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Photo: Ken Walton, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
10-hectare woodland gardens run by Durham University, with many exotics.
Durham University Botanic Garden is the botanical garden of Durham University, located in Durham, England. The site is set in 25 acres (10 ha) of mature woodlands in the southern outskirts of the city. The garden was founded in 1925 and has been located on its present site since 1970; the visitor centre was opened in 1988 by the then Chancellor of Durham University, Dame Margot Fonteyn. The garden attracts over 80,000 visitors annually and has been featured in The Guardian's Country Diary and on Channel 4's Matt Baker: Travels with Mum & Dad. It is the only remaining botanic garden in the northeast of England and has been included in Durham County Council's Local List of Historic Parks, Gardens and Historic Landscapes.
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Part of Durham University, this museum displays artefacts from across Asia and North Africa. Search their online data base for material not on display.
This building, opened in 2024 and run by Durham county council, is both a museum and the home of the county's archives. You can learn a lot about the local history here. It is free to visit and hosts a small café.
Durham bishopric was founded in 995 AD by monks from Lindisfarne, fleeing Viking raids, and bringing their holy relics with them. Early Norman bishops were of royal status - hence their title "Prince Bishop" - and they built the present cathedral from 1093. It's a magnificent structure, part of a World Heritage Site, with a soaring nave and 66 metre tower. The relics of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede, and hundreds of ancient artefacts, are on display in the museum (M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su from 12:30PM, adults £7.50). The northwest (or "Galilee") tower is visited on booked guided tours, adults £7.50, 137 steps and a fair bit of pigeon poo. The cathedral is a working church, please respect services and private prayer, and there may be part-closures at short notice eg for funerals.
Built by the Normans from 1072, it was much altered in the 19th century, and is part of a World Heritage Site. It's now part of University College Durham, and can only be visited on a one-hour tour (hours vary) conducted by current students. Some of them reside within the original Keep, the oldest student accommodation in the world.
Crook Hall is a manor built early 14th century and expanded in the 17th and 18th. In modern times it was used as a wedding venue but went bust in 2020. It was acquired by the National Trust, who re-opened its gardens.