With an industrial heritage based on coal mining, County Durham wasn’t always the tourist destination it is today. Coal production took off here in medieval times, peaking in 1923 when 170,000 people were employed in the pits.
Today, however, visitors to the country will be awed by the county’s best-known attraction, Durham Cathedral, built in 1093 to replace an existing church. This important Norman-Romanesque structure was built to honour the pious St Cuthbert, who lived in seclusion on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast.
Wander the 1,000-year-old cobbled streets of Durham to enjoy this historic, hilly city to its fullest. Its university, which in 1832 was the third to open after Oxford and Cambridge, operates several museums and also has a fine Botanic Garden on the western edge of the city.
The county stretches from the rugged North Pennines in the west, to the North Sea in the east. In the Teesdale Valley, find High Force: with a drop of 21 metres, it is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. Barnard Castle to the south-east is filled with historic features, including Bowes Castle, built in the 12th century by Henry II; the ruins of Egglestone Abbey, built in the 13th century; and Barnard Castle itself.
Eggleston Hall Gardens are four-acres of gardens and nurseries set in the beautiful high Pennines of Teesdale. Gardeners have been collecting and growing plants here for more than 400 years. Follow winding paths to discover the delightful herbaceous borders, lawns and a wishing pool before continuing on through shrubs, trees and perennials. The ruined chapel dates back to 1612 and some of the rarest plants in the garden grow among the old gravestones.
Wynyard Hall near Stockton-on-Tees is not
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