The US president says he's looking forward to getting out into the countryside when he visits County Durham. There is certainly plenty of that in the Sedgefield area.

But quite what Mr Bush will make of the collection of former mining villages and windswept new towns that makes up Mr Blair's constituency is anybody's guess.

Only Sedgefield proper (the town gives its name to the wider constituency) looks anything like the stereotype of the traditional English village.

Sedgefield is more of a village than a town

The area is probably best known for its coal mining heritage, but the winding gear that once dominated the skyline is long gone.

Even the foul-smelling coke works at Fishburn, that used to have people running for cover when the wind blew in the wrong direction, have been razed to the ground.

While the grim Victorian edifice of Winterton - at one time the UK's biggest mental hospital - has also been demolished to make way for executive housing.

In fact, the whole constituency has been subtly New Labourised, since Mr Blair began representing it 20 years ago. There is even a brand new PFI cottage hospital.

Heavily guarded

Apart from the Trimdon Watch Bank, a fearsomely steep hill which used regularly to defeat the school bus, the countryside is fairly flat and featureless.

Mr Blair spends most of his time in the constituency at Trimdon Colliery, in his heavily guarded four-bedroom detached Victorian house, Myrobella.

Will Mr Bush visit St Edmund's church?

Mr Bush may be surprised to find the house is opposite a shed that used to house geese and is flanked by terraced houses.

The teetotal president is also unlikely to find much to tempt him at nearby Trimdon Labour Club - even at �1.40 a pint.

The club is Mr Blair's powerbase in the constituency. He is welcomed like the prodigal son by the membership, and recently held his 50th birthday party there. His folk-singing agent John Burton is on its management committee.

Rival eateries

But the building is undergoing renovation at the moment, so is thought unlikely to play host to the president and his entourage.

Mr Bush is more likely to drop in at the The Dun Cow Inn , a few miles down the road.

This is one of Mr Blair's favourite watering holes in the area. He took Lionel Jospin, then his French counterpart, there for lunch in 1998.

Rival Sedgefield eaterie Ministers, which is run by a former Dun Cow chef, is also thought to be in the running to cook President Bush's dinner.

Simple tastes

Both establishments have good reputations and adventurous menus by local standards.

The Dun Cow - world leaders' favourite local

Ministers boasts mild chilli of crab and lemon bruschetta, while the Dun Cow main courses include seared salmon with broccoli stilton.

But Mr Bush is known to be a man of simple tastes and may just opt for a steak, which is on both menus.

If he feels particularly homesick, there is always the Burger King on the outskirts of the town (although with 5,000 inhabitants, Sedgefield is really more of a village than a town).

Other fast food options include Castle Pizza, Sedgefield Fisheries, a Chinese take-away, an Indian take-away.

There are also seven pubs in the town.

Although the devout Mr Bush will probably find more to interest him at St Edmund's Church, which dominates Sedgefield's green with its medieval tower.

Dog days

Sedgefield is probably best known for its annual Shrove Tuesday ball game, a day-long scrap between farmers and townsfolk, which has survived several attempts to ban it over the years.

Other local attractions include Hardwick Hall, a smart hotel noted for its 18th Century gardens. Mr Blair played host to Irish premier Bertie Ahern here.

The Hardwick Hall hotel is well known for its gardens

The Hardwick country park next door is famed for its Victorian follies and also featured briefly in the 1970s gangster film Get Carter.

But Sedgefield's most famous attraction is its National Hunt racecourse, also the site of a popular car boot fair on Sundays.

The dog-loving Mr Bush could even join in the hunt for "Dwain the Dog", a collie that has been at large on the course for several weeks.

Local bookmaker Fred Done is offering �500 reward for the capture of the dog, who has attracted something of a cult following.

Lesser-known attractions

Mr Bush may prefer a quiet game of tennis at Sedgefield Community College, or a round of golf at the Notty Hill Golf Course, brainchild of local farmer Dennis Craggs, offering a full 18 holes and a driving range.

The Blairs go to vote in Trimdon Colliery

Lesser known Sedgefield highlights include Bolam's abattoir, where you can enjoy a cup of tea in the excellent cafe, while your meat is being butchered next door.

There is also quad biking nearby, although this may prove something of a security headache.

And although Mr Bush is more of a baseball man, there is always Sedgefield Cricket Club, a leading light in the North Yorkshire and South Durham league.

All in all, Sedgefield may not add up to a tourist paradise.

But Mr Bush could always travel a few miles south on the A167 to the larger town of Newton Aycliffe. Home of the Flymo factory.

And the Newton Aycliffe leisure centre.