From Wikitravel Shared

Durham [1] is a city in the county of County Durham in North East England.

It is a cathedral city with a fine Norman Castle, dating from 1073 (currently a college of Durham University and the oldest student accommodation in the world) and lies within a loop of the River Wear, locally known as The Peninsula.

Bill Bryson was quite taken by Durham, writing in Notes from a Small Island (1995), "Why, it's a perfect little city. If you have never been to Durham, go there at once. Take my car. It's wonderful." The compliment was returned in 2004 when Durham University made Bryson its Chancellor.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By Train

Best arrive by train for breath-taking high view of the city. Trains run on the East Coast Main Line from London Kings Cross and York as far as Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh. Trains also run from lots of other places including Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Durham train station is a short walk from the city centre and is connected to the Cathedral by the Cathedral Bus, which operates every twenty minutes from circa 0700 to 1740. An all-day ticket costs 50p.

[edit] By Car

By road, Durham is easily reached from the A1(M). From December 2005, a Park & Ride service has operated from three sites on the outskirts of the city centre. Most useful of which is the Belmont Park & Ride, located approximately 300 yards from junction 62 of the A1(M), towards Sunderland on the A690. A bus service operates every twenty minutes between the Park & Ride and the city centre, 0700 - 1900 hours. Parking costs £1.70 all day.

[edit] By Coach

Durham's Bus Station is served by National Express, Primrose Coaches and some other Summer only services.

[edit] By Bus

Durham is connected to the rest of the North East by plentiful bus services operated by Arriva North East and Go North East.

[edit] By Sea

North Shields ferry terminal is around 30km distant and has daily services to and from Amsterdam and a number of Scandinavian ports, operated by FjordLine and DFDS. Travel time to Durham is approximately one hour using the free bus to Newcastle Central Station and a short train trip (around £4), or forty minutes for a taxiride (around £30).

[edit] By Air

Newcastle Airport is around 40km North of Durham and is served by many carriers and offers many domestic and medium-haul routes. It is connected to Newcastle Central Station by the Tyne and Wear Metro. Journey time to Durham is around one hour and will cost around £7. There is an easyCar car hire location at the Airport.

Durham Tees Valley Airport (formerly Tees-side Airport) is around 40km South of Durham and is served by mostly charter airlines, though some "low-cost" carriers offer services to domestic and short-haul locations in Western Europe. It is connected to Darlington Railway Station by the free SkyExpress 737 bus service. Trains run between Darlington and Durham up to four times an hour and a single fare is around £5. (Durham Tees Valley Airport has its own railway station, but as of 2006, plans to start a service have yet to get off the drawing board).

[edit] Get around

The centre of Durham is compact, with small roads and the only congestion charge in the UK outside London (actually the first congestion charge in the UK, beating London by a few months). There is no need to drive, and parking away from the Park & Ride sites is expensive and in short supply. Traffic can also be extremely heavy in the City Centre at peak times, owing to Durham's cramped mediaeval town planning and, for the non-initiated, driving can be daunting.

For visitors with reduced mobility a Shopmobility scheme operates from the Prince Bishop's Shopping Centre Car Park, but disabled visitors should bear in mind that Durham's pavements are narrow, winding and in some places very steep and many roads are cobbled.

[edit] See

There are a number of sites worth visiting in Durham:

• Durham Castle - take a tour conducted by current students, some residing within The Keep, the oldest student accommodation in the world, dating from 1073.
• Durham Cathedral - one of the most magnificent in the UK, boasting a 66 metre tower, with wonderful views of the entire city and surrounding countryside. The cathedral is open from 0700 to 2000 (1800 in Winter season), and the tower from 1000 - 1530 (closed during services, in inclement weather and all day on Sunday).
• The Treasures of Saint Cuthbert, found within the claustral buildings of Durham Cathedral, housing hundreds of amazing artefacts, including the 7th Century coffin of Saint Cuthbert himself, and his 6th century pectoral cross (possibly even older).
• Walk along the attractive River Wear around the peninsula Durham is built upon.
• The Botanical Gardens
• The striking 1960's Kingsgate Bridge designed by Ove Arup.
• The first sight of the cathedral from the railway viaduct coming from the South, without a doubt the most breathtaking railway view in the United Kingdom, if not Europe.
• The Durham Indoor Market, a wonderful victorian covered market. Smoker or not, visit the amazing tobacconist and the sweetie shop in the corner, with hundreds of jars of real traditional sweets.
• Durham University Campus - tours of the historic campus run every Wednesday at 2pm from Old Shire Hall on Old Elvet and while geared towards prospective students for the university, they are fascinating nonetheless.

[edit] Do

• Walk the famous meander on the River Wear, for breathtaking views of the cathedral.
• Hire pleasure boats on the river, from Easter to Autumn.
• Watch a performance at the modern Gala Theatre complex, or ice-skate here in late December and early January.
• Have a pint of local real ale at one of Durham's magical pubs, particularly worth a mention are The Dun Cow on Old Elvet and The Shakespeare Tavern on Saddler Street ("England's most haunted pub" and housed in a 12th Century building).
• Try Durham Lamb Squab Pie, a local speciality, served in The Bridge Hotel, underneath the splendid victorian viaduct.
• Visit the Durham Light Infantry Museum, behind Durham Railway Station. (See Durham Light Infantry Chapel in Durham Cathedral)
• Participate in a Ghost Walk, contact the Tourist Information Office within the Gala Theatre for dates and times.
• Visit Bishop Auckland, and Willington; two small towns not far from Durham.

[edit] Buy

• There are some "one-off" shops near to the Cathedral which are definitely worth a visit.
• A local tobacco blend from the tobacconist in the indoor market.
• Fresh produce from the Farmers' Market, or the French Market (check dates with Tourist Information)

[edit] Eat

Durham has all the eateries one would expect to find in any City: the usual burger joints and sandwich shops, but Durham has some hidden gems and supposedly the most restaurants per capita in the country. Particularly worth a mention are:

• Esquires Coffee, at the foot of Silver Street (opposite Pizza Hut)
• Saddlers, on Saddler Street, near the Market Place
• Vennels, opposite Saddlers, up an alleyway (or "vennel" in local dialect)
• The Balcony Bistro, upstairs in the Durham Indoor Market, with a splendid vista of the railway viaduct and river on one side, and the market stalls on the other.
• Durham Cathedral Undercroft Restaurant, housed in the 14th Century wine cave, serving wonderful traditional roast dinners.
• The Garden House Pub, through the park behind the railway station, serving excellent Pub Grub and considerably cheaper than city centre pubs and restaurants.
• The Bridge Hotel, under the viaduct, for legendarily massive portions.
• The Almhouses Restaurant, on Palace Green, between the Castle and cathedral.
• Romeo's on Elvet Bridge for a chintzy italian restaurant.
• Michaelangelo's at Neville's Cross (approximately two kilometres from the cathedral) for a classy italian restaurant.
• Ché Vitas adjoined to the Travelodge at the foot of Gilesgate Bank. Yet another Italian, reasonably cheap and good food.
• Bistro 21 (approximately three kilometres from the cathedral) for the best and most expensive cuisine in Durham.
• Bella Italia, Italian restaurant underneath Pizza Hut in Silver Street for a table in the conservatory overlooking the River Wear.
• Hide Bar and Bistro, for trendy food and cocktails in a contemporary atmosphere.
• Or, eat like a true citizen of Durham and have a mince pie and sticky bun from any of Durham's many bakeries.

[edit] Drink

Durham is equally as well-served when it comes to watering holes, with more than forty within a mile radius of the Cathedral. Drinking is a major pastime of Durham residents and students alike, and alcohol is very reasonably priced due to competition for student custom:

• For the cheapest pint in Durham try one of the College bars if you have student ID (£1.20/pint for lager).
• For the cheapest non-student pint in Durham, try the wonderfully unadulterated Colpitts Hotel at the top of Crossgate, where you can pick up a pint of Samuel Smiths Old Brewery bitter for £1.26.
• For the trendiest drink in Durham, try a cocktail at Hide on Saddler Street, or the newly opened Fabio's Bar, conveniently straight over the road.
• For the scariest pint in Durham, try The Shakespeare Tavern, the "most haunted pub in England".
• For the most interesting pint in Durham, try one of the plethora of local real ales on sale at The Woodman at the bottom of Gilesgate Bank (around one kilometre from the Market Place, past the Gala Theatre and up Claypath). Be warned that they will not be to everyone's taste and may be considerably stronger than your standard tipple!

Durham isn't fantastically well endowed with nightclubs, but should this be your scene then worth a mention are:

• The Fishtank, possibly the smallest club in the world (it is above Bimbi's Fish & Chip Shop on Neville Street, hence the name), but offering up an impressive programme of alternative music.
• Durham Student Union, offers events every Friday and Saturday during termtime, including the popular Planet of Sound, with three floors of different music genres. The Union also holds other events; the Misfits and Pendulum are just two acts to have featured recently. (Note: you must either be a Durham student, or be a student and a guest of a Durham student to be permitted entry).
• Klute, think school disco every night of the week, voted the second-worst nightclub in Europe by FHM magazine, but currently the worst by default after an arson attack destroyed the previous holder of the title. Student-only.
• Studio, the closest Durham has to a non-student nightclub, but don't expect to be blown away and get your drinks in elsewhere (they're very expensive here).
• The Loft, owned by the same people as Studio, and is next door.
• Loveshack, opened in 2007, and located in the Gala Theatre complex, near the railway station. It is Durham's largest club and has a modest cover charge and reasonable music.
• Walkabout, a converted cinema on North Road with a large dancefloor and cheap drinks.

[edit] Sleep

Accommodation is in very short supply in Durham, with most being expensive hotel accommodation:

• The Three Tuns Hotel, a Swallow hotel on New Elvet, rates from £75.
• The Royal County Hotel, a Mariott right next door with similar prices.
• Farnley Towers Guesthouse, slightly further out but still with similar rates.
• The Travelodge, situated on Gilesgate in a former stationhouse, with commanding views of the Cathedral, and within easy reach of the motorway. This is your best bet for "budget" hotel accommodation, with some good offers from time to time.
• The Bridge Hotel, under the viaduct offers accommodation for around £55.
• The Garden House, up the hill behind the railway station, offers B&B accommodation.

Predominately outside of termtime, but not exclusively so, the colleges of Durham University offer B&B accommodation with very good rates (from as little as £20 per person). Visit the website of Durham University for a booking form.

A Radisson SAS is currently being built opposite the Gala Theatre, but is not expected to be accepting guests until 2008.

Accommodation is more plentiful in nearby Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, with easy access to Durham by rail and road.

[edit] Get out

• Don't miss Beamish , the North of England Open Air Museum, near Chester-le-Street, a little to the north of Durham. A fabulous day out amid reconstructed buildings from around the northeast. It's directly connected by bus services from Durham city.

• Visit the iconic (and huge) Angel of the North statue, Gateshead.

Located at the intersection of the A1 and A167, or reached by bus services 21, X1, X21 or X41.

• Go shopping at Gateshead's Metro Centre Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in Europe.

Located on the A1, West of Newcastle, or reached by changing trains at Newcastle, buses in Gateshead or by direct 43/44 bus (every fifteen minutes from the bus station. Every 20 minutes on Sundays and every 30 minutes in the evening).

• Visit Newcastle upon Tyne - the throbbing heart of the North East, with excellent shopping, clubbing and art.

Due to expensive parking and heavy traffic, it's best to get to Newcastle by train (journey time 11 minutes). The last train back is at 2245 or 0135 on most days, but there is a 21 bus from Pilgrim Street at 2310. An easier way to return later through the night is to take the N21 night bus to Chester-le-Street and thence take a taxi to Durham. A taxi from Newcastle might cost £30, whereas a taxi from Chester-le-Street costs around £10, and the night bus fare is £3. One can also queue up to an hour for a taxi in Central Newcastle on a busy night, whereas from Chester-le-Street, taxis are plentiful.

• Visit The Bowes Museum in nearby Barnard Castle (around 30km South-West).

Best to only attempt this one if you have access to a car, though infrequent services do operate between Bishop Auckland (easily reached by buses 6, 21 and X24) and the museum itself.

• Visit High Force, an impressive waterfall (around 40km South-West).

Only accessible by car.

• Visit Locomotion in Shildon, if you're a train buff (around 20km South).

Use the A167 then the A689 and follow signs to Shildon. By bus use services 6 or 21 to Bishop Auckland and frequent connecting services to Shildon. Of course, if you're a train buff, you won't mind taking the slightly longer train journey to Darlington and changing to a Bishop Auckland train.

• Visit Whitby, a pretty North Yorkshire harbour town (around 100km South-East).

In Summer use the daily direct X60 Arriva service, or take the train changing at Darlington and Middlesbrough. (The railway line between Middlesbrough and Whitby is one of the most picturesque in the country and is probably worth the extra hour journey time).

• Visit Escomb Saxon Church, near Bishop Auckland where worship has been held since the 6th Century. (around 20km South-West)

Best reached by car, though services 85, 85A and 86 run between Bishop Auckland and Escomb.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!