Mumsnet has never let me down when it comes to local knowledge, so here's my annual holiday request. We're staying in Frosterley, near Stanhope, for a week at the end of July with 17-year-old DS and our young dog. We've been before, about 12 years ago, and DS has asked to go back to the same cottage. He's a motorsport and aviation fanatic, and DH and I both like nice walks, gardens and photography. DS and DH are going to Croft on the Sunday for the touring cars event and DS will inevitably want to go karting. We'll probably go to Beamish again, but other than that we have the whole week to fill. We're vegetarian and will have our cocker spaniel with us all week because she can't be left at the cottage, so hit me with lovely places to go and good dog-friendly places to eat.
Also - this a very random question, but it can't hurt to ask! We were last in Frosterley when DS was four and mad keen on trains, and he has a core memory of us taking the train from the village, probably towards Bishop Auckland, and passing a house with loads and loads of gnomes in the garden. He's spent hours over the years looking for it on Google Earth with no joy and he desperately wants to find it again. I'd rather not waste half a day on a boring train if we can just go straight to the gnomes and get a photo to shut him up! 😂