he view from DURHAM train station is one of the finest in northern England - a panoramic prospect of Durham Cathedral, its towers dominating the skyline from the top of a steep sandstone bluff within a narrow bend of the River Wear. This dramatic site has been the resting place of St Cuthbert since 995, when his body was moved here from nearby Chester-le-Street, over one hundred years after his fellow monks had fled from Lindisfarne in fear of the Vikings, carrying his coffin before them. Cuthbert's hallowed remains made Durham a place of pilgrimage for both the Saxons and the Normans, who began work on the present cathedral at the end of the eleventh century. In the meantime, William the Conqueror, aware of the defensive possibilities of the site, had built a castle that was to be the precursor of ever more elaborate fortifications. Subsequently, the bishops of Durham were granted extensive powers to control the troublesome northern marches of the kingdom, ruling as semi-independent prince bishops , with their own army, mint and courts of law. The bishops were at the peak of their power in the fourteenth century, but thereafter their office went into decline, especially in the wake of the Reformation, yet they clung to the vestiges of their powers until 1836, when they ceded them to the Crown. They abandoned Durham Castle for their palace in Bishop Auckland and transferred their old home to the fledgling Durham University , England's third oldest seat of learning after Oxford and Cambridge. The City
Surrounded on three sides by the River Wear, Durham's surprisingly compact centre is readily approached by two small bridges which lead from the western, modern part of town across the river to the spur containing castle and cathedral. The commercial...
read more >> Of the city's cafés , Vennel's , Saddler's Yard - named after the skinny alley or "vennel" where it stands (next to Waterstone's, off Saddler Street) - serves light lunches in a little hidden courtyard. Further up the hill, on Palace Green, the Almshouse conjures up vegetarian and meaty meals for around £5 (open until 8pm in summer). For Italian food, try Emilio's at the east end of Elvet Bridge, a smart refurbishment of an eleventh-century chapel with summertime outdoor seating. Excellent Modern British cuisine and service are offered at Bistro 21 , a converted farmhouse at Aykley Heads, ten minutes' walk on from the DLI museum and art gallery north of the centre (tel 0191/384 4354; closed Sun); there's courtyard seating in summer and good-value set menus at lunchtime. If you still can't make your mind up, head for Cathedrals , an ambitious and stylish redevelopment of the old police station on Court Lane (tel 0191/370 9632), where you can choose among fine dining and great views of the cathedral in the rooftop restaurant , Italian-influenced cuisine in the bistro, pub grub amid the impressive copper vats of the bar and microbrewery, and inventive sandwiches and snacks in the coffee house. Durham's central pubs blow hot and cold, depending on whether or not the students are in town. Good bets at most times include the Court Inn , which has outdoor seating on Court Lane, and the lively Hogshead , 58 Saddler St, with its selection of real ales. The Victoria , a quiet, welcoming local at 86 Hallgarth St, is also a favourite. For more highbrow entertainment, regular classical concerts are held at various venues around the city, including the cathedral, while the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery (tel 0191/384 2214) at Aykley Heads hosts lunchtime recitals as well as summertime brass band concerts, ceilidhs and other events. Durham Student's Union (tel 0191/374 2000) puts on gigs during term time, with rock, jazz and comedy most regularly performed at Dunelm House, New Elvet. Annual events and festivals come thick and fast in the summer. June sees the university's arts week , and in the same month the Durham Regatta packs the riverbanks and river. Over the first weekend in July, the Durham Summer Festival encompasses all manner of musical entertainments, as well as historical re-enactments on Palace Green; on the following Saturday, the Miners' Gala - when the traditional lodge banners are paraded through the streets - has been revived as a celebration of the international labour movement. Europe > England > Northeast > Durham
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