England: County Durham
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County Durham is a small county in the North East of England which borders the counties of Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear. Prior to the Union of the Crowns in 1603 (Scottish & English) the north east of England was in, almost, constant turnoil, the Romans had difficulty in maintaining their borders with what was to become Scotland and once they left there was even more trouble between groups of Saxons. Only with the coming of the Normans did the area become, slightly, more stable when they added the lands of the Kings of Northumbria to the rest of England but even then there were struggles with the Scottish. What this means for County Durham as a UK vacation destination is that you are visiting an area of both breathtaking natural beauty and steeped in eventful history, this is most evident by, what seems to be, a disproportionate number of castles and fortified houses. Unfortunately most suffered dreadfully and all that remains is ruins while others are either privately owned or run as a business (hotel). It is still worth investigating the history of County Durham, especially in the many superb museums (see below).
Throughout County Durham you will find numerous places where the countryside will simply take your breath away. The River Tees provides several places that are well worth spending some time but most well known are High Force Waterfall (shown below) and Low Force Waterfall. Durham Dales provides a multitude of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors
With the coming of the Industrial Revolution saw a massive expansion of the coal mining industry (coal had been mined in the North East for hundreds of years) and other mining industries developed such as iron and lead. Those interested in trains and railways should visit the Darlington Railway Centre and the Tanfield Railway, in fact everyone should visit the Tanfield Railway! Unfortunately stately homes are few and far between in this part of England and only a couple are listed below, most visitor attractions are focused upon the natural beauty of the county or its troublesome past with a few places looking back to industrial history.
If you are planning a leisurely vacation in County Durham you can liven up things a little by heading to nearby Newcastle Upon Tyne.
County Durham Hotels & Accommodation
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Places To Visit In County Durham, England
Settlements In The County Of County Durham
Barnard Castle, Consett, Peterlee, Bishop Auckland, Durham, Middleton in Teesdale, Shildon, Chester-le-Street, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor.
Museums & Art Galleries
The Beamish museum, Bowes Museum, Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, Durham Light Infantry Museum, Hartlepool Art Gallery, Hartlepool Maritime Experience, Museum of Hartlepool, Preston Hall, Shildon Locomotion Museum, Durham University Oriental Museum and the Killhope Wheel, Lead Mine.
Heritage Railways
Tanfield Railway.
Parks & Gardens, Places Of Natural Beauty
Durham Dales, Hamsterley Forest Forestry Commission, Hardwick Hall Country Park, High Force and Low Force waterfalls (River Tees).
Historic Religious Buildings
Durham Cathedral, Escomb Saxon Church (shown to the right) and Finchale Priory.
Historic Houses & Stately Homes
Hilton Castle, Preston Hall, Rokeby Park and Wynyard Hall.
Castles
Auckland Castle, Barnard Castle (Ruin), Bowes Castle (Ruin), Brancepeth Castle (Privately owned), Cotherstone Castle, Durham Castle, Lambton Castle, Lumley Castle (run as a hotel), Raby Castle, Ravensworth Castle (Ruins), The Castle, Castle Eden (privately owned) and Witton Castle. Streatlam Castle was demolished during the 1950s.
Other Places In County Durham To Visit
Causey Arch.
Other Interesting Buildings To Visit In County Durham
Binchester Roman Fort Museum (charges for entry)
Hotels In County Durham
To find County Durham hotels simply click on the vacation destinations below:
| Barnard Castle | Consett | Durham | Peterlee |
| Bishop Auckland | County Durham | Middleton in Teesdale | Shildon |
| Chester-le-Street | Darlington | Newton Aycliffe | Spennymoor |
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Check Availability Of County Durham Hotels
Useful County Durham Links
Durham Bed & Breakfast
Listings of guest houses and B&B in Durham.
Durham Hotels
Listings of hotels in Durham.
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