County Durham district, County Durham, United Kingdom

Places to visit near Washington

Washington is a town in County Durham district, County Durham, United Kingdom, home to about 53,526 people. Within 50 km by road there are 131 places to visit — 38 forts & heritage, 34 churches, 6 hill stations & viewpoints and 12 museums. The must-see places are Washington Old Hall (1 km), Washington Wetland Centre (3 km) and Penshaw Monument (4 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Washington on the map

Washington, County Durham
Washington, County Durham district, County Durham, United Kingdom. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Washington at a glance

Location
County Durham district, County Durham, United Kingdom
Population
about 53,526
Coordinates
54.9000° N, 1.5167° W
Places within 50 km
131 (131 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches and museums

Top places to visit near Washington

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Washington: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Washington

Things to see near Washington, by type

Forts & heritage near Washington

111 forts & heritage within 100 km of Washington. The closest is Penshaw Monument (4 km). Best time: october to february.

All forts & heritage in County Durham →

Churches near Washington

63 churches within 100 km of Washington. The closest is St Matthew's Church (7 km). Best time: year-round.

All churches in County Durham →

Hill stations & viewpoints near Washington

38 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Washington. The closest is Tunstall Hills (10 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

  • Tunstall Hills · viewpoint · County Durham · ~10 km · Must-see
  • Ouseburn Farm · viewpoint · County Durham · ~12 km · Must-see
  • Jesmond Dene · viewpoint · County Durham · ~15 km · Must-see
  • Currock Hill · viewpoint · County Durham · ~24 km · Must-see
  • Hise Hope · viewpoint · County Durham · ~35 km · Must-see
  • Weardale Railway · viewpoint · County Durham · ~45 km · Must-see

All hill stations & viewpoints in County Durham →

Museums near Washington

19 museums within 100 km of Washington. The closest is Washington Old Hall (1 km). Best time: year-round.

All museums in County Durham →

Wildlife, forests & gardens near Washington

19 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Washington. The closest is Washington Wetland Centre (3 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

All wildlife, forests & gardens in County Durham →

Parks near Washington

18 parks within 100 km of Washington. The closest is Barnes Park (9 km). Best time: year-round, evenings.

  • Barnes Park · park · County Durham · ~9 km · Must-see
  • Mowbray Park · park · County Durham · ~11 km · Must-see
  • Town Moor · park · County Durham · ~12 km · Must-see
  • Roker Park · park · County Durham · ~12 km · Must-see
  • Leazes Park · park · County Durham · ~14 km · Must-see
  • Brierdene · park · County Durham · ~22 km · Must-see

All parks in County Durham →

A one-day trip from Washington

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 23 km on the road.

  1. Start in Washington
  2. 1 km Washington Old Hall · museum, County Durham
  3. 4 km Bowes Railway · museum, County Durham
  4. 8 km Lambton Castle · heritage site, County Durham
  5. 5 km Penshaw Monument · monument, County Durham
  6. 2 km Washington Wetland Centre · nature spot, County Durham
  7. 3 km Back to Washington

Plan a longer trip from Washington — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Washington

No traveller has reported from around Washington yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

Post an update from the map →

How to reach Washington

    All places near Washington by distance

    Within 15 km of Washington

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Washington by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Forts & heritage38111Penshaw Monument (4 km)
    Churches3463St Matthew's Church (7 km)
    Hill stations & viewpoints638Tunstall Hills (10 km)
    Museums1219Washington Old Hall (1 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens1519Washington Wetland Centre (3 km)
    Parks1018Barnes Park (9 km)
    Beaches & coast911Roker Pier Lighthouse (13 km)
    Treks34Cassop Vale Circular Walk (22 km)
    Mosques & dargahs23Nasir Mosque (37 km)
    Caves03Fairy Holes Cave SSSI (54 km)
    Waterfalls02High Force Waterfall (64 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs02Cow Green Reservoir (71 km)
    Temples11Temple Memorial Park (12 km)
    Buddhist sites11Aruna Ratanagiri (42 km)
    Other attractions01Rokeby Park (60 km)

    Washington: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Washington?

    Washington Old Hall (museum, about 1 km), Washington Wetland Centre (nature spot, about 3 km), Penshaw Monument (monument, about 4 km), Bowes Railway (museum, about 5 km), Lambton Castle (heritage site, about 5 km), Angel of the North (heritage site, about 6 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Washington?

    131 places on Spotwander: 38 forts & heritage, 34 churches, 6 hill stations & viewpoints, 12 museums, 15 wildlife, forests & gardens.

    Which is the nearest fort to Washington?

    Penshaw Monument, about 4 km by road; Lambton Castle (5 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest church to Washington?

    St Matthew's Church, about 7 km by road; Parish Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert (8 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Washington?

    Tunstall Hills, about 10 km by road; Ouseburn Farm (12 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Washington?

    Start in Washington, visit Washington Old Hall, then Bowes Railway, then Lambton Castle, then Penshaw Monument, then Washington Wetland Centre, and drive back — about 23 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Washington?

    October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches and museums.

    Towns near Washington

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Washington’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Washington on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.