Back in May myself, Wil and our dog Hugo spent a night away in the city of Durham. It’s a place we’ve always been curious about visiting, so a Monday night stay over in the Travelodge on Station Road was booked. It turned out to be a bit of bargain. We were given a dog friendly family room for £39 ( for us humans) , Hugo cost an additional £20. It made us chuckle that his booking was at least more expensive than one of ours. Still it was a very good price for a basic spotlessly clean hotel, a short walk into the city centre. A big thumbs up from us.
The nicest ( though maybe not the quickest) walking route into the city is to follow the River Wear, as there is a mostly shady pedestrianized path along its banks. Being a hot day , we decided this would be the best option for Hugo, our Black Labrador .There are a couple of places to stop for refreshment and lots and lots of rowing boats for hire. It’s fun to people watch here, the act of rowing a boat and not actually getting anywhere, seemed to happen quite a lot! 😄
We found ourselves in the City Centre and it was hot hot hot. After a quick nosy about Market Square, we ducked into a pub for some shade. Indeed we rather liked the Market Tavern and ended up returning there later for tea. The Square seemed to be hosting a 1940s military exhibition, next to a rather impressive statue of a military man on a horse, wearing full hussar uniform.
Charles William Vane Stewart ( The 3rd Marquis of Londonderry) was the man in question. After an impressive War Career, the Marquis did much to advance Durham’s coal mining industry and built the nearby coastal town of Seaham as a Port. However he did appear to be against social reform in the workplace ,which made him unpopular with many. It was his wife who after his death commissioned the grand though contraversial monument that still towers over the square today.
Another attraction within walking distance of Durham’s City Centre is Crook Hall Gardens , recently acquired by The National Trust. I do like a mooch around a National Trust Garden, especially if they are pooch friendly. Dogs are welcome at Crook Hall Gardens, and in the cafe too. There is a maze, a pond, wildlife areas and several interlinking formal gardens to explore. The Hall itself is not open to the public , it does however make a gorgeous backdrop for photos.
Before we left the city on Tuesday morning we headed up to Durham Cathedral which is probably the most famous of all Durham’s landmarks.
The Cathedral dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries and is a fine example of Norman architecture. The University Of Durhams campus includes the surrounding buildings and Castle. If you recall, I mentioned tn a previous blog that I thought the area reminded me of the Harry Potter films. Well unbeknown to me, scenes in the first two movies were indeed filmed in the cloisters, gallery and grounds. 🧹
Thirteen miles East of Durham is the seaside town of Seaham, it’s name literally means’ homestead by the sea.’ The original settlement was a small rural community until the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry bought the harbour and transformed it’s fortunes. He built a port there to transport coal from his local colleries.
Seaham had also been home ( though very briefly) to the poet Lord Byron. He married a local landowners daughter Anne Isabella Millbanke at Seaham Hall in January 1815. The marriage however was soon to falter. It is said Byron didn’t particularly love the blustery North East Coast and what with his drinking and womanising ways, the couple split up when their baby daughter was only a few weeks old. That baby would become a famed mathematician and perhaps the World’s first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace.
Many visitors to the beach in Seaham spend their time walking on the sand , looking for Sea Glass. Washed-up nuggets of glass can still be found here, despite the large Londonderry Bottle Works having closed over 100 years ago!
The Bottleworks would dump waste glass into the ocean and the sea-smoothed finds are searched for by locals and visitors alike. It can get quite addictive! It’s the coloured pieces of glass that are rare treasures, red glass in particular. We found mostly white pieces and a couple of sea green ones. But they were tiny…
We walked along the beach to Seaham itself. I wanted to check out a famous statue situated on Terrace Green, by the seafront. ‘ Tommy’ is a 9 feet 5 inches tall iron statue of a World War 1 soldier. He sits, eyes cast down and holding a rifle , a fitting memorial to all those men and boys lost so pointlessly in battle. He is one of many beautiful creations by artist Ray Lonsdale whose poignant statues adorn much of the North East. Another of his statues can be found at the harbour.
Seaham Harbour looks all shiny and new with its marina, sheltered beach, cafes and shops. I ended up buying a sea glass pendant from a gift shop there.
Back at Seaham Hall Beach carpark I was intrigued to see an area of land that has become a Mole Sanctuary. Seaham is at least one place where our subterranean furry friends are safe.
Have you ever visited Durham or Seaham?
sunshine and celandines 