What's on in County Durham

Whilst Durham town is a well deserving highlight of County Durham, it is by no means the only reason to visit. County Durham is an unspoiled northern county, defined by the calm ochre uplands of Teesdale and the empty but inspiring northern Pennines.

A county of charming, gentle villages and bustling independent market towns, rich in produce and rich in history. It is a county with an industrial heritage and its economy used to be almost completely based around iron and coal. Now however, it is a popular tourist destination with a World Heritage Site (Durham Castle and Cathedral) at its heart. Stretching from the North Sea Coast in the east to the North Pennines in the west, the county of Durham is bordered by Northumberland, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear.

Historically, County Durham was a liberty under the control of the Bishops of Durham - in 883 a Cathedral (containing the remains of St Cuthbert) was established at Chester-le-Street. In 995 the see was moved to Durham. In the 12th century Durham was part of the shire of Northumberland and in the 14th century it was declared a liberty.

Durham City is one of the finest in the UK and Durham Cathedral is over 900 years old and a world heritage site and the best example of Norman church architecture in the UK, featuring rounded arches and spectacular columns. Durham also has an incredible selection of galleries and museums, historic houses and ancient castles, from Barnard Castle to Bowes Castle, Whitworth Hall Country Park to Auckland Castle.

Also worth visiting are Durham University Botanic Garden, Eggleston Hall Gardens and the Bowes Museum. Further out there is the Derwent Walk that follows the former railway through the Derwent Valley and of course the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Pennine Way National Trail, some of the UK’s finest trails, landscapes and views.