General Information about Durham City |
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- General Info about Durham City
| How Durham was Founded Durham is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was first founded in the 10th Century AD by Anglo-Saxon monks who were carrying the remains of St Cuthbert (one of the early British Christian Saints) away from Lindisfarne Island off the Coast of Northumbria which had been raided by Vikings. Legend has it that St Cuthbert was eventually laid to rest at the site because his funerary bier could not be moved after having been carried to various, different places. Eventually, the site of Pilgrimage to St Cuthbert became the site of Durham’s magnificent Cathedral where even now St Cuthbert is buried. The Cathedral is free to enter and has both a coffee and gift shop. A tour of the Cathedral is being organised for the afternoon before the ISEMPH Reception which will be held in the Cathedral Cloisters. Do sign up for the tour if you are interested. There will be a small charge for this. |
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Durham Castle
Durham is also the site of a mediaeval Castle which is now used as one of the University’s residential Colleges and where we anticipate having the final night banquet (renovations permitting). The Castle was built in the 11th century as a motte and bailey defensive structure referring to a fortified keep on a hill surrounded by a fenced courtyard. Later the Normans rebuilt the structure as a stone Castle. There are several beautiful architectural features to the Castle which has been continuously remodelled over the years. Nowadays, it houses student rooms, a student bar in the Undercroft and dining facilities. Regular tours of the Castle are organised for the public and we hope to have a tour of the Castle available if renovations permit this. |
| Palace Green and City Centre Both the Cathedral and the Castle are at the highest point in Durham City located up quaint, narrow cobbled streets in an area referred to as Palace Green. This sits above the River Wear (pronounced We’re) which runs through Durham City. There are stunning views of both the Castle and Cathedral from the river banks which is a beautiful place to walk or run. Tourists can also hire rowing boats to row up and down the river in the summer time. There is a small city centre with shops running down from Palace Green and towards the central Market Place of Durham City including bespoke stores and some national and international chains (e..g., Waterstones). Here you can find lots of coffee shops and restaurants and places to buy tourist gifts. The covered market hall is interesting as it is a labyrinth of small stalls selling anything from household goods to fruit and vegetables and is definitely a place to pick up a bargain. |
| Durham University The University main academic campus is now situated on its Science Site about a 15-20 minute walk from Palace Green (mostly uphill), although it owns and manages the UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Cathedral. This includes 83 listed historic buildings. It also incorporates the Oriental Museum and the Botanical Gardens which are both situated on the main campus. The University was formally established in 1832 with less than 50 students attending in its first year, but its educational roots date back to the thirteenth century (1286) when monks from Durham Abbey were able to attend Oxford University. Later, an endowment from Bishop Thomas Hatfield in 1380 established Durham College at Oxford. Both Henry VIII (in 1541) and Oliver Cromwell (in 1649) also attempted to create a University at the site of Durham but were unsuccessful. Today Durham University has just over 20,000 students and 17 residential colleges and is believed to be the third oldest University in England after Oxford and Cambridge. The ISEMPH meeting will be held in the Calman Centre on the Science Site. More information about Durham can be found here: https://www.thisisdurham.com/explore-durham/durham-city A map of Durham University can be found here: https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/map/DurhammapandkeyOctober2014.pdf |
| Security and Health Information Durham City and the University Campus are generally very safe environments. The UK emergency number for fire, police and ambulance services is 999. The Campus security number is +44 191 334 2222. Further information about security services on campus can be found here. The closest hospital with an Emergency Room (Accident and Emergency) is the University Hospital of North Durham. If you need to see a doctor and it is not an emergency, help can be sought from the Claypath University Medical Group. There is a small charge for accessing health services in the UK if you are not a citizen so we recommend that all international travellers have a medical insurance or travel policy that would cover any needs of this kind. |
