This year I am looking forward to finding more treasures on the doorstep. We are currently saving for home renovations and I really want to get some debts cleared this year too. Durham is a beautiful city and there is so much to do so I thought I would do a little staycation series where I visit and highlight certain areas each week.
When Joel came to visit from America I knew one of the first places we would need to visit was Durham Cathedral. To say he was impressed is an understatement. To be honest, it was a beautiful day and the weather stayed perfect for us. A walk around Durham city and lunch at the Food Pit was the icing on an otherwise beautiful memory hopefully.
On the walk up to the cathedral take the time to look around and take in the beauty of your surroundings. I have missed so much of this in the past and I have been focused on getting up to the actual cathedral. On your right as you walk up Saddler Street past all of the restaurants you come to a point where you will veer right.
On that corner there is the prettiest little duo of stores. One is a bookshop and the other a cafe. As it was a Sunday when we visited they were both closed but you can bet that I will be back again soon to check them both out. Updates to follow!
Walking up towards the Cathedral is the stunning Palace Green. Surrounded by ornate buildings including Durham University Library, Durham Castle, Durham University Dept of Music and many more.
The grounds are impeccably kept with floral borders and so many interesting architectural features. Palace Green was not initially a part of the site itself, it was added to the UNESCO site in 2008.
The reason Durham Cathedral exists is to house the Shrine of St Cuthbert, which is at the east end of the church. There is so much to see and even from the outside you get an overwhelming sense of joy and awe. From the towers to the intricate woodwork dating back centuries.
My favourite section though is the Cloisters. If you think you recognise the images then you would be right, yes, Harry Potter was filmed here. There is a huge sign which can give you more information on which scenes were filmed in both the Cloisters and The Chapter House. The Avengers End Game was also filmed here in both The Nave and The Galilee Chapel. Well worth checking out if you are a movie fan.
The Cloister is actually the covered walkway, originally built by Benedictine monks who lived and worshipped in the monastic priory here. The Cloister Garth is the name for the square of grass in the middle of The Cloister. Absolutely stunning!
After a few years in storage, the Lego version of Durham Cathedral has been rebuilt and is aback on permanent display within the museum. I hadn’t seen it since it was in the process of being built so to see it in its full glory was just amazing!
So much to look at and the attention to detail is second to none. At an impressive 3.84 metres in length, 1.53 metres wide and 1.7 meters high it really is a sight to behold.
There is so much to see and do in the Cathedral and surrounding grounds including upcoming Space by Luxmuralis, who are returning for the third time from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 October 2024. Withing the Cathedral there is also a museum, the Undercroft cafe and a store to purchase souvenirs.
Durham Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 8-6 and 8-5 on Sundays. However normal visitor hours are Monday to Saturday 9.30-4.30 and sunday 12-4. (During these times all areas are open)
There is no entry fee but it is recommended that each visitor donates £5 to support the cathedrals conservation if they can.
Have you visited the Cathedral or Castle before? What did you think? Episode 2 of the staycation series is coming soon!
