If you like grand Victorian Gothic, Ushaw rewards the trip out west of Durham. A former Catholic college, it keeps a run of soaring chapels — the main one designed by Augustus Pugin — along with cloisters, gardens, a bookshop and a café. It reopened to the public in 2014 and now draws visitors by the thousand. There’s an admission charge, and opening days vary, so check before you set off. About 5km from Durham, easiest by car.
Full name: Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
