heritage Sites, recognised not

Carlisle Castle is one of the most significant fortresses in northern England and has stood guard on the frontier for more than 900 years. First established in the late eleventh century on the site of a Roman fort, the castle was strengthened and expanded repeatedly as the borderlands became a battleground between English and Scottish rulers. The imposing red sandstone keep, constructed under Henry I in the early twelfth century, still dominates the inner ward and remains one

The Tees Newport Bridge remains one of the most distinctive pieces of engineering on the river - a vertical lift bridge completed in the 1930s to keep Middlesbrough’s shipping lanes open as road traffic grew. Although the lifting mechanism was taken out of service decades ago, the towers still stand as reminders of the era when the Tees was a major artery for steel, chemicals and shipbuilding. Designed to raise its central span high enough for large vessels to pass, the bridg

High above Rookhope, the chimney of Sikehead Lead Mine  stands as one of the clearest reminders of just how busy these hills once were. Built in the mid-19th century , it formed part of the system that kept the deeper workings running as the mine pushed further into the moor. The surrounding landscape still carries the marks of that industry — long hushes carved into the ground, spoil mounds, filled shafts and the faint footprints of buildings that once housed the equipment a

High above the more familiar stretches of Teesdale, Rowton Beck cuts its way through a narrow, rocky ravine that many walkers glance straight past without realising what’s tucked below. The beck rises on the high moorland between Harwood and the upper dale, flowing through a landscape shaped by ice, erosion and centuries of upland grazing. Limestone outcrops frame much of its course, and it’s within one of these tight channels that the hidden waterfall sits - a steep, twistin

There are views in Yorkshire you recognise instantly, and the four arches of Knaresborough Viaduct  over the River Nidd is one of them. Reflections in the water, the town climbing the cliffs behind it, and the perfect sweep of the gorge — it feels like it’s always been part of the landscape. But its story wasn’t quite as smooth as the picture suggests. The first attempt at a viaduct collapsed in 1848 , leaving the railway plans in ruins and the debris sitting in the river for

Hidden in the upper reaches of Teesdale, Eel Beck is one of those places that rarely appears on maps or walking guides, yet it holds a charm all of its own. The beck flows through open moorland shaped by centuries of farming and lead mining, gathering the dark, peaty colour that gives Teesdale’s watercourses their distinctive look. Along its length are a number of small cascades, but this stepped fall is the one that catches the eye – a natural terrace of rock that sends the

Cockfield Fell is one of those places where the history of County Durham comes at you from every direction — ancient field systems, old mine workings, and the remains of structures that once powered the region. Among them stands what’s left of the Gaunless Viaduct , once one of the most striking pieces of Victorian engineering on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway. Designed by Thomas Bouch  and opened in 1863 , it carried the line across the Gaunless valley on iron l

Helmsley Castle has stood watch over the town for more than 900 years, its story beginning in the 12th century when the first fortifications rose above the Rye valley. Over the centuries it grew into a powerful stronghold, complete with towering curtain walls, a mighty gatehouse and later, an elegant Tudor mansion range that softened some of its harder medieval edges. The Civil War brought dramatic change when Parliamentarian forces slighted the castle to prevent its further

Penshaw Monument has dominated the Wearside skyline since 1844, built as a grand memorial to John George Lambton, the 1st Earl of Durham. Inspired by the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, its huge sandstone columns and classical form stand out sharply against the rolling landscape between Sunderland and Durham. Over the decades it has become a defining landmark for the region, visible for miles and woven into the everyday identity of Wearside. Even if you’ve seen it a thousand

Smardale Viaduct spans the steep valley cut by Scandal Beck, forming part of the old South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway built in the 1860s. This line linked the iron and coal industries of the North East with the furnaces of the North West, and the viaduct was one of its major engineering achievements. Constructed from local limestone, the structure stands around 40 metres high and is supported by fourteen broad arches, giving it a graceful but imposing presence in one

After all the rain, the Tees was absolutely tearing through the gorge — loud, fast, and as raw as I’ve seen it in a long time. The drone rise over the falls shows just how much water is moving through here when Teesdale decides it’s time to wake up properly. No crowds, no calm, just power… and a river that doesn’t do things by halves. One of those rare moments where the landscape reminds you exactly who’s in charge.

Crackpot Hall sits above Keld in upper Swaledale, a lonely but striking reminder of the dale’s long connection with lead mining. Although there was an original medieval building recorded nearby, the standing ruins are mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, when this remote spot served as a farmhouse built right on the edge of the old mining workings. Its unusual name is often misunderstood, but it likely comes from Old Norse – “kraka pot,” meaning a crevice or cave frequent