Camping in Old Cassop

County Durham's countryside around Old Cassop is a mix of limestone plateau, disused railway cuttings and gently rolling farmland, offering pleasant if modest camping and glamping opportunities within a short drive of the hamlet. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's explicit permission is illegal, so pitching up in Cassop Vale or the surrounding fields is not an option; visitors should instead use one of the licensed campsites and glamping sites dotted around County Durham, many set within farms or on the edges of villages like Sedgefield, Bishop Auckland and further into the Durham Dales. The best season for camping here runs from late spring to early autumn, when the exposed, elevated terrain around Cassop Vale is driest and evenings are long enough to enjoy the quiet, dark-sky setting away from Durham City's lights. Winter camping is possible at more sheltered, serviced sites further from the plateau, but the open, breezy character of the land immediately around Old Cassop makes it a fair-weather destination rather than a year-round one. For those who prefer a warmer, more comfortable alternative to canvas, glamping pods, shepherd's huts and yurts have become increasingly common across County Durham's farms and smallholdings, giving easy access to the same limestone grassland, former railway paths and heritage coastline without needing your own kit. Combining a stay at one of these nearby sites with a short walk through the Old Cassop conservation area and Cassop Vale nature reserve makes for a rewarding, low-key County Durham break, particularly for anyone also planning to visit Durham City's cathedral and castle a few miles away.