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Bowes Railway
Attractions in Springwell

Bowes Railway is Springwell’s place to visit

Museums or galleries make up 5 of the 7 places on the list. Look within 5 km of its edge and the list grows by 6 beyond the one inside Springwell’s built-up area. In heritage care, one place on the list is looked after by the National Trust. Day-trippers head 16 km out to Durham Castle.

Photo: Bowes Railway, Chris Heaton (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Springwell
1
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
6
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
2
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Start with these in Springwell

Once you have seen Bowes Railway, try 3 museums, a castle and an art gallery.

MuseumBowes Railwayin townMuseum · National TrustWashington Old Hall2.6 km outside town, to the southeastCastleRavensworth Castle5 km outside town, to the westArt galleryShipley Art Gallery3.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumNorth East Land, Sea and Air Museums4.6 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumWashington F Pit Museum1.4 km outside town, to the southeast

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

On the map

Avro Vulcan, 5.5 km away, is the farthest on the map.

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The dashed line is Springwell’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Kinds of place

There are more museums or galleries (5) than anything else, then castles or historic places (2).

Museums & galleries 4 museums · 1 art gallery1 in town · 4 nearby
Castles & historic places 1 castle · 1 historic site0 in town · 2 nearby

Green: inside Springwell. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by the National Trust (Washington Old Hall).

Every place

The full list

After the one in town come 6 more within 5 km of its edge.

The one inside Springwell comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

3 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Springwell’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Springwell →

Big names nearby

Bigger names, a drive away

Start with Durham Castle, 16 km off, the best known of 12.

CastleDurham Castle16 km southCathedralDurham Cathedral16 km southMuseumTurbinia7.2 km northwestMuseumBeamish Museum7.8 km southwest · 350K visitors a yearCathedralNewcastle Cathedral6.8 km northwestCastleNewcastle upon Tyne Castle6.6 km northwestAbbey or priory · English HeritageMonkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey12 km eastCathedralSt Mary's Cathedral7 km northwestBig drawMuseumGreat North Museum: Hancock7.8 km northwest · 638K visitors a yearMuseumCentre for Life6.9 km northwest · 225K visitors a yearArt galleryBALTIC Centre6.3 km northwestMuseumArbeia Roman Fort Museum12 km northeast

Places well known beyond Springwell (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

What visitors ask about Springwell

What are the main attractions in Springwell?

The place to visit inside Springwell’s built-up area is Bowes Railway. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 6 more within 5 km.

Does Springwell have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Springwell: Bowes Railway, Washington Old Hall, Shipley Art Gallery and North East Land, Sea and Air Museums.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Springwell?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Springwell, 1 place is cared for by the National Trust (Washington Old Hall).

What are the best-known days out near Springwell?

Within 40 km: Durham Castle (16 km), Durham Cathedral (16 km), Turbinia (7.2 km), Beamish Museum (7.8 km).

Where are Springwell’s historic buildings listed?

Springwell has 3 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Springwell when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (16)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.