Saturday 22 May 2010

Things to Know About Durham, In County Durham By Simon Haughtone Platinum Quality Author

The city of Durham, which is located in County Durham, sits in the North East of England. Two of the main attractions there are the famous and popular cathedral and the castle, which was built in the 11th century. The town is also the home to Durham University as well as the notorious HM Prison Durham. The location's population is about 45,000.

It's believed that the area has been settled since approximately 2,000 BC and the current city was reportedly founded in 995 AD. The area is rich in history and it was a popular carpet making and weaving site in the 19th century. It then became a thriving coal mine region until the 1970's. Durham is also famous for being the site of the world's first passenger railway, which was opened in 1825.

The town is known for its hills and the River Wear runs through it. It has steep riverbanks and many forested areas which add to its natural beauty. The complete center of Durham was also designated as a conservation area in 1968. While the cathedral and castle are well known throughout the UK, there are also over 600 more listed buildings within the city center.

Some of the most popular ones include Elvet Bridge, St Giles Church, St. John's College Chapel, Bishop Cosin's Hall, Palace Green, Crown Court, Old Elvet, St Cuthbert's Society, St John's College, St. Oswald's Church, Durham Observatory, and the Town Hall and Guildhall, Market Place.

For sports lovers, Durham has a cricket club and non-league football team. It also has an ice rink for the local Wasps hockey team and a rifle shooting range and rowing club. There are many regattas and races held each year on the river. The Durham Regatta is the second oldest in the nation. There is also a rugby club in town and university sports are also very popular.

For a wide selection of Durham hotels just click here.

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