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We left our hotel (in Yorkshire) just before 9am to return home - and as home was only a 2-3 hour drive, we decided to stop off somewhere for an hour or two and, although I'd only ever passed through, I'd heard good things about Durham so decided to visit. It's lucky I did, otherwise I'd ... Read review
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Advantages: Interesting historic city Disadvantages: I didn't really find any
...week and....yes, yes, I know DURHAM isn't in Yorkshire but if you'd just curb that rascally impatience for a moment or two, I'll explain.
We left our hotel (in Yorkshire) just before 9am to return home - and as home was only a 2-3 hour drive, we decided to stop off somewhere for an hour or two and, although I'd only ever passed through, I'd heard good things about Durham so decided to visit. It's lucky I did, otherwise I'd have nothing to ... ...
The history of Durham is inextricably linked to that of St Cuthbert, a 7th century monk who performed 'miracles'. His body was eventually buried in the city in 995AD. In 1072, William the Conqueror bestowed vice-regal powers on the first bishop, beginning the tradition of Bishop Princes, and building started on the Cathedral. These BP's had almost total control over the area and had the power to mint their own coinage, raise armies and collect ... more
I spent a couple of days in Yorkshire last week and....yes, yes, I know DURHAM isn't in Yorkshire but if you'd just curb that rascally impatience for a moment or two, I'll explain. We left our hotel (in Yorkshire) just before 9am to return home - and as home was only a 2-3 hour drive, we decided to stop off somewhere for an hour or two and, although I'd only ever passed through, I'd heard good things about Durham so decided to visit. It's lucky I did, otherwise I'd have nothing to write about in this review!
So is it worth going to Durham? - Yes it is. But don't just take my word for it, let's ask travel guru Bill Bryson what he thinks.
"I got off at Durham... and fell in love with it instantly in a serious way. Why, it's wonderful - a perfect little city.... If you have never been to Durham, go there at once. Take my car. It's wonderful." ---- (Notes from a Small Island, 1995)
Hey, if it's good enough for the Bryser, then it's probably good enough for me.
The history of Durham is inextricably linked to that of St Cuthbert, a 7th century monk who performed 'miracles'. His body was eventually buried in the city in 995AD. In 1072, William the Conqueror bestowed vice-regal powers on the first bishop, beginning the tradition of Bishop Princes, and building started on the Cathedral. These BP's had almost total control over the area and had the power to mint their own coinage, raise armies and collect taxes - all with the purpose of protecting England's vulnerable border counties from the not infrequent incursions by the Scots. (Wha's like us?) These unique powers were only returned to the crown in 1836.
The city became a site of pilgrimage which, together with its special position, encouraged the growth of the city from the castle and cathedral downhill to the river crossings. Most of the mediaeval street layout still exists today, although very few of the houses of that period survive.
The Cathedral has a quite spectacular setting, standing high on a hill in a loop of the River Wear, it's visible for many miles around and is especially striking at night when the cathedral is lit up and can be viewed even while driving along the M-way.
Durham's a small city and as it lies very close to the A1(M) motorway, it's very accessible, in fact, a short drive along a dual carriageway from the M-way exit brings you directly into the heart of the city and ample parking. Which co-incidentally, is how we arrived.
We parked the car in a multi-storey just on the edge of the city-centre and made our way to the tourist information office just across the street. It was well stocked with leaflets and booklets about, not only Durham, but the surrounding area as far south as Yorkshire and as far west as Carlisle.
We didn't have a lot of time to spend in in Durham but it's not exactly a sprawling metropolis and everything we wanted to see was in the compact, mediaeval heart of the city so off we jolly-well went, free map in pocket, to slog our way up the hill to the Cathedral.
At the bottom of the hill is the Market Square and leading off from this, the VICTORIAN MARKET. We popped in for a quick look expecting it to be pretty much a run-of-the-mill market...and it was! To be fair, there were one or two stalls selling antiques (more like bric-a-brac) and some arty types, so it wasn't too bad. The market hall itself was quite attractive with it's glass roof but the floor had a very pronounced slope - didn't those Victorian builders have spirit-levels then?
From there we made our way up to the Cathedral with only a small diversion in the opposite direction down Silver St - which reminded me that I had a map in my pocket.
THE NORMAN CATHEDRAL, a World heritage Site, was founded in 1093 and is the shrine of St. Cuthbert. You don't actually have to walk up the hill to it (although it's not much of a slope) as there is a shuttle bus service linking it with the rail station, bus station and various car and coach parks. The building itself is maybe not quite as dramatic as Canterbury Cathedral, but it does have a wonderful setting and its position is more reminiscent of a fortification than a place of worship. It's not surprising really, as across the quadrangle sits the castle itself. I like to visit Cathedrals and marvel at the whole ambience of them. It amazes me that in times when people didn't even have clean drinking water or adequate shelter, never mind powertools, edifices such as this could be erected. It's testimony to mankind's warped priorities.
What motivated the architects and engineers to such ingenious construction solutions, or the craftsmen to such wonderful examples of their skill? Piety and devotion....religious zeal....booking a place in heaven? Cynical old git that I am, I tend to think it was more about securing a well-paid job that would support you and your family for many long years. One thing's for sure, they don't build 'em like that anymore.
Entry to the Cathedral was free although they do look for a donation to cover the £40,000 annual maintenance costs. Not being shy, they suggest £4 as a suitable gift.
We didn't visit the castle as it was by guided tour only and that didn't appeal.
Close by to the Cathedral is the DURHAM HERITAGE MUSEUM which is housed in the historic church of St, Mary-le-Bow. A fee of £1.20 lets you wander around amongst some displays and artefacts from Durham's long history. Everything is laid out chronologically beginning in the 10th century and leading up to the present day. There are displays, models and 'hands-on' activities including a reconstruction of a Victorian cell from Durham Gaol, and many other interesting objects from everyday life in the city. Upstairs, there's an audio-visual facility (a TV with a video) about the city's history and there's a shop where you can buy souvenirs.
There are many other museums in the city, which we didn't have time to see, including: Durham University Museum of Archaeology, The University Oriental Museum and the Durham Light Infantry Museum & Durham Art Gallery.
We decided not to stay for lunch, although there were lots of options and some very inviting pubs, but it was a little too early for a beer (according to Mrs P).
We didn't spend that long in Durham and probably didn't do it justice. We didn't do things like: take a boat trip on the River Wear....visit the Botanic Gardens....check out the stained glass windows and painting displays in the Town Hall....experience the history of Durham by watching the film in the Sacred Journey Centre....attend the Gala Theatre....have a meal in one of the many restaurants or picnic by the river....or just chill in one of the numerous pubs......
But then we can always return and do the things we didn't get round to this time...you know, I think we probably will.
Advantages: Lots To Do And See Disadvantages: Big and very spaced out.
...museum and situated near County Durham in The North of England, it is dedicated to the life and times of the 1800’s.
Here you will find everything you need for a brilliant family day out, in fact you need a long day to actually give credit to Beamish.
Prices are quite high but a family ticket can save you money its around £24 for 2 children and Two adults.
Once you have paid though there is no real need to spend a lot more, I do however ... ...you will be struggling!
Once through the gates you will see the Tram platforms, now these are there for a reason, the whole of Beamish is so vast that, although you could walk it, the trams make it a lot more enjoyable to get from place to place.
These come along at intervals of every 15-20 minutes so you never need to wait too long.
First stop doesn’t involve a tram and is the children’s farm and village area, pigs, goats and a bird ...
broksababe 09.03.2001 (10.03.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Durham in General
Advantages: Beautiful city, compact, friendly. Disadvantages: Its a long way from where I live!
...I was a student!
Durham is very small as cities go, and it is classed as such by the presence of the cathedral rather than by population (which would make it about the size of a small town). This is definitely one of its strong points though, as it is compact with most places of interest within walking distance of each other, and feels friendly in a way that most cities don’t normally do. It is located just a few miles from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, ... ...Middlesborough.
The city of Durham is very popular with tourists as it is often visited as a historic city, along the lines of places such as Chester, Bath, Oxford and York. The old part of the city has its origins in the Middle Ages, as can be seen by the narrow streets and of course the cathedral and castle in the city centre. The cobbled streets, river walks and multitude of old buildings certainly enhance this picturesque image, and the scattering ...
Collingwood21 12.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Durham in General
Advantages: interesting , informative Disadvantages: tiring , hard to get to without a car
Durham itself is a nice cathedral city .There are plenty of riverside walks , a wonderful catherdral and plenty of history waiting to be discovered . Durham also has it's share of students with it's highly acclaimed university and botanical gardens .
There is also a respectable shopping centre too with such stores as JJB sports , Currys and M&S
It is a fine place to visit and spend the day , but this op will concentrate as others have done on the ... ...My partner and I went to Beamish museum on 13 August 1999.Beamish is set in a lovely picturesque valley , with open countryside all around.
We had a two for one voucher enabling us to gain admission for a total of £10 .
Normally admission is £10 per adult in the summer.
This is not cheap, but we spent five hours looking round - so I gues we got value for money !
Beamish has a high reputation and attracts visitors from all parts of the globe and ...
Gardenex 08.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Durham in General
...I start with the classic Durham quote:
"Go to Durham, take my car, it's wonderful"
Thanks to good ol' Bill Bryson for that one. I would back up that quote but you certainly can't borrow my car to go!
I'm studying at Durham (Engineering if you really want to know) and absolutely love it. The "city" has all the necessary features proving that size really doesn't matter (keep telling yourself that!) as long as everything's in the right place. The ... ...minutes away by train.
Durham has a relatively small population (24,000 I think) and about a third of the population consists of students. Just as the students are leaving for their summer holidays the tourist trade really kicks in. This is one of the very few negative elements of Durham and must be infuriating for the locals. Just when they get rid of the bloomin' stoodents the tourists arrive in droves. My top 5 places in Durham (in no well thought-out ...
MATT230583 03.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Durham in General
Advantages: Beautiful city, with some great sights Disadvantages: Not enough for a long visit;
The city of Durham is well known for its top-class university, but that seems to be about it. Certainly it doesn't have a reputation as a tourist city, and as such is one of England's most under-rated cities.
It isn't a huge city - indeed isn't any bigger than a large town but is probably the most attractive in the north of England, if not the country.
The centre-piece of the city is the stunning cathedral, in my opinion far more beautiful and ... ...dead-end, thus traffic is minimal. Durham is so small that a car isn't a necessity for a tourist anyway.
Much of the area around the river is wooded, with some pleasant walks; you won't know that you're just minutes from the city centre. There are a number of museums and botanical gardens, some independent but others associated with the university.
Accomodation can be found in numerous hotels or, during vacations, in the colleges. The latter has ...
rwsweet 04.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Durham in General
