The Historic English Market Town of Crook in County Durham in the North East England
About a couple of miles north of the River Wear, around nine miles southwest of the historic city of Durham is the celebrated market town of Crook. This town is consistently dubbed as the “Gateway to Weardale” due to its location on edge Weardale. It is home to two prominent churches; St.Catherine’s CE which is located close to the center of the town and the Our Lady Immaculate & St. Cuthbert’s RC on Church Hill. This town is also the tenth largest settlement in County Durham and thirty-fifth largest in the North East of England.
The main retail and commercial area of this town are the Hope Street. Along this bustling street is an excellent range of independent shops, chain stores, retailers and various shopping facilities. It is also home to several known retailers such as The Original Factory Shop, Lidl, Co-op Food, and Boots. Along with its great range of gift and specialty shops, this town is a great shopping destination where shoppers will enjoy excellent retail therapy.
The town of Crook is one of the county’s destinations that still retains its rich and colorful pub culture. It also has a remarkable range of places to eat where both the local and visitors can get a taste of the local flavors of the county. Some of the pubs to visit in this town include The Farrers Arms, Red Lion, The Fir Tree Country Hotel, The Duke of York and The Copper Mine. Viva Restaurant located at 9 Church Street is the most recommended place for authentic Italian dishes and award-winning pizzas. And the Blue Stone Tea Shop, a five star ranked tea room at 5-6 Commercial Street is the best place where tourists can enjoy their traditional afternoon tea.
Things to See and Do in Crook
Crook is a destination that has plenty of exciting and fun-filled things to see and do. The North Star Alpacas is one of the most visited and prominent tourist attraction to visit this town. Same as The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ which is considered to be one of the town’s greatest treasure. The Devil’s Stone or also known as The Blue Stone, an erratic of Borrowdale volcanic is one of the town’s most popular landmarks.

