Sundays are always nice times to visit cities, especially on days like today when the weather is perfect.  Traffic is lighter, the pace is slower and there is an air of relaxation.  And so it proved in Durham.  After a late start and lunch at home, we drove to a Park & Ride, left the car, and avoided the stress of trying to park in a largely pedestrianised city centre.

Durham is a multi level city (and excellent sprint venue); it took us a while to come to grips with the topography.  We followed the crowds downwards from the market square, ending up beside the river.  Our goal was the Cathedral, much higher up.  We’d missed a turn somewhere.  Spying a sign, we puffed our way up a steep, cobbled ramp, which brought us out at the grand entrance, complete with sanctuary knocker.  If you had committed a heinous act, you could use the knocker and gain sanctuary for 37 days.  One wrong turn didn’t qualify, so we simply walked through the doors.

Durham Cathedral is world famous as a 900 year old grand Norman structure, and also as a filming location for several of the Harry Potter movies – fans will recognise the cloisters. Being Sunday, there were various things going on and various bits roped off.  But we could see the soaring vaulted arches, the massive, ornate stone columns, the glowing pipe organ, and the magnificent stained glass windows.  The choir were practicing for Evensong, and the bells were pealing, as anyone who climbs the tower gets to have a go at ringing them.

In the small museum, there is a Lego model of the Cathedral.  It is astonishing both in scale and detail.  It contains 300,000 bricks, weighs 750 kg, and took 3 years to build.  Ian says the techniques used to create the windows and other fine structural details would require a master Lego builder.

I particularly liked the information about the bats which inhabit the cloisters.

After circumnavigating the Cathedral’s exterior, we wandered back down the hill and past the shops.  The main street was humming with tourists and locals.  Durham has obviously been cared for.  There are tubs of flowers everywhere, and it is a lovely place to stroll around.

Continuing our downward trend, we found ourselves beside the river again.  We took the riverside path, seeing punts, ducks, bridges, mills, boathouses, weirs, willow trees, and a folly.  It was all idyllic.

Completing our walk back in the market square, we admired the enormous statue of a man wearing an enormous hat.  It seemed a good note to finish on.