Durham Information

Durham dates back 1000 years, since the body of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne was buried here and commemorated with a church on top of a rocky hill, protected on 3 sides by the River Wear. After 1066, William the Conqueror thought it an ideal location from which to rule Northumbria and protect the area against the Scots. Benedictine Monks arrived and built a Cathedral for St Cuthbert, and a Castle for the Bishop to live in. For almost 800 years it was the main seat of Durham's Prince Bishops, and they had their own nobility, army, coinage and courts. Since 1836 it has housed the Foundation College of Durham University, England's third oldest university, which now has a fascinating Oriental Museum.

The Cathedral and Castle are now a World Heritage Site, and you can visit the Tower, the Monk's Dormitory, and the Treasury (displaying 900 years' worth of valuable and beautiful objects, including the relics of St. Cuthbert, illuminated manuscripts and fine altar plate).
The shrine to St Cuthbert attracted many pilgrims, and the city became rich, with charters on trading rights and local government helping to create a thriving market town. The 19th century saw the founding of the University, a rise in the coal industry in the area, and the establishment of the world's first passenger railway in 1825.

Today there is much to attract the visitor. There are many shops and restaurants, with street entertainment in the summer. There is wild and rugged scenery, with the North Pennines in the west and the North Sea in the east, and a beautiful river to walk or cruise along. The annual Durham Regatta is held in June attracting over 600 crews from all over the world, and you can visit the old racecourse which is no longer used for horseraces but is the venue for some top athletics cross-country events.

Other attractions include Killhope Lead Mining Museum, where you can don hardhat, lamp and boots and go down the original mining tunnel, or work on the surface as a washerboy and find your own lead ore. You can also see the North of England's largest working water wheel. The Town Hall was built in 1850 and has some lovely stained glass windows and paintings. The Dli Museum and Art Gallery is worth a visit, telling the story of County Durham at War, and includes some great art attractions.

The world's oldest existing railway was opened here in 1725, and now you can see a collection of 40 engines, including 1873's Wellington, Victorian carriages and a vintage workshop at Britain's oldest engine shed, built in 1854. Causey Arch, built in 1725-26, is the oldest surviving single-span railway bridge in the world. Visit Finchale Priory, a 13th century Benedictine Priory which the monks used as a holiday retreat, ruined 12th century Egglestone Abbey, or the 7th century Saxon church of Escomb which is one of the best examples of early Christian architecture in northern Europe.

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A few hotels and their benefits are shown below:-

The Holiday Inn Crawley - offers 221 rooms including executive and family bedrooms in a contemporary style. The hotel offers easy access to Durham Valley Teeside Airport and also the surrounding Sussex countryside including the coast. For the business person the hotel combines a prime location with extensive conference and banqueting facilities with a capacity of 220.This hotel also boasts excellent health and leisure facililites which include an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, solarium and air conditioned gymnasium.

Hilton Hotel - is perfect for the business and leisure traveller alike. The hotel offers a wide range of business and leisure facilities including 22 meetings rooms and the hotel can accommodate up to 630 delegates. The hotels bedrooms are all air conditioned and its leisure facilities include a large health and leisure complex, plus a choice of restaurants and bars.

Ramada Plaza - this modern hotel is situated just 4 miles from Durham Valley Teeside airport and within easy reach of the Sussex Downs, Bluebell Steam railway and Lingfield races. The hotel offers all rooms fully air conditioned and in fact all rooms have just recently been refurbished and decorated. The Ramada Plaza Durham Valley Teeside is ideal for both the business and leisure traveller alike. It also boasts a Sebastian Coe health club with indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gymnasium and cardio-theatre, spa bath and health and beauty room.