A County Durham village has been branded as a 'lovely' location with stunning walks and independent shops - with visitors raving about how beautiful the area is. 

Like many locations in the region, Lanchester is one that heavily relied on mining previously - with a small mining development closing in the 1970s.

However, following the industrial period for the village, it has been replaced by a great visitor village with several cultural attractions around it, several walking routes through it and nearby, and a culture of pubs, cafés and independent shops. 

Boasting picturesque locations, such as Dora's Wood and Waters' Meet, there are plenty of options when it comes to food and drinks - which sees The King's Head pub, The Lanchester Fish Bar, and Serendipity Café. 

This is in addition to independent shops in the village, including Get Ahead Hats, Hanley and Sons Family Butcher, and Lanchester Hardware.

Cultural attractions near Lanchester include Potter's World, Lanchester Garden Centre, and Lanchester Country Homes & Gifts.

According to TripAdvisor, those visiting Lanchester have been impressed by what they have seen - with many dishing out high praise to the village and all it offers. 

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One person who visited Potter's World said: "Amazing Value family day out. What's not to like - the animals where all were well cared for and the venue is spotless.

"Spent a good couple of hours with our 7-year-old grandson who was captivated with the parrots snakes lizards and the whole experience. Finished our visit with amazing ice cream"

Meanwhile, another person who visited Lanchester Garden Centre added: "We just popped in by chance very well presented to be fair didn’t need any plants just a hot drink but when we saw the special and menu decided to take part well worth a visit meals great value service very good."