Durham is an attractive and historic city, well-known for its spectacular Norman Cathedral and Castle, which over-look the city.
Durham is compact yet offers a wide range of facilities. Shops and restaurants co-exist happily with the Victorian Market. Much of Durham’s shopping area is closed to traffic, making for a more relaxed atmosphere. Take time to sit in the cobbled Market Place and enjoy some of the street entertainment, particularly during July and August. The monthly Farmers’ Market is a welcome new addition to the events calendar. Here you will find fresh local specialities to take back home. In the spring and summer, stunning floral displays adorn the City for which Durham regularly wins prizes.
Dozens of regional attractions are easily reached from Durham, making it an ideal touring base. The largest open-air museum in England is to be found at Beamish where you can see life as it was at the beginning of the last century. Fine art treasures can be seen at the John and Josephine Bowes Museum, a French-style chateau in Barnard Castle.
It should be understood that colleges are designed primarily for students: not for children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, the colleges do meet a level of comfort that we expect most visitors to be happy with, and we will welcome any feedback where this is not the case.
Dates of Durham's academic vacations
Rooms are mainly available during the academic vacations.
Easter: mid-March to late-April
Summer: late-June to mid-October
Christmas: mid-December to mid-January
Getting to Durham
Durham is 264 miles from London, 187 miles from Birmingham, 125 miles from Edinburgh and 67 miles from York.
Durham city centre is only two miles from the A1(M). Leave the motorway at Junction 62 on the A690 Durham - Sunderland road and follow signs to Durham City Centre.
There are several express coach services daily from most major cities. Durham is well served by both regional express services and the local bus network. From the city bus station - a short walk from the railway station - a bus service runs every 15 minutes past the Colleges on South Road.
By Rail
60 InterCity trains from most major centres in the country call at Durham daily including 14 trains from London. The National Express high speed service takes under 3 hours from London King's Cross on the main East Coast line. First Transpennine Express offers frequent links to Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, while Cross Country links Durham directly with Scotland, the Midlands, and the South West.
Durham is just over 3 hours from Birmingham, 2½ hours from Manchester, 1½ hours from Edinburgh and 45 minutes from York.
By Air
Durham is 30 minutes' drive from Newcastle Airport and about 40 minutes from Durham Tees Valley. Durham is linked to Newcastle Airport by rail and metro. Travellers into Durham Tees Valley can take advantage of the free Sky Express bus service that links the airport to Darlington railway station, with regular connections to Durham.
