A Day in Durham
When we were up north in the Easter holidays we had a day in Durham to explore somewhere new and soak up some culture! It was such a lovely day and somewhere I would love to visit again.
Getting to Durham
We went to Durham via the Park and Ride service which was fantastic. It only cost ยฃ2.20 per adult and children went free when accompanied. Plus, it dropped us right in the city centre.
The car park was right near Durham University Botanic Gardens and we’d intended to visit on our way back but ended up being too tired as it was such a hot, sunny day. It gives us an excuse to visit again in the future!
Exploring Durham
As soon as we got off the bus I loved Durham. So many quirky little streets, old buildings and places to people watch. As we walked through the city we saw so many people – both locals and tourists – along with so many students. It’s a really eclectic, vibrant place.
I’m glad we got the park and ride into Durham as the roads are a bit of a nightmare to drive through – so many cars driving on tiny roads that look like they should be pedestrianised and so many big hills too! It’s definitely a place that is best explored using public transport.
Durham Cathedral
Our first stop in Durham was Durham Cathedral and what a beautiful place it is! Durham Cathedral is free to visit, although donations are welcome, and it dates back to 1093, with a priory being on the site long before that too.
Durham Cathedral is vast. It’s a huge cathedral with so much to see on different floors and so much history. We spent a couple of hours there but really only scratched the surface.
The highlights for us were seeing where Harry Potter was filmed – in the grassed area in the centre of the cathedral, in the walkways and in one room that was used as Professor McGonagall’s classroom. As Harry Potter fans, and working through visiting the UK Harry Potter filming locations, this was great to see in person.
We also loved seeing the Lego version of Durham Cathedral that is so impressive! With windows you can look through, lights and stained glass, it’s an incredible recreation of the cathedral and the kids absolutely loved it.
We had intended to see two other things in Durham – Durham Castle and Shakespeare Recovered, Durham’s First Folio. Sadly the castle was fully booked when we visited and the Shakespeare exhibit wasn’t open on the day we chose to go. Bad planning on our part – but just another excuse to visit again!
We had a picnic in the city centre and then wandered around the shops and to see some of the great views across the city. There are some incredible bridge views in Durham, with the added bonus on the cathedral and castle on the skyline. It’s a really beautiful place to visit.
We only had a few hours in Durham but I’m so glad we visited. A beautiful place with so much history and somewhere I know we’ll visit again in the future.
