For the last 30 years or so, spending summer holidays on home shores was something I would never consider.

Like many, my ideal summer break is one with unbroken sunshine, glorious beaches and delicious Mediterranean cuisine.

Until recently the furthest north I’d been in England was to the Lake District in my early 20s. So a brief trip to Newcastle, which included driving across the glorious Northumberland countryside to County Durham for an overnight stay, made me realise what I’ve been missing all these years.

Within weeks, I was back for a long weekend driving through the breathtaking landscape on fabulous roads which twist and turn through forests, quaint villages and across the stone-walled, sheep dotted moorland of Northumberland, County Durham and Cumbria.
It has natural beauty in the High Force Falls near the small market town of Middleton-in-Teesdale, and striking landscapes created by the lead mining industry which dominated the Pennines in the 19th century.

One mine, Killhope (pronounced Killup), is now a museum and celebrates a time when lead was king, boasting a 10-metre working water wheel – the only one of its kind in the country.

With lots of towns and villages, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and each one a delight. Whichever you decide on, locals are only too happy to chat about their proud heritage and even life in general.

We made our base at the warm and welcoming Lord Crewe Arms. In the centre of the peaceful village of Blanchland, County Durham and right on the border of Northumberland, it is ideally placed.

The Lord Crewe has been synonymous with hospitality for more than 850 years.
Built as an Abbot’s lodge in 1156 it was a home to the White Canons until it was dissolved in 1539.

It passed through several hands and played its part in local history until it became a pub where miners would drink after a shift in the pits – today it is a unique and special place to eat, drink and relax.
Quality is everything at the Lord Crewe. Even breakfast is taken to another level with more choice than you could imagine.

On the subject of food, chef Simon Hicks and his team produce fabulous traditional dishes – he revealed where he gets his delicious black pudding and I called in to his butcher on the way home for my own stash.

With 21 rooms, ranging in size from cosy-small to canny or champion the hotel has a family suite and a two-bedroom suite.

All in all, a perfect spot to venture out on footpaths around Derwent Reservoir following historic by-ways like Hadrian’s Wall or even as a base to go further afield, as I did, on day trips.

So if the question is home or away for my summer break? Well, I could quite happily swap being in airport departure lounges and cramped aeroplane seats to spend time travelling in this country.

There is so much I’ve yet to see and there’s a chance I’ll find a new favourite place or, if I’m lucky, a new favourite butcher.
For details on The Lord Crewe Arms go to www.lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk