What to see and do in Durham in 1 day, historic city in England

When making a car trip through england, if you head towards Scotland Going up the east side of the British island, you will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful medieval town of durham.

You will find it almost on the border between England and Scotland, 222 kilometers south of Edinburgh, very close to the city of Newcastle.

The medieval city of Durham It is characterized and will impress you with its spectacular location on the rocky hill that rises above a meander of the River Wear.

Although this small city has a modern area that extends outside this peninsula, it is on said hill where the medieval monuments and streets which I advise you to visit.

Curiosities of the history of Durham, a World Heritage Site

Durham It has its origins in the year 995, when the hill was chosen by a religious community to rest the body of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.

As a mausoleum, initially a small wooden church was built, which later became made of stone.

On the other hand, in the year 1066 the king william He discovered this hill and considered it an ideal location to establish defense against possible attacks by the Scots.

Later, the religious community expanded with the arrival of Benedictine monks and the appointment of a bishop by the king.

This led to the construction in Durham of a cathedral to venerate the saint, as well as a castle to defend the area and incorporate a residential palace for the bishop.

The pretty architectural ensemble which currently form the spectacular cathedral and castle in the location on the hill, has been considered by the Unesco as Heritage.

As the centuries passed, the medieval town of durham It was very active thanks to the pilgrimage to the cathedral, which led it to develop as an important center of commercial activity.

Later, in 1832, the Durham University, the oldest in England after those of Oxford y Cambridge, and its castle became the first university college.

What to see and do in Durham in 1 day

For you visit to Durham, you will arrive from the south from the A1 motorway, after having turned west.

The key axis of the medieval city is the saddler street, which you will access through a steep street after crossing the historic elvet bridge, from the 12th century.

St Nicholas Church in Durham

At the bottom of the street you will find the Marketplace, busy square where first of all the building of the Church of San Nicolás.

Although the church that was in that same place dates back to the year 994, from the Norman period, and its walls were part of the old city wall, the one we see today is the result of two modern restorations.

The first of them took place in 1858, in the Victorian era, and the second Restoration of St Nicholas Church, Durham It was much more recent, in 1981.

This brought with it a great modification of its interior, so that the decoration of the church now has nothing to do with its predecessor of the Middle Ages.

Durham Market Square

Apart from the buildings of the old town hall from medieval times, in 1356, and the new and current Durham City Council Built in 1850, the market building will be the one that will arouse our interest the most.

In medieval times, the Durham Market Square It was very lively because all the commercial activity took place in street stalls.

But given the large number of merchants, it became necessary to set up a market in an enclosed area.

Thus, in 1851, during the Victorian era, an old medieval building was used to build the new Durham Market.

Since then, this market was used every Saturday as a livestock fair, which ended at 11 in the morning.

This activity ceased until, very recently, in 1996, the market building was reopened to the public, which now operates from Monday to Saturday.

On your visit to Durham Market You will find stalls selling the most diverse products, from food to clothing or electronics, but you will see that the building maintains the architecture and style of the victorian era.

Monuments of the great meadow Palace Green

The other point of interest of Durham You will find it in the great meadow known as Palace Green, which is the monumental nerve center of the city.

You will see this large meadow surrounded by the norman cathedral, castle, the building of the University Library, and the old Almshouses medieval houses.

when you get to Palace Green going up the steep saddler street from the historical elvet bridge, or from the same MarketplaceFrom the front you will see the majestic Durham Cathedral.

Next to it there is a gazebo from which you will have beautiful panoramic views of the western part of the modern city.

Durham Norman Cathedral

In fact, monument icon of the medieval city of Durham is, without a doubt, your cathedral.

But do you know that this is the best sample you can see in Great Britain of a cathedral with Norman style architecture?

La durham cathedral It also shows the most representative images of this small city, with its towers protruding from the lush vegetation at the top of the hill that is surrounded by the River Wear.

La Durham Cathedral maintains most of the original elements from the time it was built in the aforementioned norman style, the variant of the characteristic Romanesque architectural style that developed in Great Britain.

History of Durham Cathedral

Its construction began in the year 1095 to be the mausoleum of the relics of the Saint St Cuthbert, it took 40 years to complete the works.

You can appreciate its length of 143 meters perfectly from the large meadow on which the building extends, which will give you a feeling of great robustness and austerity.

The two towers on the west side of the cathedral date from the 12th and 13th centuries, and the large central tower is later, as it is from the 15th century and already shows Gothic style details.

What to see when visiting Durham Cathedral

At interior of durham cathedral The feeling of robustness is reinforced by the thick columns that surround the central nave, all of this norman style.

But inside there are also elements of Gothic style.

The highlights, the vaults with ribbed roof, a common solution in Gothic cathedrals, but which was applied for the first time in the durham cathedral.

There are two most notable corners inside this cathedral.

On the one hand, the Chapel of the Nine Altars, added on the east side during the 13th century, with primitive gothic style.

And on the other hand, the Galilee Chapel which you can see on the west side, to the right as you enter the cathedral.

Its columns decorated with a zigzag-shaped design make this chapel show a style that, surprisingly, can remind you in some way of the characteristic arches and columns of the Mosque of Cordoba.

Durham Cathedral visit schedules

The Durham Cathedral visiting hours They are, Monday to Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 18 p.m.

La entrance to durham cathedral It is free, although a donation of £5 is suggested.

The ticket prices to visit the Durham Cathedral Museum They are, generally, 7,5o pounds, with free entry for children under 16 years of age.

Durham Castle

Following your visit to the prairie Palace Green, on the west side you will see the building of the University library, and on the north side, the Durham Castle.

Let us remember that it was in the 11th century when the king William of England He considered this hill an excellent place to establish a defensive fortification.

Thus, in the year 1072, the construction of the castle began, a fortification that became the residence of successive bishops of durham, while the city gained great fame as a place of pilgrimage towards its cathedral.

These bishops substantially modified the Norman structure of the castle.

Thus, in the year 1284 the Big room, and in 1500 the medieval kitchens. And in 1540 it was chapel the one who joined.

Centuries later, in 1840, coinciding with the founding of the Durham University, the main part of the fortification, the tower of tribute, went on to become a college.

In 1986 the durham castle It was declared World Heritage Site by Unesco as part of the monumental complex that forms with the durham cathedral.

Durham Castle visit times

Since the castle is still a university residence where about a hundred students stay during the course, the visits at the same time they have to be done in guided tours, and at very specific times.

Thus, during the course the times to visit Durham Castle, only with guided tours, are at 13,15:14,15 p.m., 15,15:16,15 p.m., XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

In summer there are no guided tours, but the castle can be visited on your own.

The ticket prices to visit the durham castle They are, generally, 5 pounds; seniors, £4,50; and children under 16 years old, free.

During this visit, the most notable corners that you can visit in the tower of tribute of the durham castle are those mentioned above, the Big room, the kitchens and the Romanesque chapel.

Almshouses medieval houses

Across the great meadow, on the east side of Palace GreenAmong other buildings, the Almshouses medieval houses.

Built in 1666 by Bishop of Durham, came to replace an old one Grammar school that had been operating for two centuries before.

In 1832, after the founding of the Durham University, the building was transferred to it, as also happened with the aforementioned castle.

Currently, in the Almshouses We found a cafe and an art gallery.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that from the other side of the river, in the garden areas on its banks, you will have the Panoramic views icon from the hill of the medieval city of Durham, with its majestic cathedral as the main protagonist.

Map: where it is and how to get to Durham

The city of Durham You find it in the north of England, two and a half hour drive north of Manchester, already three hours south of Edinburgh.