There's something about Durham...

As we made our way to Durham City from Newcastle airport, we thought we came prepared. We’d seen pictures of Durham in a travel guide and on social media, but seeing a picture is not nearly as good as arriving by train and seeing the medieval city and its awesome Cathedral for the first time. And it did not stop there…

The next day, after a hearty breakfast at our B&B, The Victorian Townhouse at 2 Victoria Terrace (look no further when searching for a B&B - Jill and Andy have got a gem there), we made our way to the city’s bus station to visit Beamish Museum – we had heard so much about this famous open air Museum.

On our way to Beamish we enjoyed a little sightseeing through some beautiful areas. Once we arrived and got hold of our annual pass (this is complementary – pay once and visit all year for free), we dived into a world from days long gone by. The two little towns, the mining site, the working steam trains (one of them is called The Elephant) and most off all, the staff, managed to take us back in time and forget the world outside Beamish for a day. What a wonderful day out!

Back in Durham City, the Castle, with a few surprises was our next stop along with the Cathedral. We did both with guided tours and can really recommend them. Strolling along the courtyard inside the Cathedral I felt like walking inside a Harry Potter movie, but this lovely building is so much more. And we can actually say that we helped to build a Cathedral! Well, we added a Lego brick, but still.

In the city we found a lovely riverside walk that is below the city and has unforgettable views of the Cathedral. It was so peaceful we couldn’t believe we were just a few minutes from the city centre shops.  We stopped for food at Bella Italia which is down some steps and has a glass-front so you can see the river and one of the bridges.

On one of our last days we went treasure hunting on Seaham beach on the coast, only around 40 minutes by bus from the city centre. We didn’t think much of it, until we actually arrived by bus and went straight for the beach. We spent the next couple of hours standing almost upside down searching for (and finding) the Sea glass - our backs were hurting and our pockets were full with the sparkling pieces of ‘treasure’ we found. I never thought I’d go to the sea and not really look at it – that said the views out to sea were amazing.  We also saw “Tommy” the impressive World War One statue which is huge, and a fantastic photo opportunity!
.

Next time we visit we’re hoping to see more of the county and the North of England, there is so much more to tell and see: walks, café’s, history and much more. But best if you go visit Durham yourself.

You won’t be disappointed.

A warm thank you to Dale Robinson and Sheryl Hodgson for all the information provided. We have seen a lot of the world, but there is something about Durham

Ursula and Rudy Visser, Holland
Visited May 2016.

Many thanks to Ursula and Rudy, we hope to see them again soon. If you’d like to tell us about your visit to the county, please get in touch.