Six places in the region were named in the top 50 Best Places to Live in the Countryside by The Sunday Times. Barnard Castle was the only place in County Durham named, while Helmsley, Runswick Bay and Welburn, were recognised in North Yorkshire and Bamburgh and Eglingham represented Northumberland on the list.

Recently voted one of the best rural locations to live, tranquil Teesdale is known for its beautifully rugged countryside, reputedly the highest waterfall in Britain and a surprising French chateau style musuem. But it's starting to make waves, and one organisation is aiming to help put this glorious dale firmly on the visitor map.

The last few years have seen a bit of a change in Teesdale, gateway to the south Durham dales and a mecca for walkers. Barnard Castle on the banks of the Tees is its main town, and other centres scattered across the green and pleasant land are Middleton-in-Teesdale, Staindrop, Gainford, Cockfield and Evenwood.

The rest of the population is spread thinly across many very small communities - former mining villages in the east of the area and large numbers of agricultural holdings in the rural south/west areas, and it takes in part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

You would hardly think it, but in what’s been a gradual shift, Teesdale has now become a draw for nationally known comedy performers, attracted world class art and artistic exhibitions. In addition, Barnard Castle has just been named seventh in this year’s Sunday Times top 50 country locations to live, calling it "pretty special".

So this quietly beautiful dale now has a lot to shout about and a project called Explore Teesdale has been working hard to make sure everybody knows it. Explore Teesdale is a project funded by the Teesdale Action Partnership and put together through Teesdale Marketing Limited, a non-profit making local organisation, and has resulted in an all-singing and dancing newly engineered promotional website.

It’s an interactive resource - exploreteesdale.uk - launched during English Tourism Week in March, with information covering attractions, events, places to eat, drink and stay and lots of information about what to do and see in Teesdale.

"We have so much to offer in Teesdale and its’s growing all the time," says project manager Angela Whiting. "The new site details the essential information for attractions and activities in the Teesdale area and provides appropriate links to partner websites, such as the Bowes Museum and High Force waterfall. It will promote Teesdale to tourists and provide searchable databases for Teesdale events and accommodation."

One of Explore Teesdale’s partners is community radio station Radio Teesdale. Station manager Peter Dixon also runs Funny Way to Be Comedy, which brings new, exciting, top comedians to The Witham in Barnard Castle, another recently polished Teesdale gem. It’s a Grade II listed building, refurbished in the last few years to the tune of £3.2m. Acts have included Russell Howard, Mark Watson, Chris Ramsey, Russell Kane, Jo Caulfield, Phil Cool, Daniel Simonsen, Jenny Eclair, Lee Nelson and Susan Calman.

"For many years I'd been interested in comedy in various forms so organising a stand-up comedy night was a natural thing to do," says Peter. "We have always tried to stretch the boundaries of what you would normally expect to see at a relatively small rural venue, so we have managed to persuade a number of bigger names than you might expect. Most of the performers are unfamiliar with the area but all sing its praises once they have been."

Bowes Museum is also attracting the big names. This stunning piece of 19th Century Grade I listed architecture contains one of the country’s most remarkable collections of fine and decorative arts. Purpose-built as a museum in the style of a French château to reflect the tastes of its founders, John Bowes and his French wife Joséphine, it is the result of their enterprise, taste and philanthropic imagination.

Announced recently – and to a few yelps of surprise from the southern-based establishment – Yves Sant Laurent brings its first exhibition in the UK to the Bowes from July 11 to October 25. It’s a comprehensive display of the French designer’s work and life, highlighting the defining elements of his vision, and the significant influence it has had on fashion and the way we understand womenswear.

"We are honoured to host the first exhibition in the UK of one of the most influential fashion designers of all time," says Joanna Hashagen, fashion curator at the Bowes Museum. "This certainly is a great moment in the history of The Bowes Museum, as well as for fashion display in the UK."

There’s also a lot going on behind the scenes. To reinvigorate the town and surrounding areas, a 20-year plan has been developed called the Barnard Castle Vision, an award-winning regeneration partnership which has been operating successfully since 2006. It has created and delivered a broad spectrum of projects, including the regeneration of The Witham to become a community and arts centre and the conversion of a derelict car showroom into a gallery, digital hub and cafe.

Teesdale may be a walker's paradise, with one of the lowest population densities in the UK - just 0.3 people per hectare, substantially lower than that of even the county rate 2.3 - but it’s starting to make a lot of noise.