The following is a guest post.
Eight hundred and sixty-two square miles of history in the middle of rolling dales, moors and some of the most stunning countryside in Britain, the Medieval City of Durham has the City of Newcastle to the North and Darlington to the South, so Durham is not far from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities.
The beach is just a twenty minute drive to the East, so once in Durham, everything is more or less within easy reach. In addition there are historic gardens, castles, Cathedrals, museums and galleries all just a short drive away.
For the locals, visiting Durham from all around North East makes for a wonderful day trip and one seemingly never tires of taking in the history of the cities main attractions: Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and Durham University.
A classic view of Durham Cathedral © Copyright Tom Pennington and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Did you know?
The name ‘Durham’ is derived from the old English word ‘dun’, which means ‘hill’, and the word ‘holm’ which is Old Norse (North Germanic language of the Vikings) meaning ‘island’.
I remember school trips as a child walking through the Cathedral, marveling in the vastness and beautiful interior architecture. I still get the same feeling today as an adult. Its magnificence, majesty and beauty has clearly stood the test of time.
Durham Cathedral © Image by www.photoeverywhere.co.uk
On my very first opportunity I had to climb the 325 steps up the narrow spiral staircase to the tower, I was in awe. Sitting 218 feet above the ground, one can take in the views of the city and on a clear day, see as far as The Angel of the North almost 13 miles to the North.
The Cathedral sits on the banks of the River Wear, a very picturesque location for such a beautiful monument. Built in 1093 AD as a monastic community for Benedictine monks, the Cathedral was voted the UK’s number 1 landmark of 2013 and has received more than 600,000 visitors in 1 year.
Did you know?
Durham Cathedral costs £60,000 (over $100,000) to maintain per week.
The Cathedral, however, is not the only historical landmark to be seen. There is also Durham Castle located just 500 feet north of the Cathedral. In 1986, both the Castle and Cathedral were awarded the status of a World Heritage Site which provided them International recognition.
Set majestically atop a rocky promontory, the Castle was built in 1072 by the order of William the Conquerer to help protect the border during troubled times with Scotland. Occupied by University College since 1840, it is now home to over 100 students. Open to the public for guided visits only it is a must stop on any historical tour.
Did you know?
As well as housing students, Durham Castle also serves as a hotel that is open to the public.
Absorbing so much history spread out across such a vast area, one can easily work up quite an appetite and there is no shortage of great dining options.
With restaurants sitting on the banks of the River Wear, alfresco dining is an absolute must as marveling at the historic buildings is possible from most vantage points while dining. When the sun goes down, there’s a bustling nightlife scene in Durham with a myriad of wine bars, pubs, clubs and lounges to choose from.
Durham Castle keep © © Copyright Christine Johnstone and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The splendor of the Cathedral, Castle and the accompanying countryside make Durham a not to be missed jewel of the North East.
Janette is a British expat now living in Los Angeles. She has a food blog that specializes in recipes that are made with real ingredients and from scratch, www.culinaryginger.com. As well as her blog, you can also find Culinary Ginger on Twitter and Facebook.
