Stuart Forster, a travel writer based in North East England, outlines some of the best things to do in County Durham.
Disclosure: Some of the links below and banners are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
It still surprises me when otherwise well-travelled English people reveal they’ve never been as far north as Durham. Many have viewed the countryside of the county of my birth only from train windows on journeys to and from Scotland.
Being a local lad, I’m keen for them to experience the history, countryside and coastline of County Durham.
What to see in Durham City
Most LNER trains take under three hours to cover the 232 miles between King’s Cross and Durham City. One of the best views of the university city is from windows on the right-hand side of trains decelerating across the Victorian viaduct into Durham station.
The castle and neighbouring cathedral dominate central Durham. The visitor centre is at Palace Green, the grassy square between the two historic buildings. Short videos featuring Lego figures and expert insights introduce the joint UNESCO World Heritage Site‘s history.
Few offices in medieval Britain wielded the Prince-Bishops of Durham’s power. He was permitted to mint coins, levy taxes and raise an army. The bishops played a significant role in defending England from Scottish incursions.
Durham Castle tickets
Students lead tours of Durham Castle, a former residence of the Prince-Bishops. You may think its wood-panelled dining hall is reminiscent of Hogwarts’ great hall in Harry Potter films.
Few bedrooms in the region match the stately air of Durham Castle’s Bishop’s Suite. It has time-faded Flemish tapestries, a carved four-poster bed and views of the River Wear.
Stroll the footpath skirting the peninsula-like loop in the River Wear to understand why steep-sided central Durham proved easily defendable during medieval times. The path passes a temple-like folly known as the Count’s House. It was named in honour of Joseph Boruwlaski, a diminutive Polish musician and dancer. He retired to Durham after entertaining European royalty, including Empress Maria Theresa.
Hotels in Durham City
Search for accommodation in Durham City via the website below:
North Pennines AONB
Having a car gives you access to walks in the county’s rural west. The North Pennines is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Starting from the High Force Hotel car park, a nine-mile circular trail explores Teesdale’s rugged landscape. The highlight is seeing the River Tees churning between a natural gate of dark dolerite rock. The river tumbles more than 60 feet at High Force waterfall.
Things to do in Seaham
Staying at Seaham Hall, a luxury hotel with an expansive spa, places you by Lord Byron’s Walk. Named after the Romantic poet who married Anna Milbanke at the manor house in 1815, the walk leads towards the 11-mile Durham Coastal Footpath that sweeps southward along clifftops and through former pit villages.
Pausing at Seaham’s Terrace Green means an opportunity to view Ray Lonsdale’s larger-than-life sculpture Eleven ‘o’ One (Tommy). Commonly known simply as Tommy, the metal sculpture depicts a World War One British soldier clutching his rifle. You can almost hear the slumped warrior sighing with exhaustion.
Beamish Museum
Beamish open-air museum offers insights into North East England’s industrial heritage. Causey Arch, the world’s oldest single-arch railway bridge, stands close to the popular attraction. Completed in 1726, the bridge was built for horse-drawn wagons to transport coal along wooden rails.
From the footpath alongside Causey Burn, you can look up at the stone arch. From there, its architect, Ralph Wood, is said to have thrown himself after its completion. According to local lore, he did so after predicting its imminent collapse.
Another of the region’s disused railway lines has been incorporated into the Red Kite Trail. Peer up and you may spot the V-tailed birds of prey after which the trail is named.
The 11-mile circular walk straddles County Durham’s northern boundary with Gateshead. It skirts the landscaped gardens of the National Trust’s Gibside, which was commissioned by the coal-owner George Bowes.
Things to do in Barnard Castle
George Bowes’ descendant John was a co-founder of The Bowes Museum. The museum’s art collection encompasses works by El Greco and Francisco Goya. The grand, château-style building is in Barnard Castle. The market town is approximately 40 minutes’ drive southwest of Durham City. English Heritage administers the remains of the medieval fortress named after its founder, Bernard de Balliol.
Dotted with antique shops, Barnard Castle hosts a farmers’ market on the first Saturday of each month.
Bishop Auckland things to do
Another of the castles in County Durham, Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, is open to members. Built as a residence of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, it hosts Jacob and his Twelve Sons, a series of paintings by Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán depicting the founders of Israel’s tribes.
Orientate yourself with views of the town from Auckland Tower. While there, buy tickets for attractions including the Mining Art Gallery, Spanish Art Gallery and Faith Museum.
You can also walk in the 150-acre Deer Park that was established as a private hunting ground for the prince-bishops during the 12th century.
Nearby, Binchester Roman Fort is worth stopping at to see its two excavated bathhouses.
Stone plundered from the fort was transported a couple of miles and repurposed. It was used to construct a place of worship at Escomb. It is the country’s oldest complete Saxon church.
There are, of course, many more attractions in County Durham. You’ll find some of the mentioned in posts elsewhere on this website.
Map of County Durham
The map of County Durham below shows the places of interest mentioned in this post about things to do in County Durham:
Travel to Durham
LNER and Transpennine Express trains call at Durham Station. Connect at Darlington to explore the south of County Durham and the Tees Valley.
Both Newcastle International Airport and Teeside International Airport offer access to County Durham.
Durham City is a five-hour drive north of London. Turn off the A1(M) at Junction 62 and follow the A690 into the city centre.
Hotels in County Durham
Looking to stay in style? Rockliffe Hall, a five-star hotel and spa near Darlington, is one of County Durham’s luxury accommodation options. Consider booking the King James Suite at the Lumley Castle Hotel, a 14th-century fortress with views over the Durham County Cricket Club’s Riverside Stadium.
If you’re looking for an urban base with a sense of history, consider booking a room at the Hotel Indigo, the location of Durham’s Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill. Occupying the Old Shire Hall, formerly the meeting place of the county council, the Grade II-listed building features public areas with ornate tiling and stained glass windows.
Search for accommodation in County Durham via the website below:
Books about County Durham
Keen to know more about County Durham? You can buy the following books from Amazon:
111 Places That You Shouldn’t Miss in County Durham by Elizabeth Atkin.
100 Walks in County Durham by Gary Richardson.
Durham, North Pennines and Tyne & Wear Outstanding Circular Walks by Brian Conduit.
South Pennines Outstanding Circular Walks by Neil Coates.
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.
Further information
Find out more about the county on the This is Durham website.
Stuart Forster, the author of this post, is an award-winning travel writer based in northeast England. He has written for The Telegraph, The i Paper and Wanderlust.
Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this post outlining places to visit and best things to do in County Durham. You can find other posts about destinations in northeast England on this website, including one about the Durham Miners’ Gala.
Photos illustrating this post are by Why Eye Photography.
‘Like’ the Go Eat Do Facebook page to see more photos and content.
If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for the free Go Eat Do newsletter. It’s a hassle-free way of getting links to posts once a month.
A version of this post about County Durham was initially published on Go Eat Do on 1 October 2025.
