Durham is a picturesque university city in the North East of England. The city has a castle, cathedral, river and pretty countryside surrounds. This medieval city has a certain heritage charm and is easily walkable. There are great places to eat and lots of things to do here, plus in the nearby areas.
Durham Castle
Built in 1072, this impressive castle hosts a 14th century dining hall, 2 chapels and an impressive 17th century staircase (supposedly haunted by ‘the grey lady’ who fell to her death here- creepy!) The University of Durham now owns the building, with people actually living in it! You can explore the castle through daily guided tours.
Durham Cathehdral
A UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built between 1093 and 1133. The architecture inside is stunning and with free entry (donations welcome) why not pay it a visit. Harry Potter fans might be interested to know that Durham Cathedral was where a lot of the scenes were filmed in the first movie. The cathedral is open daily until 6pm (5.30pm on Sunday).
Durham Riverside Walk
Go for a walk along the lush green River Wear and take in the city from a different perspective. There is a 3-mile circular walk which goes past the castle, cathedral and the beautiful botanical gardens.
Wander around the cobble lanes
Just going for a little wander around the town is fun in itself. There are some pretty little lane ways and streets around, great for taking in this historical town. You might be able to find some quirky photography spots too.
Durham University Botanic Garden’s
Towards the south of the city is the picturesque botanical gardens, set in 25 acres of land. The gardens are open to the public and have a variety of landscapes from tropical greenhouses, woodland and tropical bugs and insects. They also have various events and art pieces situated around the gardens.
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Grab a coffee or brunch at a cute café
The Flat White Kitchen is a cute and a tastefully decorated independent coffee shop, serving brunch, lunch and obviously lots of the good stuff! Take a break at this popular spot and re-fuel.
Crook Hall & Gardens
Crook Hall is an old grade I listed building which was built in the 13th century. The gardens are very well kept and gorgeous, requiring a small charge to go in. You can grab a cream tea in the hall, whilst looking out over the beautiful gardens. There is also lovely self-catering cottage accommodation available.
Have a drink at one of England’s most haunted pubs
Dating back to the 12th century The Shakespeare pub is allegedly haunted (although I’m finding it hard to find out why!). It is popular for evening drinks though- even if you might not get to see any actual ghosts.
Durham Town Hall
Although a town hall might not sound all that interesting, the interior inside the Victorian Great Hall, with its historical wooden beams, is quite stunning and worth a look inside.
Dine out in the many restaurants
For a fairly small place there is a surprising number of eateries open late each evening. I was pleasantly delighted at the amount of choice from Thai, Italian, Turkish, burgers, you name it. All the restaurants are situated close together, allowing you to ponder over which cuisine takes your fancy.
Things to do near Durham & surrounding area
Penshaw Monument
Penshaw monument, or real name, The Earl of Durham’s Monument, is about a 20-minute drive out from Durham town centre. This 70 ft tall monument is perched on the top of Penshaw Hill and has wonderful views over the countryside. The walk to the monument will take around 10 mins and is not that hard. You can also climb up to the top of Penshaw monument for a small fee.
Whitby Abbey
Situated a little further away at just under a 90-minute drive, is the impressive 13th century gothic Whitby Abbey. Perched on a hill it looms over the town with an imposing view. You can walk through the ruins although they are quite pricey, but you can get good views from the outside. They have a tearoom and pretty gardens too.
Whitby Harbour & Town
Situated in Yorkshire, Northern England, Whitby is a very busy seaside town, popular with tourists. It was surprising bigger than I thought it was going to be, with shops and cafes on both sides of the bridge by the harbour.
There’s cute souvenir and handmade craft shops, coffee shops & restaurant’s, bookshops, art galleries and everything else. The harbour is quaint and pretty and busy with boast tours and fishing bout their daily busses.
So as you can see there’s plenty of things to in and near Durham, England. Tell me which ones do you like the look of most?
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