County Durham is so much more than the city of Durham. Head beyond the city to discover historic houses, ancient castles, great art, amazing museums, saints and churches and wild, beautiful countryside with one of the highest waterfalls in England. I first fell in love with County Durham back in the 1980s when I went to university in nearby Newcastle upon Tyne. Come with me and discover things to do in County Durham on a cultural weekend.
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Best Things to Do in County Durham for a Cultural Weekend
County Durham has many different faces. Industrial heritage dominates the east of the county with Beamish and Locomotion both providing excellent insights to the manufacturing revolution that happened here and changed the world. As you head west explore the Bishop’s Palace in Bishop Auckland, Kynren tells the story of England in dramatic form. Raby Castle was home to Shakespearean heroes. Barnard Castle has both a castle and an outstanding museum. Further west still is dramatic beauty of the High Force waterfall.
Visit Raby Castle
Raby Castle looks like a castle should look. Crenellations, towers, a moat, a deer park even a resident Lord and Lady. I first heard about Raby Castle when I was studying Henry IV part I, Ralph Neville was a staunch supporter of Henry Bolingbroke. When Henry became King, Ralph became the Earl of Westmoreland, Raby Castle was his home. Most exciting for those of us brought up to believe that Richard III was a good man and rightful King. Cecily Neville, mother to both Richard III and Edward IV was born here. All of today’s Royal family are descended from Cecily via her grand-daughter Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII. History oozes from walls of Raby.
Explore Barnard Castle
As a student of politics Teen One was hugely excited to visit Barnard Castle, to test his eyes. Barnard Castle is both a town and a castle. The town is handsome and home to many excellent cafes and shops selling desirable things often made locally.
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle castle is on the outskirts of the town overlooking the River Tees, a fine defensive position. Nowadays the castle is in ruins, but what ruins! You can roam across the whole site, climbing up inside turrets. A castle in which to run around in pretending that you are a knight.
Visit The Bowes Museum
The first time I saw the Bowes Museum I couldn’t believe my eyes. I drove past heading to the factory that I was scheduled to do some filming at for the BBC, glanced to my right and there was French château in the middle of North Pennines. Later, when filming was finished, I visited the museum and fell in love. It is still one of my favourite museums.
The Bowes Museum was built by John and Joséphine Bowes to house their extensive collection of art. Joséphine was French, hence the building style. John Bowes was the son of the Earl of Strathmore and Mary Milner, the couple were devoted but didn’t marry until a few hours before the Earl died. John’s uncle contested the will and won the title but the County Durham estate remained with John. Even without the title John was still one the wealthiest men in the country. He met and married Joséphine and the pair set about amassing a great art collection. They had no children and so created the museum to house the collection and left it for public enjoyment.
What I love most about the Bowes is that everything is here because John and Joséphine liked it. There are rooms full of porcelain, that I would not have bought but Joséphine loved. The picture gallery has Canaletto, El Greco and Goya. Most special of all is a life size silver mechanical swan. The Bowes is worth a visit just for the Swan.
Things to do in Bishop Auckland
Way back in the 80s I visited Bishop Auckland, it was a mining community. I knew that it was the seat of the Prince Bishops of Durham but trying to peer through the gates was as close as you could get to their Palace, now all that has changed. The mines have gone, the Bishops are still here but now their Palace is open to all and Bishop Auckland has become a place to come and see top notch art.
Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle was the Palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham. Recently restored it is one of the best preserved Bishop’s Palaces in Europe and open to visit.
You start your visit with the chapel. As you’d expect the private chapel of a Prince Bishop is pretty spectacular, and indeed, bigger than quite a few parish churches. You process on through the throne room and then, my favourite room, the dining room. On the walls hang paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán depicting the sons of Jacob. Bishop Trevor bought the paintings in 1756 to show that the Christian faith has Jewish origins and hung them in his dining room so that all his visitors would see them. They have hung here ever since.
After the long dining room you process through a series of rooms depicting how Bishops lived at various times. All are fascinating but my highlight was the room of Dr David Jenkins, Bishop from 1984 – 94. For no other reason than there is a Sony Walkman on display with Wham! Make it Big ready to play. Wham! Make it Big is my favourite ever and I like to think of Bishop David listening to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go as he composed his sermons.
Faith Museum
Housed in a brand new building the Faith Museum explores the history of faith in the UK. Starting with pre-Christian, through the northern saint and early Christianity up to today’s multi faith society.
Spanish Gallery
Every room in the Spanish Gallery is jaw dropping. I don’t think that I have ever seen so many El Greco paintings together outside of the Prado in Madrid. Velazquez and Murillo are here too. Simply one of the best galleries that I have visited anywhere, you need to visit. But why Spanish Art in Bishop Auckland? The collection was gathered together by local born Jonathan Ruffer who over saw the conversion of a bank in Bishop Auckland to house his magnificent collection of Golden Age Spanish Art.
Auckland Tower
Climb to the top of the Auckland Tower for commanding views across the town, palace and surrounding countryside.
Kynren: The Storied Lands
Kynren is like nowhere else you’ve ever been. In a series of outdoor areas, shows tell the story of the North East. My favourite was the lost feather which features an amazing array of birds. Other shows tell the story of the Vikings, the imagination of the Victorians which changed the world. In the evening Kynren transforms again to tell the epic tale of England with a huge cast.
Follow in the Footsteps of the Northern Saints in County Durham
Avid readers of my weekly newsletter and social media will know that Mr CW and I are currently on a pilgrimage to visit every English Cathedral. All previous visits don’t count and only visits made together count. There is something about being in an ancient place of worship of any religion that exudes calm and continuity, culture of the highest order. Christianity in England has its roots firmly in the North East, Saints Cuthbert, Aidan and Bede (more popularly known as the Venerable Bede) all lived in the area. There are six pilgrimage routes to follow that criss cross Northumbria and County Durham. If you aspire to complete the Camino de Santiago then you can get some miles under your belt by walking the Camino Inglés from Finchdale Abbey to Escomb Church. Get your pilgrim card stamped as miles walked here will count toward the 100km needed to officially complete the Spanish Camino.
Escomb Saxon Church
Even if you are not on a walking pilgrimage seek out Escomb Church. It is one of only four complete Anglo Saxon churches in England. It is tiny and set in a circular church yard. Take a close look at the walls, the canny Anglo Saxons used the stone from the Roman camp at nearby Binchester. Also notice a curious sundial with only three times, Terce, Sext and None the times for prayer. The sundial is thought to be the oldest in the country still in same position it was made for.
Explore the North Pennines
For my money the scenery of Weardale and the North Pennines is among the finest in the country.
High Force and Low Force
High Force is England’s largest waterfall and Low Force is her little brother a few miles down stream. Who doesn’t love a waterfall? You can see High Force in two ways, either on a five mile circular walk from the Bowlees car park taking in part of the Pennine Way or short ramble down from the High Force car park. If you choose the High Force car park you will need to pay both for the car park and to access the path down to the waterfall but you do get to sit and admire the falls from the rocks at the base of the falls. The circular route is free to follow, but you view the falls from the cliffs above. Do not stray close to the edge and keep all dogs and children under control.
The North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark
I toyed with idea of calling this heading NOT ALL CULTURE IS IN GALLERIES. It would seem that UNESCO agree with me as the North Pennines have created a UNESCO Global Geopark. At night you can see the stars properly, there are no big towns nearby to pollute the skies with light letting the stars twinkle undimmed. Star gazing in the dark skies of North Pennines is a truly special thing to do.
A little bit of geology … Whin Sill is a vast slab of igneous rock that underlies vast swathes of Northumbria, Cumbria and County Durham. Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle stand on outcrops of the Whin Sill. High Force is another outcrop, the hard igneous rock creating the shelf for the water to fall from.
Drive the B6278: One of Britain’s Great Scenic Roads
We finished our tour of County Durham at High Force and home was south. Did we head south? No. My favourite road is the B6278 from Middleton in Teesdale to Blanchland so I had to take Teen One to see it. You climb up to what seems to be the roof of the Pennines and cross from Teesdale to Weardale and into Derwentdale. In the old days there was a ford at Stanhope but that is now closed to traffic. Just as well, I once stalled in the middle of the river and had to push the car out. Teen One’s verdict? A proper Top Gear kind of a road, he’s not wrong.
More Things to Do in County Durham
Beamish: the Living Museum of the North
Beamish is history with added people. Costumed interpreters across the site bring everything to life. I was so impress with Beamish when I first visited in the 1980s that I took a job as a costumed guide at a similar museum in Devon the year later. Since the 80s the site has expanded with more buildings and working trams, you can even stay in a cottage on the site. I confess that I haven’t visited for decades but am currently making plans!
Locomotion
Two hundred years ago the steam train was invented in County Durham. The first train ran between Stockton and Darlington. Locomotion at Shildon is situated on the site of that first train station. Inside is an excellent collection of trains. My only visit was ill-timed. I arrived very late and had about half an hour to whizz round before heading to Darlington station to catch a train.
Where to Stay in County Durham
Stay in a castle, why would you not want to stay in a castle.
- Walworth Castle Hotel – Teen One and I stayed here. Perfectly situated to explore Durham, Raby, Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle and High Force.
- Lumley Castle – In the past I have stayed here which has the added dimension of having to drive across the edge of the Riverside home of Durham County Cricket club.
- Durham Castle – most only open stays during the long summer vacation as for the rest of the year it is student accommodation. More luxurious State Rooms are available throughout the year.
- High Force Hotel – Not a castle but it does have a waterfall! We didn’t stay but popped in for a cup of tea and hot chocolate and drooled over the Sunday lunches as they were being taken to other people’s tables.
How to Spend a Weekend in County Durham
My perfect weekend in County Durham would be for three days, I would devote two to exploring the county and one for Durham, the city.
Day One Cultural Weekend in County Durham: Castles, Art and the North Pennines
Castles and countryside would be my focus for the first day of a weekend in County Durham. Visit Raby Castle, Barnard Castle and the Bowes Museum, then head off to see High Force and finish with a drive along the B6278
Day Two Weekend in County Durham: Bishops, Spanish Art and the Northern Saints
Churches and bishops would lure me for my second day in County Durham. Start in Bishop Auckland and visit Auckland Castle, the Faith Museum and the Spanish Gallery. Afterwards head out to see Escomb Church and finish at Kynren.
Day Three visit the city of Durham
Can you even visit County Durham without visiting the city of Durham itself? Perched up on a cliff above the river Wear, it has one of the most dramatic settings of any English city. Durham Castle and Cathedral are UNESCO listed and unmissable. Take a read of my guide to spending a weekend in Durham for full details of what to see in Durham
Plan Your County Durham Visit
Key things that you need to know about spending a weekend in County Durham
- Getting to County Durham driving from London with a clear run takes about 5 hours. Trains from London to Darlington or Durham take just under 3 hours
- Getting around County Durham is best done by car, as the area is rural and public transport patchy. In the past I have caught the train to both Darlington and Durham and picked up a hire car at the station or driven up from home.
- How many days do you need to see County Durham? You could see most things in a couple of days. Three days would allow for a visit to Durham itself. Equally bring your walking boots and spend a week exploring slowly.
- Whilst you are in the North East of England, how about a visit to Newcastle upon Tyne? Check out my guide to a weekend in Newcastle upon Tyne for an idea of what to do.
- Spring, summer and autumn are the best times to visit. I have visited in winter and been treated to snow clad scenery, but that snow did make getting around tricky
Teen One and I were guests of Durham 2025
