Market Place with the town hall and the entrance to the
indoor market
So,
this morning we drove to Durham and parked at the Prince
Bishop's shopping centre at about 10.00am. It was a nostalgia
trip for my wife who comes from the North East, where
her Dad was a miner. She often visited Durham with her
mother and sisters for a day out.
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Well
it's come to this - today I have been "grey army"
strolling in Durham walking a grand total of about 6 km!
I didn't even need any hiking gear. I walked it in my
ordinary shoes and just popped into a cafe when we felt
like a drink or a snack.
Saddler Street leading up to the Cathedral
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Durham Cathedral |
From
the car park we walked to the market place and then up
Saddler Street to Palace Green, a grassy square in front
of the cathedral. After a look around the part of the
cathedral not in use for the Sunday services we had a
coffee in a coffee shop in the old paupers' hospital at
the side of the square.
Coffee shop by the Cathedral on Palace Green
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Durham Cathedral from across the river Wear
Looking across Framwellgate Bridge to the castle
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From
the coffee shop we followed a footpath from the square
down to the riverside and walked along the riverside path
upstream to Prebends Bridge. We crossed the bridge and
followed the riverside path along the opposite bank downstream
to Framwellgate Bridge.
Prebends Bridge over the river Wear
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Elvet Bridge over the river Wear in Durham
After
lunch we followed the riverside path on the north side
of the river heading east (upstream) for about 2km to
a cable stayed footbridge over the River Wear at map ref.
NZ 284416.
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We
walked back through the old part of the town and found
a cafe for an early lunch near Elvet Bridge.
Looking back to the cathedral from the riverside walk
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Cable stayed footbridge over the River Wear at map ref.
NZ 284416 |
Riverside path along the river Wear
The river Wear about 1km upstream of Durham city centre
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Cable stayed footbridge over the River Wear at map ref.
NZ 284416 |
Wild flowers on the bank of the river Wear
The river water was like chocolate after the recent heavy
rain
There
was a sculpture of a rather asiatic looking cow on the
river bank at the edge of the sports field. An enigmatic
inscription asked what the cow had to do with Durham,
some monks and two milk maids.
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We
crossed the footbridge and followed the riverside path
back into the city centre, across the sports field to
a footbridge over the river Wear at the swimming pool
near the city centre.
Seating pavillion on the sports field east of Durham city
centre
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An oarsman prcticing on the Wear near Durham city centre
No
one had hear of Dun Holm which means "hill island"
They began to despair of finding the place until one day
they heard a milkmaid enquiring of another milkmaid if
she had seen the first milkmaid's lost cow. The second
milkmain had seen the cow walking toward Dun Holm. The
monks followed the milkmaid to Dun Holm and founded their
cathedral on the spot. Various changes over the centuries
have modified the name into its present form, Durham.
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In
fact this is all to do with the legend of the founding
of Durham. The story goes that the monks of Lindisfarne
were driven out by Viking raiders and wandered the north
east of England with the coffin of St. Cuthbert for many
years. One day the cart with the saint's coffin on it
would not move. The monks prayed and a vision of the saint
told them to go to Dun Holm.
Sculpture of a cow on the river bank by the sports field
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Looking back to the sports field from the footbridge over
the Wear
at the swimming baths near the city centre
There
was just time for a final coffee before driving home after
a great day out to visit my wife's roots. The walk was
only about 6km but we spent all day over it.
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Well
we had had an interesting walk around the ancient city
centre, a very pleasant stroll along the river Wear and
discovered the origins of the city and its cathedral.
New housing by the Wear near the New Elvet Bridge
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