Durham

Last year, we had wondered about going into Durham on our way up North to Newcastle, but as it turned out, we never did. So, we though we remedy that this trip.

The journey up to the North country was pleasant, although it did rain on and off, and some of it was very heavy, even to the point of white-out at one stage on the main motorway. Thankfully, that did not last long. Finding the hotel was a simple enough affair, and after we moved in for four days, we set out on a walk through the main centre.

The main centre in Durham is essentially a peninsula, I'm wondering wether isthmus might be the better word, where the river Wear loops around this centre that includes the giant Norman church, Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. There are cobbled streets surrounding these imposing structures with shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs on either side, with streets going this way and that from a central area.

There are a number of bridges over the river, and the one closest to us, in fact outside the door of our hotel, is the best looking and most historic. The Elvet Bridge is now mainly a walkway, although it can take traffic, given that it's ten metres in width. It is a stone bridge, begun in 1190 and finished around the late 1220s, with around ten pointed arches. We've been crossing this bridge multiple times each day as we to and fro from the hotel.

Far and away the most imposing building in this medieval town is the Cathedral. It pre-dates the Normal Conquest. The original church here was built in 995. Eventually, monks from Lindisfarne set up a work here and began the present building in 1093.

The monks brought with them the coffin of St Cuthbert and its here in the Cathedral that his body, and that of two other saints, lies still. It is a beautiful shrine behind the high altar, fairly simple now, but in its heyday was bespangled in gold and jewells given by pilgrims from all over the country who came to pray at the shrine. In fact, St Cuthbert's shrine was the equal of St Thomas a Beckett's shrine in Canterbury for pilgramges. Cuthbert was a really big deal up North. We had a look at the remaining timber work of Cuthbert's coffin put together like a jigsaw and some treasured items buried with him in the Cathedral museum.

Yesterday, a tour with guide John (in the red). A relaxed, gentle tour with no fanfare, John took our small group around the floor of the Cathedral pointing out all the fascinating aspects. Durham Cathedral is quite dark. It is not heavily floodlit as are some cathedrals, but tastefully and gently lit. It is quiet and resepctful despite the many individuals and tour groups visiting.

Outside, it has two towers, highly ornamented, and cantral tower in which are housed the bells. It has an amazing font and canopy (12 metres tall), some stunning stained glass windows and sculptures, the tombs of Saint Cuthbert, Saint Bede (as in Bede the Venerable - he's canonised now), and Saint King Oswald. As it was a monastic cathedral, it has a cloister and the orginal kitchens way deep down are now part of the museum.

There are many secret lanes in Durham and most of them are sign-posted, so you basically know hwere you're going if you head down one of them. A lovely little one off one of the main streets leads to Vennel's cafe, a hidden gem, we've been to a few times. A really old building, internal wooden staircases and nooks everywhere. Fabulous. Just the kind of cafe we like.

Durham is lovely. We like it a lot. Durham Castle has pretty well be taken over by Durham University, the third oldest university in the UK. Students come back next week after we leave. We're off to the movies tonight to see the new Poirot with Kenneth Branagh, A Haunting in Venice, which should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow if the weather permits, a full walk around the peninsual by the river. It's been recommended. Should be nice.Read more