Not far from Darlington just by the River Tees, you can find a spa spring!

Worth a little drive out, the spa is located on the road to Barnard Castle from Darlington with easy parking in a small lay-by just off the A67, just after passing through the village of Gainford.

A short woodland walk down a sloped bank to the spa itself.
We had the place to ourselves and it’s a lovely stretch of the river and great to give the kids a bit of a history lesson too.


Be prepared for a whiff of egg, as the sulfur-laden waters emerge from the spa the gasses dissolve in the air.
In the Victorian times a spa-like this was a huge draw to an area and Gainford became a bit of a spa town after a borehole for coal in the 1880’s released the spring.
Have you been? Keep your eyes peeled in the River Tess for Crayfish too!