Unlikely destinations.............Hartlepool!

And No, I'm not joking!!  We've spent time with friends,  this weekend in Hartlepool and discovered what a great place it is. 

We drove up the A19 and crossed via the Middlesborough Transporter Bridge, then went to the Salthome RSPB reserve -  where we watched a kestrel hunting over the marshes, terns on the ponds, and curlews calling overhead.   From there we went to the Teesmouth Nature Reserve on the other side of the road, and walked along the beach, watching the huge container ships enter the Tees.  After that a short drive took us to the parking area at the side of the road, to watch the Harbour seals in Greatham Creek where you can see seals in the creek inlets to the side of the main A178.  A highlight was watching four short-eared owls hunting over the marshes and scrubland just off the A178.  After that we went to the Marina and the Folk and Maritime Museum in Hartlepool, and had a walk around the reconstructed 18thC port - with shops and houses open to the public, and just as it would have been!  Then a walk around HMS Trincomalee, which has been restored and refitted as if it were just about to set sail for the orient.   We also visited the folk museum where we learned about the German bombing of Hartlepool in the early days of World War 1 as well as a lot of other interesting exhibits.  We walked around the 'Headland' which has some lovely houses, beaches, a statue of Andy Capp (the cartoonist was from the headland) and the 'Monkey Trail' of local landmarks .  There is a story, true or not, that the fishermen of Hartlepoool hanged a monkey thinking it to be a French spy after a French warship sank just outside the town.  

An unlikely destination, but definitely a worthwhile one!!  Our friend pooh poohed it when we first suggested it, but they loved it and are going back with their new motorhome in November.  There are so many places nearby that we've never visited and we've decided to find interesting things to do in them all - and leave the more popular places to the hoards of tourists!

What unlikely destinations are there in you area that you'd recommend?