Why County Durham's Dales are among its most remote spots

Yet just west of those familiar landmarks lies the Durham Dales — a vast, underexplored stretch of the North Pennines, where moorland summits, deep valleys and thundering waterfalls make up one of England’s most dramatic landscapes.

Covering roughly a third of Durham, the Dales are dominated by Teesdale in the south and Weardale in the north, with smaller side dales including Baldersdale, Lunedale and Rookhope.

Above them rise exposed hills and peat moors, many over 2,000ft, feeding three of the region’s great rivers — the Wear, Tees and Derwent.

This is Durham at its most remote.

Market towns such as Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Stanhope and Wolsingham act as gateways, while scattered villages remind visitors of the farming and mining communities that once sustained life here.

As one visitor put it via review site TripAdvisor, the Dales feel like “one of England’s least crowded natural landscapes — you feel you’re interrupting locals’ lives rather than joining a tourist crowd.”

The attractions are equally authentic.

Along the River Tees, walkers stop at High Force, a 70-foot cascade often described as “one of England’s largest waterfalls,” while Low Force and the untamed torrent of Cauldron Snout offer equally spectacular sights.

Elsewhere, the dark skies above Teesdale and Weardale make the area one of England’s premier stargazing spots. “I’ve never seen so many stars — it’s like stepping into another world,” said one reviewer on TripAdvisor.

Middleton-in-Teesdale is regularly praised for its shops, cafes and architecture, while families find plenty of outdoor appeal.

“It’s a brilliant place for a family break — safe, welcoming and full of nature trails for the kids,” wrote another visitor.

Activities range from walking and cycling in Hamsterley Forest to kayaking on the Tees or riding the Weardale Railway.

Ecologically, the Dales are significant.

Their peat mosses store carbon and regulate water flows, while hay meadows and upland rivers support curlews, red grouse, lapwings, trout and salmon.

Unlike the busy Lakes or Peaks, the Durham Dales trade on tranquillity, authenticity and space.

As one walker summed it up online: “Breathtaking scenery without the crowds — this is England’s wild countryside at its best.”