Why Durham?

 

Are we sure we are all talking about the same place? There are a number of places around the world called Durham but only one that is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. The two most famous landmarks, the cathedral and the castle were built facing each other across Palace Green just after the 1066 Norman Conquest. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in Europe and the beginning of Gothic ecclesiastical architecture. The university can claim to be the oldest in England after Oxford and Cambridge. For more scene setting start with this link. Any of you who were hitherto unfamiliar with Durham should be realising by now that it is a rather special place. It was a gaslit lamp-post in the snow in Durham that inspired C.S.Lewis's lamp-post in the Chronicles of Narnia. It's a fantastic place to explore your self.

lamp-post 


Where is Durham?

 

The City of Durham lies on the River Wear in the North East of England. If that is still a bit of a mystery look here and then zoom in and out to your heart's content.
Durham is on the main East Coast railway from Edinburgh to London. Trains leave every half hour at peak times. Journey times from London King's Cross are generally under 3 hours. There are two airports, each 25 miles from the City of Durham. The Great North Road (A1M) lies just to the  east of the City. Have a look at the Frequently asked questions section for more details.

How to get there

 

By Car

From the North (A1M)

Drive south on the A1(M) and exit at Junction 62, A690 signposted for Durham and Consett. Turn left at the roundabout and follow the New Elvet road. Continue until you reach a fork in the road and take the road to the right onto Church Street. Update: At the traffic lights at the New Inn, carry on straight across and uphill into South road. Take the 3rd left turning into Hollingside Lane and then immediately right into the grounds of Collingwood College (See Durham City Map for details).

From the South

Travelling North on the A1 and A1M, exit the motorway at Junction 61, but be careful as the junctions are not all numbered clearly. Look for Durham Services. At the roundabout off the motorway take the 2nd exit to Bowburn (A177)
Travel along the A177 through Bowburn, High Shincliffe, and Shincliffe. Aproaching the outskirts of Durham there is an elongated roundabout where you should take the first exit into Stockton Road. At the first traffic lights on Stockton Road, you will see the New Inn on the right at the crossroads of Church Street and South Road. Turn left into South Road. Take the 3rd left into Hollingside Lane and then immediately right into the College grounds.  (See Durham City Map for details).


By Rail

Fourteen trains per day travel from London and Edinburgh to Durham. The journey takes less than three hours from London, one-and-a-half hours from Edinburgh and forty-five minutes from York.

By Bus

There are several express coach services daily from most major cities

By Air

The nearest airports are Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham Tees Valley. Newcastle airport is linked to Durham by rail and Metro.

By Sea


European scheduled ferry services travel to and from Newcastle on a regular basis


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