Durham
Set on a steep and wooded bluff beside the River Weir, the City of Durham is dominated by its splendid, Cathedral and Castle, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Durham was founded in the 9th Century when monks fleeing Viking raiders at Lindesfarne decided this rocky peninsula on the gorge of the Weir would be an ideal place to keep safe their treasures, the relics of St Cuthbert, the Lindisfarne Gospels and later the relics of the Venerable Bede. From the Norman invasion Durham was seen as a strategically important centre from which Northumbria could be administered and defended against the Scots and Vikings and in 1093 work on the Cathedral and Castle began.
For centuries the Bishops at Durham ruled County Durham as the Prince Palatine, they had virtually equal power as that of the King, they could raise armies, levy taxes and even minted their own money, Durham was known as the Land of the Prince Bishops.
The Cathedral quarter of the city flanked by the Norman keep, and Old Episcopal Palace, part of the Durham University since its formation in 1832, houses a stunning collection of medieval and Elizabethan architecture, set out around manicured lawns, surrounded by cobbled streets. At it’s peak Durham Cathedral was the richest in England and has been a place of holy pilgrimage for centuries. The classically laid out Cathedral quad is a designated World Heritage Site and a must see for modern day pilgrims or visitors.
Durham is a compact city with a central Square from which the main streets and narrow alleyways run. Durham is a bustling town with a mixture of influences from the gritty remnants of a close knit former mining community to the upbeat influence of young students at the University and the relative isolation means that Durham doesn’t get as busy with tourists as it would if it was situated in the south of England. In June Durham hosts its Regatta along the Weir and event older than that at Henley and in July the Miner’s Gala is held with special services held at the Cathedral and processions of Colliery bands.
