There's no shortage of fun places to take the kids during the Easter Holidays in the North East.
Raby Castle, a round trip of at least 80 miles from Newcastle, is probably a little further than we'd usually go for a day out with my partner's younger brothers, aged eleven and eight, but the opportunity to try out a new adventure playground proved too good to turn down. The Plotters' Forest is the first part of the Rising to open, a development which includes a new café, events space and visitor hub.
First up, it looks absolutely stunning. Located in the castle's Christmas tree plantation, a light wooden turret topped by a weather vane peeks out over the forest, while getting close up unveils what looks like a drawbridge taking you into the Plotters' Forest itself - there's a feeling that you've stepped out of County Durham and into Scandinavia.
