Darlington

Most first visits to Darlington start at Hopetown Darlington, the museum built around the town's railway history, and it is a good way in: this is where the story of the railways properly begins, and it sets the tone for a town that takes quiet pride in its past without making a fuss of it. From there, the town centre is easy to walk, with its market square and streets giving a proper sense of a working County Durham town going about its business.

Beyond Hopetown, Darlington has enough to fill a couple of days. The Hullabaloo is a good stop with children, as is The Dolphin Centre if you want a swim or a bit of activity indoors, and Create and Paint gives you something more hands-on for a wet afternoon. The Plotters' Forest at Raby Castle is worth building a day around if you want to get out into the wider countryside, while Vue Darlington covers the simple option of an evening at the cinema.

Darlington works well as a first stop precisely because it does not overreach: a morning at Hopetown, an afternoon wandering the town centre or taking in one of the family attractions, and an evening working through its long list of restaurants covers the basics comfortably, with Raby Castle and the surrounding countryside there for anyone wanting to go further afield.