3 September 2016 - The Croft Campsite, Warden Law, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear

Durham Castle

We set off for Durham this morning, heading specifically for the Sniperley Park & Ride on the north west of the town because it was (1) closer to the centre than that at Gilesgate and (2) it seemed closer to the shopping centre we planned to visit later in the day. The trouble with visiting a new town or city is that you never know whether it is appropriate to use the Park & Ride or better to find one’s own parking in the centre. I had checked the map of the city and having seen that it was a tight little settlement perched on a hill surrounded by the meandering River Wear, the city fathers probably preferred to keep traffic out of the centre. This turned out to be a good call, and the £2 each for our return fare and the free parking made us feel even better with our decision.

Durham is principally a medieval city all about the castle and cathedral, although modern shops do line the streets below this compound and across the River Wear. Arriving just before 10am we headed on foot up to the castle precinct and bought tickets for the 10.15am tour. The castle is accessed only by a forty five minute guided tour because it is much more than a tourist attraction. The Durham University occupies most of the space and in the days and weeks between semesters, it operates as a B&B, a wedding venue and anything else that brings in funds.

We gathered near the castle with about forty other tourists and were led about in a few restricted areas of the wonderful structure by an upper New York State graduate from this university. Maddie was an excellent guide, with clear and resonant speech, which is a must for mature tourists who might not otherwise understand a Geordie accent. We visited the Tunstall’s gallery, two chapels and the Great Hall, a small part of the whole, but enough to prompt a full explanation of the history. 

Durham Cathedral

There was probably a Saxon castle here from about the 10^th century, but Durham Castle as we know it today, was built around 1072 when William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a new fort soon after the Normans came to the north.

I was interested to learn that names duplicated in my own ancestry appear in this history too. Waltheof, the Earl of Northumberland supervised the construction until he was executed in 1076. Then Walcher, the Bishop of Durham, took control. It was he who purchased the earldom and became the first of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, a title that remained until the 19^th century.

It remained the palace for the bishops of Durham until the Bishops made Auckland castle their primary residence and the castle was converted into a college. In 1837, the castle was donated to the newly formed University of Durham by Bishop Edward Maltby as accommodation for students and named University College. The dilapidated keep was rebuilt and opened for accommodation, a situation that continues today, hence we were not free to check these out even with an official guide.

The castle accommodates over one hundred students and in term time, they dine and play in the Grand Hall, just as the students do at Hogwarts. Today staff were busy cleaning up after a wedding yesterday, and readying for another to take place later today. 

Downtown rainy Durham

By the time we emerged from the Grand Hall out into the courtyard, the forecasted rain had commenced and continued for the rest of the day. It was also cold and I was glad when Chris suggested I put his jacket on under my own rain jacket; he does not feel the cold as much as I. We retreated to the Cathedral, a wonderfully grand structure, which must certainly take its place amongst the most impressive we have visited. 

The beginnings of Durham are interwoven with the story of St Cuthbert. He was a monk, bishop and hermit who lived and worked in the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne to the north, between 634 to 687 AD.  After his death, he was buried, then exhumed and his remains were carried about by his fellow monks for about seven years as they sought to escape the marauding Danes. Finally the monks and their load settled on the elevated spot of Durham, and the cult of St Cuthberts was begun. Pilgrims came to pray for miracles and healing and even today, the space behind the alter in the cathedral where the apparently whole, but deceased body of this ancient saint lies, the quiet spot invites modern day miracle seekers.

More distant views from down near the River Wear

The present cathedral replaced the 10^th century “White Church” built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine to St Cuthbert. The Norman cathedral was completed in 1133 and has survived the intervening centuries pretty much intact. The nave used pointed arches for the first time in England, raising the ceiling to previously unseen heights. The weight of the stone is borne by massive pillars, their heaviness relieved by striking Moorish influenced geometric pillars. The central tower, which today was shrouded in plastic while restoration goes on, is 66 metres high. 

After spending some time wandering about this massive structure, we found shelter in the cloisters and discretely ate our lunch, not quite sure it was the right thing to do, but not willing to sit out in the pouring rain.

We then made our way back down into the town, where Chris found a barber to attend to his unruly locks, then a fish’n chip shop selling hot chips to round his lunch off. We checked the covered markets out and the streets of smart boutiques and high street franchises. I might have bought myself a new pair of jeans, but the only ones found were either “skinny” or ripped, neither of which are appropriate for anyone much over thirty. 

As we crossed the River Wear on one of the several stone bridges to find one of the bus stops, we were able to look back and up to understand the awesome impression the castle must have made on any would-be attackers.

On our way back from Durham, we found our way to the Lidl superstore at the Arnison Retail Centre without too much of a detour. Here we stocked up on their home brand coffee, merlot and crumbed haddock, three of the products we have listed as Lidl favourites. Back at camp the rain continued to fall; we settled in for a quiet evening over a bottle of wine, fish and salad; the perfect end to a lovely day.