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County – Family Fun
As seen on screen
Visit the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site of Durham Cathedral and Castle, which sits proudly above the winding cobbled streets. Will your family take on the challenge of the 325 steps to the top of the Cathedral Tower? It’s certainly a way to work up an appetite! Kids can re-enact their favourite wizarding scenes in the Cathedral’s cloisters, which were used in the first and second Harry Potter films as the backdrop for Hogwarts, or spotting where superheroes filmed Avengers: Endgame.
Just a 20-minute drive from Durham City in the Vale of Durham is Beamish, The Living Museum of the North. Recreating life in North East England in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, hop aboard a vintage tram for a journey into the past as you explore 300 acres of living history. Meet friendly costumed folk who will share their stories with you, as you get hands on with history: catch a lesson in the village school; go underground at a real coal mine and sample tasty treats at the Edwardian bakery and sweet shop. And don’t miss the 1950s Town, complete with hair dressers, fish and chip shop and bowling green.
If your kids go loco for trains, you’ll be on the right track with a visit to Locomotion in Shildon, the world’s first railway town, where the whole family will be amazed by highlights from the national collection.
Family fun in Durham’s great outdoors
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Grab your walking boots, coats and hats and head outdoors into the beautiful Durham Dales. Take on the family friendly Gruffalo Orienteering challenge at Hamsterley Forest and try to find the twelve Gruffalo markers hidden in the deep, dark wood. If you're feeling competitive, choose to run, walk (or skip!) the course against the clock. Watch their faces light up in wonder at the sight of the might High Force Waterfall, or spot wildlife from the water’s edge at Derwent Waterside Park.
Head to the dramatic Durham Heritage Coast for incredible views across the North Sea as you stroll along the coastal path. Stop off in the lively harbour town of Seaham, where you can enjoy traditional seaside favourites including fish and chips and ice cream, or head to the beach and hunt for sea glass - shimmering pieces of the coast’s history which can be found in abundance when the tide is out.
And for even more family fun, head to Dalton Park to catch a movie, or enjoy a spot of shopping at the region's biggest outlet shopping centre.
