After a busy week, the weekend is a good time to travel and relax. Although the weekend is not very long, it is enough as a day trip.  Using one day to experience nature and the relics of history. This time I will take you to travel to the peaceful and leisurely city —-Durham.

Durham is in the northeast of England and it near Newcastle upon Tyne. It only takes 11 minutes by train to get from Newcastle to Durham. Because of the short distance and convenient transportation I decided to go to Durham on Saturday. When I arrived in Durham, the weather was not very friendly. With the rain and wind, I came to an unfamiliar city.  Fortunately, I met an international student study in Durham University called Natalis and she told me that Durham Church and Castle is a good and famous place to visit. Then I will take you to travel the Durham Church and Castle.

Before I went to the church, I had known that Durham Cathedral has the most intact surviving set of medieval monastic buildings in the British Isles. Durham Cathedral can be reached via the city centre or from many of the woodland footpaths and walks along the riverbanks of the River Wear.The Durham Church looks like a castle. According to locals, the Durham Church and the castle are together.

Durham Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome and hospitality for almost a millennium. At the heart of the Durham UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cathedral is cherished for its magnificent Romanesque architecture and is famous as the Shrine of St Cuthbert and the resting place of the Venerable Bede.

Church staff

When you walk into the main entrance you will find the church is on your left. Its magnificent rib-vaulted nave boasts what is believed to be the world’s first structural pointed arch. And don’t miss the magnificent Rose Window, the Shrine of St Cuthbert, the Quire, the Chapel of the Nine Altars, the Tomb of the Venerable Bede in the Galilee Chapel, and the medieval Cloister.

I interviewed some travellers why they want to visit this church and most of them are fans of Harry Potter. The Cloister is one of the locations of the film Harry Potter. They all want to experience the magical world. You can take some photos here.

Open Treasure is an another must-see visitor attraction.

Church staff

According to church staffs, Open Treasure is a new world-class exhibition route which transforms public access to some of Durham Cathedral’s most spectacular spaces. Embark on a journey of discovery, you can experience the history from the fourteenth-century Monks’Dormitory to the majestic Treasures of St Cuthbert in the monastic Great Kitchen. However, it’s not free to visit. The tickets is around £2.50 to £7.50. The tickets is available on the door or in advance from durhamcathedral.co.uk

As same as other church, Durham Church sets shops and restaurant. You can buy some souvenirs or gifts when you finish your journey. If you need to take a break, you can go to the restaurant for some drinks and snacks.

Durham is a small and peaceful city, you can have some fresh atmosphere here and experience the old history. Don’t waste your weekend time. Come on and have a nice day trip.

Words:557