The Historic Cathedral City of Durham

Early History and Founding

The ancient city of Durham was established in 995 AD by monks seeking a save haven to house the remains of Saint Cuthbert after fleeing Viking raids from Lindisfarne  island on the Northumberland coast .

The cathedral was established on an island surrounded by the river Weir and has been the center of  the historic development of the city throughout  the ages . During the medieval period the cathedral became the final resting place  of of both St Cuthbert and the venerable Saint Bede and seen many historic events over the centuries.

While there is a lot to see both in the city and surrounding areas take a little time to try and understand the skills and physical endeavors of the generations that have created these magnificent structures and embedded them with centuries of history that we can all too often take for granted .

have a short break in the City and really enjoy 

If you love historic cities then check out the:

Or for more holiday ideas visit 

Getting there

Durham is accessible by train,

 bus, or car,

Getting here by road

Durham city center is only two miles from the A1(M). Leave the motorway at Junction 62 on the A690 Durham – Sunderland road and follow signs to Durham City Centre.

By Train 

Durham is 264 miles from London, 187 miles from Birmingham, 125 miles from Edinburgh and 67 miles from York.

Where to stay

From elegant country houses - luxury hotels or self catering

there are lots of great places to stay in Durham

There is a great selectin of hotels both in the city and close by and you can check these out with Hotels.com . If you prefer self catering then why not book with with VBRO

For more historic Cities in the North visit -

Our Selection of Historic City  Hotels in the North​​​​​​​

and for future Short Breaks check out the:

Things to do

There are many things to do in and around Durham but the first place to start is the magnificent Durham Cathedral and castle then explore the many worders of this historic city 

Places to see

Durham has many wonderful places for you to see that can make for a really enjoyable stay. after exploring the Cathedral take a Durham History Tour then travel around to see the delights of the County.

A must see is Beamish Living Museum  a great day out and the host of many TV period dramas. There are also many castles, stately homes lovely market towns - a favorite is Barnard Castle  - and spectacular views too many to mention so take a

Short Break in Durham and enjoy