Glebe House

Washington Old Hall is a stone manor house in the heart of Washington village, cared for by the National Trust. It includes parts of the medieval home of George Washington's direct ancestors, and the family took its surname from here. The ground floor shows a 17th-century home, with carved oak furniture and a collection of Delft ware.

Tip: Free parking is available on The Avenue, right beside the property.

Durham Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and part of the Durham Castle and Cathedral World Heritage Site. A substantial part of the building was completed between 1093 and 1133, and it is a significant example of Romanesque architecture. The nave ceiling is the earliest surviving example of a pointed rib vault.

Tip: There is no parking at or near the cathedral, so use the Park and Ride or the Cathedral Bus into Durham. The tower is stairs only.

Beamish is a living, open-air museum on a 350-acre site in County Durham, telling the story of everyday life in the North East. Original, moved and replica buildings are staffed by costumed engagers, with live demonstrations and hands-on activities. Trams and buses carry you between the different areas.

Tip: Book your pass online before you visit for faster entry, and download the map to your phone or pick one up at the Entrance Building.

Hylton Castle is a distinctive, highly decorative gatehouse-tower in Sunderland, built by the wealthy Sir William Hylton shortly before 1400. It originally held four floors of self-contained family accommodation, and its entrance front displays royal and family heraldry, including Richard II's white hart badge.

Tip: Car parking is available at the site.

HMS Trincomalee is a Royal Navy sailing frigate built shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. She was made in Bombay by the Wadia family of shipwrights, using teak because Britain was short of oak. She is now a museum ship afloat at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool.

Lumley Castle is a Grade I listed, 14th-century quadrangular castle at Chester-le-Street, close to Durham. It stands on the banks of the Lumley Park Burn, a tributary of the River Wear. Sir Ralph Lumley converted his family manor house into a castle in 1389, and it remains a property of the Earl of Scarbrough.

Tip: Book a table in advance through the castle's website if you want to eat at the restaurant or have afternoon tea.

Durham Castle is a Norman castle begun in 1072 on orders from William the Conqueror. It stands on a hill above the River Wear, opposite Durham Cathedral, and the two share World Heritage Site status. For centuries it was the seat of the prince-bishops of Durham, who held powers to raise an army, levy taxes and mint their own coins.

The Bede Museum is part of Jarrow Hall, which celebrates Bede, the monk and scholar often called the 'father of English history'. Inside, the museum tells the story of his life and the Anglo-Saxon world through artefacts excavated from the Jarrow monastery, including 7th and 8th century coloured window glass, painted plaster and carved stonework.

Tip: Thirlings Hall, the largest recreated building, can be reserved for school groups on term-time weekdays, so go in the afternoon to see inside.