From relaxing walks, to rowing boats along the River Wear, wildlife watching, and water sports. Check out our handy guide to the top activities and attractions for outdoor adventures in Durham, as nominated by the county's residents. 

Boating on the River Wear, Durham City

Collecting Seaham sea glass

Durham University’s Botanic Garden

Finchale Priory

Hall Hill Farm

Hamsterley Forest

Hardwick Country Park

Hawthorn Dene

Low Barns Nature Reserve

Raby Castle Park and Gardens

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve

Sea swimming at Seaham Harbour Marina, Slope Beach

TCR Hub, Barnard Castle

Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens

Weardale Adventure Centre

Other outdoor spots locals recommend for an outdoor adventure with a difference include -

• A round of golf at Ramside Hall
• Broom House Farm Forest Adventure
• Durham Archery Lawn Tennis Club
• Jubilee Park, Spennymoor
• Shincliffe Play Park
• Nature's Edge CIC, Burnhope
• Old Durham Gardens, Durham City
• Rock Pooling along the Durham Heritage Coast, Blackhall Beach is a great spot. 

Residents from across the county have shared with us there favourite Durham beauty spots and viewpoints. From coast to countryside and city, how many of these will you be visiting? 

Auckland Castle Deer Park

Enjoy a peaceful stroll through this ancient deer park, once owned by the most powerful men in Britain – the Prince Bishops of Durham.

Broompark Picnic Area on the outskirts of Durham City 

Once a coal mine and coal storage depot, Broompark was the junction for three railway lines, all of which you can now follow from this picturesque picnic spot and soak up stunning views along the way of the surrounding Vale of Durham countryside. 

Durham Heritage Coast

Stretching from Seaham in the north, to Crindom in the south, you'll find mile after mile of spectacular views all along the 11 mile Durham Heritage Coast footpath.  

Hill End and surrounding area including Bollihope Quarry 

The Durham Dales town of Hill End, near Stanhope is a great starting point for getting out and exploring the stunning landscapes of the dales. A popular spot near the town is Bollihope Quarry, a former limestone quarry which is now home to a wonderful array of wildlife, flower-rich grasslands, and wonderful woodlands - great for a family-friendly adventure.

High Force Waterfall

Loved by locals and visitors from across the globe, High Force Waterfall is a mighty sight to behold and definitely a must-visit natural wonder when exploring the Durham Dales and North Pennines AONB.

Middleton in Teesdale

Middleton-in-Teesdale is an official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town which lies at the very heart of the Durham Dales. This peaceful little town is surrounded by some of Durham's most spectacular landscapes and is the perfect base for exploring the surrounding Teesdale and Weardale countryside. 

Nose’s Point and Blast Beach

One of the most popular spots along the Durham Heritage Coast and nominated by lots of locals - Nose's Point nature reserve offers beautiful clifftop views across the North Sea and below to Blast Beach. It’s a haven for wildlife and a great starting point for following the Durham Heritage Coast footpath south towards Easington, Blackhall Rocks and more.

Observatory Hill, Durham City 

A popular picnic spot (espeically with students from Durham University) Observatory Hill offers amazing views of Durham Cathedral and Castle. No matter what time of year you visit, we promise its worth walking up to the top of the hill for unparalleled views of the historic city below. 

Raby Castle Park and Gardens

The walk around Raby Castle's 200-acre deer park is very popular with locals, with many saying every time they visit, they see something new. From springtime, to the chilly winter months, Raby Castle offers plenty of wildlife watching and bird spotting opportunities. Standing back and admiring the view of the ancient castle really does transport you back in time, and makes you wonder how many people have stood in this very spot and admired that very special view through history. 

Stanhope Moors 

The Durham Dales town of Stanhope is a great base for getting out and experiencing Durham's wilder side. You don’t have to wander far from the town centre to lose yourself in sweeping wind-swept heather moorlands. 

Tunstall Reservoir

A great short circular walk, popular with families - Tunstall Reservoir is fabulous spot for a family dog-walk. If you're feeling more adventurous you can extend your hike and explore the many connecting trails that criss-cross the surrounding Durham Dales countryside. Tunstall Reservoir is also an official Dark Sky Discovery Site - offering amazing night time views of Durham's dazzling dark skies. 

Waldridge Fell Country Park

Waldridge Fell Country Park, is a real hidden gem of Durham great outdoors. Once used as the part of the Prince Bishops' hunting chase and even a military training ground during the Napoleonic Wars. Here you can enjoy panoramic views across the Fell and surrounding countryside as you follow the many waymarked tarils. 

Wharton Park, Durham City

Hugging the hillside, overlooking Durham City, the award-winning Wharton Park offers spectacular views of the city below. 

The best places to eat in Durham are the ones that locals love to go to time and time again. From laid back burger joints, to cosy countryside inns and luxurious steakhouses, you'll be spoilt for choice with whats on the menu in Durham. With the help of Durham's residents we've rounded up the top restaurants that locals love to dine at. 

Cosy Club, Durham City

The Cosy Club can be found on The Riverwalk, in the centre of historic Durham City, overlooking the River Wear. Enjoy tasty food and drink whilst sopeaking up the tasty views of Durham Cathedral and Castle from the outdoor terrace or quirky indoor bar area.

Davy's Fried Fish and Chip Potato Restaurant, Beamish, The Living Museum of The North

Get a real taste of the past at Davy's Fried Fish and Chip shop, found in the 1900s Pit Village at Beamish Museum. Try Davy's famous fish and chips, made in coal-fired ranges using beef dripping! This working exhibit uses traditional cooking methods, and is popular pit-stop when exploring the outdoor museum. 

Finbarr's, Aykley Heads, Durham City

A firm favourite with locals, Finbarr's serves up locally sourced, honest food daily, including their popular 3 course Sunday Lunch and mouth-watering Steak Night Tuesdays.   

Lanchester Garden Centre, Lanchester

The Greenhouse restaurant and garden centre deli found inside Lanchester Garden Centre, is a popular local haunt throughout the year. Get cosy under heaters and blankets on the balcony and enjoy the view with a light snack or delicious home cooked meal. Grab a meal to go or treat yourself to a tempting afternoon tea. 

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill, Hotel Indigo, Durham City 

Dine out in style in the grand surroundings of the Old Durham Shire Hall at   Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Durham. Found within the boutique Hotel Indigo, treat yourself to signature steaks, timeless English and French classics. 

Seaton Lane Inn, Seaton, Seaham

This quirky inn is the perfect place to eat, drink, sleep and explore the Durham Heritage Coast from. Take your pick from traditional pub food, as well as new contemporary dishes. 

Tango, Durham City

If you love your comfort food with a side of people watching, Tango is the place for you. Watch the world go by as you tuck into delicious burgers, hot dogs, nachos and more, all washed down with lip-smacking cocktails and local ales.  

The Cellar Door, Durham City

Home to fine food and friendly service, soak up stunning riverside views at The Cellar Door restaurant, set in a 13th Century cellar conversion just off the bustling cobbled streets of Durham City. 

The County, Aycliffe Village 

Offering the perfect combination of a countryside restaurant and local village pub, The County is a great pit-stop to refresh and refuel when out exploring the Vale of Durham. 

The Kingslodge, Durham City

Voted best venue in Durham in the national Pub & Bar Awards in 2019 and named by The Times as one of the '20 best places to stay in the UK with a dog' a warm welcome awaits at the Kingslodge Inn. Found just a stone's throw from Durham City train station, here you'll find tasty pub grub, a tempting selection of real ales, and cosy bedrooms - a great base for exploring the city. 

The Stables Bar and Restaurant, Beamish Hall Hotel

The Stables Bar and Restaurant can be found in the beautiful Beamish Hall Hotel, nestled in the back of the Hall in the converted 18th century stable block. A popular dining spot with hotel guests and locals alike, serving up seasonal dishes prepared from the freshest, local ingredients.

Woodlands Venue Bar & Kitchen, Edmondsley

Within the grounds of Congburn Garden Centre you’ll find the cosy little spot, that locals love. Woodlands Venue, Bar and Kitchen serves up a delicious menu of food and drink throughout the year.

Zen, Durham City

Situated near Durham Cathedral, hidden down a secret street you’ll find Zen, known as one of the finest places to wat in Durham, and it isn’t hard to see why once you taste their delicious Thai Asian fusion cuisine. You’ll definitely be in a zen-like state of mind once you’ve tasted their food. 

Other restaurants across Durham that locals recommend include - 

• Ala Spicery Restaurant, Beamish – Indian cuisine     
• Amaani at The Pumphouse, Durham City – Indian cuisine 
• Antico Restaurant, Nevilles Cross, Durham City – Italian cuisine 
• Barrio Comida, Durham City – Mexican cuisine 
• Bills Restaurant and Bar, Durham City – seasonal British cuisine  
• Bistro Italiano, Durham City – Italian cuisine  
• Clems Fish Restaurant, Spennymoor
• Elpincho, Durham City – Mediterranean cuisine 
• Fat Hippo, Durham City – burgers and comfort food  
• Inshanghai, Durham City – Chinese buffet 
• Italian Farmhouse, Coxhoe – Italian cuisine     
• La Spada Ristorante, Pity Me – Italian cuisine     
• La Spaghettata, Durham City – Italian cuisine  
• Lamp Room, Seaham – Tapas 
• Spice Lounge, Durham City & Bishop Auckland – Indian cuisine  
• Tapas Factory, Durham City – Tapas 
• Thai River, Durham City – Thai cuisine 
• The Dairy Barn, Crook – Ice Cream parlour  
• The Green, Crook – classic pub grub  
• The Old Courthouse, Consett – classic pub grub    
• The Old Mill, Knitsley, Consett – seasonal British cuisine 
• Tias Durham, Durham City – Mexican cuisine 
• Whitechurch, Durham City – seasonal British cuisine
• Zizzi, Durham City – Italian cuisine 

Fancy a tipple or two? Check out our handy guide to Durham's top bars and pubs that locals love. 

Duke of York

On the border between the historic Vale of Durham and beautiful Durham Dales you'll find the Duke of York, a cosy country pub, where you can soak up the atmosphere, enjoy fresh seasonal food and delicious drinks indoors, on the roof terrace or pretty beer garden. 

Black Horse Beamish

Tucked away in the stunning Vale of Durham countryside, Black Horse Beamish boasts sweeping views across Beamish valley, beautiful 37 acre lavender field and woodland. Dating back to the seventeen hundreds, the 300 year old pub is steeped in history, which was originally a large cottage and was transformed into a pub around 1850.

Other bars and pubs loved by locals across the county include - 

• Bay Horse Middridge, Newton Aycliffe    
• Copper Mine, Crook
• Ebony Champagne Bar, Durham City 
• Slug & Lettuce, Durham City   
• Station House, Durham City
• The Boat Club, Durham City    
• The Bridge Hotel, Durham City
• The library, Durham City    
• The Newton Grange, Newton Hall, Brasside    
• The Old Mill, Metal Bridge    
• The Ox Inn, Oxhill, Stanley 
• The Shepherd and Shepherdess, Beamish

Check out the guide below to the coffee shops and cafes loved by locals - the top places to relax with a cuppa, catch up with friends, or grab your caffeine fix to go.

Bayberry Hollow - Tanfield Village

Relax in Bayberry Hollow's rustic cafe and bistro with delicious warming drinks, and freshly prepared home cooked food, using the very best locally sourced ingredients. And don't forget to pick up a unqiue gift for freinds, loved ones or your home from the beautiful gift shop.

Broom House Farm Coffee Shop - Witton Gilbert

Enjoy delicious breakfasts, lunches, coffees & cakes at this popular coffee shop, only a short drive from Durham City. As well as a cosy coffee shop, Broom House farm is home to outdoor forest adventure play area, amazing event programme and fab farm shop, stocked with mouth-watering local produce.  

Flamingo Bar & Café - Seaham

Flamingo Bar and Café is a small, independent health food café tucked away in a quiet corner of Seaham Harbour Marina. Enjoy views out across the beach and North Sea as you sip your coffee or take your pick from buddha bowls, protein shakes, superfood lattes and plenty of vegan and gluten-free options too.

Vennels Café - Durham City

Taking their name from the ancient alleyways leading to the café in a 16th century building, in the heart of Durham City. Vennels is a truly unique venue, where you can soak up the historic ambience with beams, crooked ceilings and original fireplaces. 

Other local cafes and coffee shop recommendations include – 

Durham Dales 

• Coach House Bistro at Eggleston Hall
• Mr BoJangles, Durham City 
• Peggottys, Wolsingham
• Rumours Coffee Shop, Middleton in Teesdale

Vale of Durham 

• 68 Café, Toft Hill, Bishop Auckland
• Anna's New Life Furniture and Huggamugs, Annfield Plain 
• Archers, Walworth
• Café Neenas, Chester le Street
• Daisy Rose's Coffee House, Cheveley Park, Belmont
• Fifteas Cafe, Bishop Auckland Market Place     
• Maddisons, Consett
• Miss Elephant, Chester le Street
• Pity Me Café, Pity Me
• Quebec Tearoom, Quebec
• Refuse, Chester-le-Street
• Sweet Rose Ice Cream Parlour, Spennymoor
• The Auckland Cupcake Co, Bishop Auckland 
• The Olive Stone, Tantobie
• The Waiting Room, Annfield Plain

Durham City

• Biz-R, Durham City centre
• Brambles Coffee Shop, Shincliffe
• Cafe Cenno, Durham Indoor Market
• Cafedral, Durham City centre
• Chapters, Durham City centre
• Claypath Deli, Durham City centre
• Flat White, Durham City centre  
• Golden Pearl, Durham City centre
• Leonards Café, Durham City centre 
• Riverview Kitchen, Durham City centre 
• Tealicious Tearooms, Durham City centre
• The Picnic Basket, Durham City centre

With a chill in the air, I made my way with my wife and dog to the Durham Dales early on a Sunday to explore some of the best waterfalls in the country. The drive out towards High Force Waterfall was beautiful enough, winding through an unspoilt landscape as well as the charming village of Middleton-in-Teesdale (well worth a stop in itself!).

The waterfalls in question are situated within Upper Teesdale part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The geology in this region is considered so important and unique that it is also classed as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

High Force Waterfall

We arrived at our first stop of the day quite early, before the visitors picked up, so it was lovely and peaceful to walk through the woodland down to the crown jewel of the Durham Dales. The walk itself was practically perfect with the dappled light filtering through the towering trees and their first shedding of leaves; a sure sign that Autumn was almost here. High Force Waterfall is one of England’s largest waterfalls, and almost certainly one of the most impressive with the River Tees falling 21 metres spectacularly over the Whin Sill (a particular type of rock formed over 295 million years ago only found in the North-East of England).

High Force Hotel

After the walk to and from the waterfall, the only way to recuperate was by heading straight across the road to the High Force Hotel for Sunday Lunch. The first thing that struck me when walking in was just how friendly the owners were. Immediately we felt at home and, for those that have dogs, they’re welcomed just as much as us humans.

We were taken through to the newly decorated dining room where we were the first to be served one of the best Sunday lunches I have ever had. We went for roast beef and roast chicken which were accompanied by classic vegetables though the cauliflower cheese was unlike anything I’ve had before. I will forever be disappointed by anyone else’s take on cauliflower cheese. Unfortunately, we were so full and just couldn't fit in a dessert no matter how tempted we were. Definitely next time.

Bowlees Visitor Centre

With a belly full of Sunday dinner, next on the agenda was Bowlees Visitor Centre housed in an old chapel just a few miles east of High Force Waterfall. Bowlees Visitor Centre is the gateway to the North Pennines AONB as well as the UNESCO Global Geopark, and houses an information centre where you can get fully up to speed with what the partnership are doing here.

There’s plenty to do here before you even start the walks across to Low Force Waterfall and Gibson’s Cave. There are nature trails, places to spot wildlife as well as a mud kitchen for the children. The centre’s also dog friendly and the cafe has the most incredible cakes on offer. We took home three different cakes as well as one of their famous scones that come highly recommended.

Low Force Waterfall

Whilst at Bowlees Visitor Centre, you have to take the time to walk to Low Force Waterfall as well as Gibson’s Cave.

The walk to Low Force Waterfall will take you across sheep fields beautifully bordered by dry stone walls before you descend through a wooded area to the River Tees. Whilst not as dramatic as High Force, this waterfall consists of a series of low cascades. To gain access to the other side of Low Force, you can cross Wynch Bridge, a suspension bridge built in 1830.

Gibson’s Cave & Summerhill Force

After returning to the Bowlees Visitor Centre, you cannot miss the beautiful and secluded Gibson’s Cave and Summerhill Force. The walk is approximately half a mile through woodland filled to the brim with ferns. Local legend has it that a 16th century outlaw, William Gibson, hid from the authorities behind the cave like recess behind the waterfall.  

To pull all of this together, you can walk the High Force and Bowlees Geotrail; a 4 to 5 mile circular walk setting off from either the High Force Hotel or Bowlees Visitor Centre.  This is the perfect introduction to the beauty of the Durham Dales.

Love walking and history? Well, you can’t go wrong visiting Durham, with an endless amount of history and some great walking routes to check out. When asked if I fancied walking part of The Way is Life (one of the six Northern Saints Trails walking routes) I was happy to learn that is has some great historical sites to visit along the route. The section of the trail we did was around 5km and took in 3 locations - Binchester Roman Fort, Auckland Castle and, finally, Escomb Church. 

Binchester Roman Fort

We decided to start our walk at Binchester Roman Fort, which is situated just outside of Bishop Auckland. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived, but I was surprised by how big the Binchester (Vinovia) site was and how vast it would have been in the Roman era. Binchester was once one of the largest Roman military installations in Northern Britain, and Binchester Fort has two well-preserved bathhouses, from its time as a home for the Roman auxiliary cavalry.  

On arrival, we were given a 10-minute introduction by a member of staff, who talked us through the site and its previous uses. He answered all our questions about the site, and - I won’t lie – it made me even more excited to check out the site. We headed straight to the first bathhouse, which houses one of the most intact hypocaust (or underfloor heating) systems in Britain. Looking inside the building, it was easy to see the building as it would have been when fully functioning (which is crazy, when you consider how long ago it was built!). 

After checking out the bathhouse, we headed outside to look at the remnants of the Commander’s Officer's house (using the map, you get a good idea of how it would have looked). For me, the most impressive element of the site was the extent of knowledge and discoveries across the settlement, including the discovery of Dere Street (which would have spanned from York to Hadrian’s Wall). 

We also visited the site of a second bathhouse, which currently closed (you can visit and view it from the outside!). This site is even better preserved than the first bathhouse. There are walls still standing more than six feet above the Roman floor level. 

Binchester offers a great opportunity to see what Roman life in Durham would have been like. It’s an ongoing adventure too, with opportunities to see sections of the Fort still being discovered. It’s a great location for families and adults to visit, especially if you’re lucky enough to catch a re-enactment event - offering a perfect insight into what life in the Fort would’ve been like.

Auckland Castle and walled garden

I’m not going to lie – this stop-off point on the walk was the highlight! If you follow my Instagram account, you’ll know I am a lover of anything related to Royal History. So, you can only imagine my excitement when visiting Auckland Castle. The castle, which is beautifully preserved, offers you the opportunity to visit the Throne Room, Dining Room and St. Peter’s Chapel – all of which provide your history fix.

Auckland Castle was established as a home to the Prince Bishop of Durham, second only to the English monarchy (in terms of power). The Prince Bishop had unusual permissions, allowing them to raise armies and mint coins, and they needed a home to live up to that status. Close to the Border, their job was to defend the North, for the Monarch from the Scottish. The castle is set in a beautiful country estate, allowing the Prince Bishop to enjoy the simpler things in life. 

Inside the castle, you can visit the Bishop Trevor Gallery, named after the Bishop of Durham from 1752 - 1771, who purchased a series of paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons by Francisco de Zurbaran, which currently hang in the beautiful long dining room (where they have been for over 250 years). The Throne Room, meanwhile, has recently been refurbished and is a perfect demonstration of the power of the Prince Bishops. 

St Peter’s Chapel possesses the most history, in my eyes. Originally a medieval banqueting hall, it replaced the original 12th century chapel (lost during the English Civil War). Inside, you can see the names of each Prince Bishop of Durham, with their individual coat of arms. The stain glass windows are a work of art!

The Walled Garden is definitely worth a visit, too. The working garden (it supplies the Castle’s kitchens) has had a lot of time and money invested, to help show what it would’ve looked like in the past. The gardeners have worked hard to utilise the garden’s space. Built on a hill, some plants and vegetables are restricted to certain areas, to avoid the bitter Northern frost… 

I would highly recommend visiting both Auckland Castle and the Walled Gardens. There’s also the option to further explore the surrounding estate if you decide not to continue following The Way of Life route. The castle's Deer Park has several smaller walking routes to explore, with breathtaking views of the castle and surrounding areas. To visit the castle, you have to book in advance, but you can visit Deer Park without booking. 

Escomb Saxon Church

Our final destination on the ‘Way of Life’ route was Escomb Church, an early Saxon church based in Escomb village. The church is believed to be made of brick originally from Binchester Roman Fort and, over the centuries, has changed in size and shape. A wander around the church shows you where the original section would have stood, as well as the Celtic influences. The inside of the Church is breathtaking, with a lot of detail restored after the Church fell into disrepair. 

It’s open throughout the year but you can find the key at 28 Saxon Green, located behind the Church. If you’re planning to visit with a group or would like a tour, it’s best to call in advance! The key is available all year round – 7 days a week, during daylight hours (9-6 during summer and 9-4 during winter).
 

Read more about Melissa's journey along the Way of Light in Melissa's first Way of Light blog>

I love a walk involving a recognised trail and a map. So, I was super excited to have the chance to walk one of  the new Northern Saints Trails. We decided to follow The Way of Life trail to discover the amazing views, attractions and more along the way. 

The route starts at Guildford and finishes at Durham Cathedral, with several stops on the way. The route is well-known and passes one of England’s oldest churches, a palatial castle, and places where Saint Cuthbert’s ‘miracles’ occurred. 

This walk takes in some of the prettiest villages in Durham, as well as breathtaking views of the countryside. It also offers plenty of opportunities to learn about life in Durham through the ages. The whole route is 29 miles and can be done in several stages, in either direction. Along the trail you'll find several attractions to make a pit stop at, including Auckland Castle (the former home of the Prince Bishops of Durham) and Etherley Incline (one of the world’s first passenger carrying steam operated railways), both of which played an important role in Durham’s history.

We decided to walk a smaller section, starting at Binchester Roman Fort and finishing at Escomb Saxon Church. We chose this section of the route as it offered several attractions on route, to break the walk up. The three attractions we incorporated into our walk were: Binchester Roman Fort, Auckland Castle and Escomb Church.  

The Way of Life Trail

The Way of Life route was easy to follow, largely following the course of the River Wear. Starting at Binchester Roman Fort meant we had to do a small section on the road, but the rest of our walk was off-road (so I’d recommend sturdy shoes!). The route between Auckland Castle and Escomb also passes through woodland, using a trail, so it’s only really suitable for walkers. 

The views along the route were beautiful, and reminded me of my love of exploring new places outdoors. There are several places that would make great picnic spots, for those doing longer routes or family walks. Once you’re off the main tracks and following trails, you’re nowhere near roads and are free to take in the many sights and sounds. 

The route is signposted but it’s still worth downloading the GPX route or a trail map, as there are a number of public pathways you could follow. We did a simple out-and-back, which was around 10km/6 miles, with only a couple of small hills. It was a pretty quiet route and we walked for a while without seeing any other walkers.

Way of Light Attractions

We visited three attractions whilst on route. The first was Binchester Roman Fort, once one of the largest Roman military installations in Northern Britain. Binchester Fort features two incredibly well-preserved bathhouses (from its time as a home for Roman auxiliary cavalry) and we spent around an hour looking around, learning about the site.

Our next attraction was Auckland Castle, which is part of The Auckland Project, a tourist development helping to regenerate Bishop Auckland. The castle centres on the history of the Prince Bishops of Durham, generations of Durham Bishops granted special privileges by the Crown. The Castle's Walled Garden is a working garden, recently restored and currently providing vegetables used in the Castle café. 

We also stopped off at the Mining Art Gallery. It’s well known that mining played a huge role in the life of most families in the North East, with pit villages across the North Eat region and the Mining Art Gallery hosts the work of several prominent artists, local to the area. These include Tom McGuiness and Norman Cornish, who give you an interesting glimpse into life down the pits. Many of the pieces showcased a unique perspective of the mining industry, with a range of artistic styles on show. 

Our final location was Escomb Saxon Church, believed to be one of the earliest Saxon churches in England and, supposedly built using bricks from the nearby Binchester Fort. It was great to hear about the history of the Church from a local resident, who answered all our questions and gave us great tips about what to look out for inside, which we’d otherwise have missed…

I would highly recommend this route, if you’re looking for an adventure filled with history – the Land of the Prince Bishops has plenty to offer!

Read more about Melissa's journey along the Way of Light and its attractions in Melissa's second Way of Light blog>

The Bowes Museum makes a great day out. If the weather is a bit on the miserable side there’s plenty of art to enjoy perusing. Of course, if you get a bright sunny day, like we did, then it’s worth taking a walk in the grounds and enjoying the landscaped gardens (and fountain).

You’ll find The Bowes Museum in the Durham Dales, just a stone’s throw from Barnard Castle town centre. The location of the museum is intentional, as John Bowes (the original owner) wanted Bowes to be somewhere people could easily visit and enjoy. 

The building looks stunning from the outside. As you arrive through the gates you’re confronted with a building that’s more akin to the French Renaissance than rural Durham.

The grandeur doesn’t stop there either. Inside the museum you’ll find some internationally renowned artworks; paintings by El Greco, Francisco Goya, Canaletto and of course, the grand attraction, the 18th century silver swan. There’s lots more too, so much so it can be hard to know where to start.

Helpfully, you can book on to a guided tour, which is what we did, and I’d highly recommend it. Sheila, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly while also being funny and personable. Over the course of an hour, she took us through the history of The Bowes Museum, how John met Joséphine and how they went on to collect many artworks. In fact, you can see some of Joséphine’s paintings in one of the three art galleries on the second floor.

The Silver Swan is synonymous with The Bowes Museum and is an absolute must see. It was out of order when I visited, but don’t worry, you can see a video of it in action when it was last restored and gaze upon the intricate detailing. 

On the first floor you’ll find the Fashion and Textile gallery which showcases fashion pieces from 1550 to 1970. At the time we visited it was also showcasing an exhibition on fashion photography. The keen fashionista may remember when The Bowes Museum hosted the Yves Saint Laurent: Style Is Eternal exhibition back in 2015, which attracted visitors from across the country (and probably the world, given it was the first exhibition in the UK to display so much from the French designer). I think I’ve held a soft spot for The Bowes Museum ever since I visited for that exhibition.

The Bowes Museum boasts such a varied collection of ceramics, metal, silver, sculpture, and furniture spanning five centuries, so if fashion or paintings isn’t really your thing, you’re bound to find something to pique your interest here.

No visit is complete without a coffee stop, or lunch break. If you happen to be visiting at the weekend, then I’d recommend heading along on a Sunday. Why? The Sunday lunch in Cafe Bowes is a real treat. For around £10pp you can tuck into a Sunday roast with all the trimmings. When we visited, we enjoyed roast beef with a Yorkshire pud, vegetables and of course roast potatoes. If you’ve got space for dessert why not try one of the many cakes they’ve got available?

Created by digital studio Tekja and supported by This is Durham, Tree of Hope will add a new digital dimension to Lumiere, and is the first-ever digital artwork commissioned by the festival. The online, crowd-sourced installation will give audiences across the UK and the world a chance to be part of the Lumiere magic without being physically present at the festival, and will continue to live online long after the festival has finished. 

The interactive Tree of Hope artwork was inspired by Durham’s history as a place of ‘big thinkers’ and by the county's stunning landscapes and dark skies. People from across the world will be invited to share their hopes for the future online, which will create an artwork in real time. Auidences will be able to see the artwork come to life before their very eyes, as a slender sapling grows into a fully-formed tree that blossoms and blooms with each hope expressed. 

The online form to submit your hope will launch late October.

It's a great way for people who can't make it to Lumiere in person the chance to experience and interact with the festival from afar and become part of the global Lumiere community. The artwork will reveal key topics and themes in the millions of data entries being collected, with machine learning and natural language processing algorithms applied to find the most meaningful messages and hopes by common themes. Algorithms based on geometries found in nature are also used to generate the tree’s form into distinct branches, which represent the popular themes and topics contained within the data.

Tree of Hope aims to offer a moment of reflection upon what a bright and hopeful future might look like. It is dynamic and will continue to grow and collect hopes after Lumiere, becoming a place of reflection, and a collection of messages to inspire and affirm. 

Lumiere is produced by Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council with additional support from Arts Council England and a raft of funders and supporters. Lumiere will take place in Durham City 18 – 21 November and is just one of the many reasons why Durham is bidding to become the UK City of Culture 2025.