Durham

A hilltown wrapped by the River Wear. Its Norman cathedral and castle are both World Heritage Sites, the university town has narrow streets for strolling, and Beamish Museum outside town recreates life in northern England in the past.

Durham lies in northeast England and is the county town of County Durham. It is about 25 km from Newcastle, and about 3 hours from London by East Coast Main Line train. The old town sits on a hill on a peninsula, encircled by a sharp bend of the River Wear. The Norman cathedral and castle stand side by side on the summit and were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Around them are the colleges of Durham University, the third-oldest university in Britain, along with stone-paved slopes. The town is compact, and you can see all of it on foot.

In the town, plan half a day to a full day. Visit the cathedral (climb the central tower) and the castle with a guided tour, the Palace Green Library exhibition and the Market Place. Then follow the tree-lined riverside path around the peninsula. The classic view of the cathedral is from Prebends Bridge. In summer you can rent a rowing boat or take a river cruise under Elvet Bridge. The Oriental Museum, the botanic garden and the Crook Hall gardens are worth an extra half day. For day trips, about 15 km north, Beamish Museum is the most popular choice. To the south, Bishop Auckland has Auckland Castle, the Spanish Gallery and Kynren, a large open-air show on summer evenings. On the way you can stop at the railway museum in Shildon. Further southwest are Raby Castle, the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle and Low Force waterfall in the Tees Valley. This is best done as a one-day drive.

The best season is May to September, when the days are long and riverside activity is lively. The traditional Miners' Gala parade takes place on the second Saturday of July. In odd-numbered years a Lumiere light festival is held in November, subject to official announcement. The town is hilly and has many cobbled streets, so wear comfortable shoes. Buses to outlying sights run infrequently, so renting a car is recommended. Two days is recommended.

Top sights

• Durham Cathedral & Castle – A World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s finest Norman cathedrals, rising on a hill-top peninsula encircled by the River Wear, alongside t…
• Beamish, The Living Museum of the North – Britain’s best-known open-air living museum, recreating towns, coal mines and farms from 1820 to the 1950s, with vintage trams running betw…
• River Wear Riverbanks & Prebends Bridge – A tree-lined riverside walk that encircles the old town peninsula. The view back from Prebends Bridge toward the cathedral is Durham's most…
• Durham Market Place – A flagstone square in the centre of the old town, ringed by the town hall, an equestrian statue and an indoor market. It is the starting po…
• River Wear Cruises & Rowing Boats – Rent a rowing boat or take a river cruise beneath the medieval Elvet Bridge. Circling the peninsula on the water gives you views of the cat…
• Oriental Museum – Durham University's museum of Oriental art and archaeology. Its Chinese ceramics, jade and ancient Egyptian collections make it one of the…
• Palace Green Library – A university library between the cathedral and the castle, with rare manuscripts shown on rotating displays and a permanent exhibition on D…
• Durham University Botanic Garden – A university botanic garden on gently sloping woodland, with North American and Himalayan woodland sections, a tropical glasshouse and a bu…
• Crook Hall & Gardens – A 14th-century medieval manor managed by the National Trust. Several walled gardens and a rose garden offer views of the cathedral.
• Finchale Priory – The ruins of a 13th-century Benedictine priory on a bend of the River Wear. It grew out of the riverside hermitage of St Godric.
• Auckland Castle – The residence of the Bishops of Durham for nearly nine centuries. After restoration it displays Zurbarán's Jacob and His Twelve Sons, and s…
• Kynren – An Epic Tale of England – A nighttime spectacle performed on an outdoor lakeside stage by more than a thousand volunteers, retelling two thousand years of English hi…
• Locomotion – National Railway Museum Shildon – The Shildon branch of the National Railway Museum, in a town on the world's first public railway. Admission is free and it displays more th…
• Raby Castle – A grand castle built by the Neville family in the 14th century. Its nine towers are reflected in the moat, and deer roam the deer park.
• The Bowes Museum – A château-style museum on the edge of Barnard Castle. Its treasure is an 18th-century silver swan automaton that appears to catch fish.
• High Force – The River Tees plunges 21 metres from a basalt cliff, making it one of England's most spectacular waterfalls.
• Hamsterley Forest – The largest forest in County Durham, with mountain-bike trails, family walking paths and forest play facilities.

Where to eat

• Coarse – A Michelin-recommended restaurant tucked into a courtyard on North Road, opened by three friends through crowdfunding…
• The Cellar Door – An independent restaurant in a 13th-century cellar on Saddler Street, with a terrace overlooking the River Wear and Elv…
• Flat White Kitchen – A popular brunch spot in an old house beside the cathedral, loved by students and locals, with ricotta pancakes worth t…
• Bells Fish and Chips – A local fish and chip shop on Durham's Market Place, named 2025 Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year, with window seats…

Itineraries

• Great Britain Classic Loop: England & Scotland – A classic British road trip from London, looping through Bath, the Lake District, Edinburgh, and York.
• Durham, Hadrian's Wall & Northumberland Coast – Head north from Durham to see the Roman Wall, castle coast, seabird islands, and Lindisfarne.
• London to the Highlands: 10-Day Rail Journey – Take the train north from London to York and Edinburgh, ride the West Highland Line to Skye, and finish in Inverness.