Read on to discover some of the local attractions you can explore and enjoy while staying at one of our holiday cottages in Durham. A stay in one of our County Durham cottages offers the chance to sample the varied natural and man-made attractions of this lovely area.
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Without doubt the jewel in its crown is the city of Durham whose impressive cathedral, together with the nearby castle, has been a World Heritage site since 1987. The cathedral features some of the best Norman architecture in the country and dominates the old city on a rocky peninsula above a loop in the River Wear. Upstream lie the bleak, yet beautiful, Northern Pennines, a remote and sparsely populated area of moorland and dales, where an industrial heritage of lead mines and quarries invites visitors to marvel at the determination of those who worked this unforgiving landscape in the past.
A visit to the Beamish Open Air Museum brings alive the workings of a 19th-century Durham community. With guides in authentic period costume and trams serving different parts of the site, this skilful interpretation is careful to avoid a romanticised view of the past.
Another mighty English river, the Tees, also runs its course through County Durham. Above the handsome market town of Middleton-in-Teesdale, where there is a good choice of holiday cottages Durham Dales attraction Cauldron Snout draws visitors. The river snarls its way over this natural feature, forming what is reckoned to be the longest waterfall in England. Just a few miles downstream it cascades over the aptly named High Force. Further on lies Barnard Castle, a market town with impressive old shop fronts, a cobbled market square and, nearby, the French chateau-style Bowes Museum, home to a collection of outstanding European fine and decorative arts including works by Goya, El Greco and Canaletto. By selecting one of our holiday cottages Durham and its many attractions can be discovered.
Places to visit in Durham
Durham City
The city is the jewel in the crown of this county with an impressive cathedral which, together with the nearby castle, has been a World Heritage site since 1987. Thought by many to be the finest example of Norman church architecture in England, the cathedral dominates the old city on a rocky peninsula where the Rive Wear almost bends back on itself. Compact enough to explore on foot, Durham also has a university, England's third oldest after Oxford and Cambridge, adding further to the city's character. A visit to the less well-known University Botanic Garden will appeal to young and old alike. You can wander through the Alpine Garden, Winter Garden, Bamboo Grove and the recently developed Woodland Garden and wild flower meadow. There are also wonderful glass houses. Walk through the desert house to see the collection of cacti that thrive in this arid climate. In the tropical rainforest house, you can see and feel what it is like to be in such environs, you can even make it rain! It contains a unique collection of plants and some indigenous inhabitants, bugs, scorpions and tarantulas!
One of our cottages in Durham Dairy Cottage
The Durham Dales - Weardale
With its source high in the Pennines, the River Wear has long been recognised as one of the main waterways of north east England. As it threads its way through a rich, varied landscape, the river provides the perfect companion to accompany you on your journey between villages and historic sites, from its source in the brooding Pennine fells above the impressive Kilhope Lead Mining museum down to the nearby university city of Durham and its fine cathedral and castle.
One of our Durham cottages in Weardale The View
The Durham Dales - Derwentside
Sometimes an overlooked corner of the North Pennines Derwentside is the most northerly of the Durham Dales and was the traditional dividing line between the counties of Durham and Northumberland. The small village of Blanchland with its honey-coloured cottages and abbey, is perhaps the most attractive settlement in the whole of the North Pennines. Downstream from Blanchland the flow of the River Derwent is interrupted by the three mile long Derwent Reservoir. Here you will find delightful walks, spectacular views, nature reserves and fishing opportunities.
One of our Derwentside holiday cottages Durham Stable Cottage
The Durham Dales - Teesdale
Middleton-in-Teesdale lies at the heart of the upper Tees valley, a small town with a distinct farming atmosphere - surrounded by pastureland, criss-crossed with dry stone walls and a less obvious industrial heritage than Weardale. Just up-river is Cauldron Snout, where the river cuts through the upper fells, forming what is reckoned to be the longest waterfall in England only to cascade a few miles later over the aptly named High Force.
One of our cottages in Durham near Teesdale Cromer House Barn
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is a market town on the River Tees with impressive old shop fronts and a cobbled market square as well as the Norman castle. Just out of town is the French chateau-style Bowes Museum, purpose built in the 19th-century by John and Josephine Bowes. Its location should not be confused with the village where Unicorn Cottage is situated. The museum is home to a collection of outstanding European fine and decorative arts including works by Goya, El Greco and Canaletto.
One of our cottages in Durham near Barnard Castle Church View
The North Pennines
The bleak yet beautiful North Pennines are a remote and sparsely populated area of moorland and dales, often referred to as the last wilderness in England. The upland scenery is quite breathtaking, with many fells rising to over 2000 feet. It is home to an industrial heritage of lead mines and quarries that will fill you with admiration for the people who worked here in this uncompromising landscape. Driving to the head of Weardale and crossing back over into the catchment area of the Tyne you soon reach Nenthead, the highest village in England and home to the North Pennines Heritage Trust. The history of the area is detailed at the Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre where displays tell the story of the people, places, tools, lifestyle, and legacy of the mining industry. Whilst not as instantly appealing as, say, the Lakeland fells, the North Pennines have a brooding quality and a bleakness that has great beauty. The vast emptiness is inspiring and will draw you back, time after time.
One of our Durham cottages in the North Pennines Curlew Cottage
Beamish Open Air Museum
The Living Museum of the North at Beamish is an open-air museum vividly recreating life in the North East in the early 1800s and 1900s with a huge range of attractions for everyone to enjoy. You can stroll around the shops and houses of the Edwardian town, take a trip down a real drift mine in the Pit Village, and visit the miners' cottages, village school as well as the Georgian manor house. With guides in authentic period costume and trams serving different parts of the site it is careful enough to avoid a romanticised view of the past and may well give an insight to some of the towns, villages and landscapes you visit during the rest of your holiday.
One of our Durham cottages near Beamish Millers Barn
Newcastle upon Tyne & Gateshead
Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a city which has, especially on its waterfront, seen a renaissance in the last few years. The Quayside is awash with vibrant restaurants, bars and cafes as well as the Millennium Bridge. This award-winning structure is often referred to as the 'Winking Eye' due to its shape and the movement it makes when opening to allow ships to pass through. Don't miss the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art across the river in Gateshead, a free gallery with great changing exhibitions, and what has become the icon of this part of the country - the Angel of the North.
One of our Durham cottages near Newcastle Three Arch Cottage
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For enquiries, availability or to book over the phone please call: 0844 561 8329
Opening Hours: Mon, Tues 9am-7pm, Wed-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
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