Durham City Walking Tour: Explore History and Highlights with a Blue Badge Guide
5.0
30 Ratings
County Durham
Embark on a captivating Durham City Walking Tour with Blue Badge Guide Ken Bradshaw. Explore the medieval streets, discover the history of Durham University, and uncover fascinating stories of notable figures. Don't miss the stunning landscapes of County Durham and the North East of England!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Durham Cathedral - A 900 year old Norman-Romanesque cathedral that pioneered stone vaulted ceiling. The story of the monks carrying the coffin of the legendary miracle working monk, St.Cuthbert.
- Durham Castle - Built on the orders of William the Conqueror, the Durham Fortress quelled the Anglo-Saxons and resisted Scottish attack. Changed over the course of many centuries as successive Prince Bishops of Durham left their own mark.
- Durham Market Place - Created by the flamboyant Prince Bishop Ranuf Flambard in the 11th century, the Market Place is a centre of activity and full of interesting buildings, sculptures and historical characters.
- Elvet Bridge - A 12th century bridge commissioned by Prince Bishop Hugh de Puiset to open up the lands to the East of Durham. See the remnants of the St.Andrew chantry, hear about the infamous bagpipe player Jimmy Allen and find out what Dominic Cummings did when he was a student at the second worst night club of Europe.
- Saddler Street - See the magnificent Georgian street full of lovely independent shops and inns/restaurants and some interesting facts quirky street views including the last remaining parts of enormous North Gate of Durham fortress.
- Prebends Bridge - Built in1776 this bridge affords a fantastic view of Durham Cathedral across the majestic river Wear.
What's Included
- Includes all fees and taxes
- Admission to top Durham sites: Market Place, Elvet Bridge, and Saddler Street
What's Not Included
- Tea and coffee
- Admission to Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle
Additional Information
Presenting Ken Bradshaw, a certified tour guide bearing the distinguished Blue Badge of North East England. He will customize your historical journey based on your unique interests, bringing to life the majestic ambience of North East England. Be prepared to stroll through the age-old streets steeped in history and saunter down the shores of the River Wear, showcasing the brilliant highlights of this path of heritage.
Expect to witness peculiar alleys, impressive viewpoint and intriguing spots all along your way. Explore the famed Durham University, recognised as one of the finest educational establishments globally, and the colleges forming its esteemed legacy. Uncover the tales of numerous figures like the whimsical Count of Poland, who was known for his violin performances at the Victorian theatre, influential Prince Bishops, and the infamous 3rd Marquis of Londonderry, a coal tycoon whose statue graces the Durham marketplace.
For a sneak peak of the panoramic County Durham and North East England, do visit my website and watch my videos.
Location
Market Place
Meet by the man on the horse in Durham Market Place
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(30 Ratings)
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Anngq2620qe
Mar 6, 2024
Do book, or you'll miss so much!7 - Wonderful guide: knowledgeable, witty and generally a nice bloke. Also volunteers at the cathedral. Definitely worth booking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ann
Feb 20, 2024
Excellent informative tour guide. Enjoyed! - Guide was excellent. Good company. Informative. Very responsive. The tour was very well paced. He explained what was planned and checked we were happy with it. He also made further recommendations for our afternoon exploring Durham. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
620faithi
Dec 31, 2023
Perfect Guide for Durham - Ken was a fabulous tour guide for our family trip to Durham. He personalized our walking tour to suit our interests at our pace. He is a polished communicator and shared many points of interest and stories we would not have found on or own or with guide books. His local and historical knowledge was remarkable. He also pointed out some great places to eat during our visit. I highly recommend his walking tour. Thank you Ken!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_l
Oct 27, 2023
Very worthwhile despite adverse weather - Despite heavy rain, Ken provided an informative tour of Durham, providing some intriguing historical gems.
Review provided by Viator
Helen_m
Sep 7, 2023
Informative tour of city and Cathedral - Ken was very informative with so much knowledge but put it across in a very informal way so not too high brow. We saw some lovely views of the city that you would not find on your own and his knowledge of the cathedral when inside just brought it to life for you.
Great tour fully recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Merlotcats
Jun 25, 2023
Fantastic and enlighting experience - Time went past so quickly, Ken is so engaging and informative, a real gem to get an insight into the area and its history. Blue badge holder too. I would 100% recommend this tour, you cannot get this from a book, so don't waste your time, start your adventure with the knowledge that makes everything else you see fall into place. Excellence absolutely. Thank you Ken!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Willn920
Jun 18, 2023
Informative and interesting tour - Incredibly informative, a really nice experience and we learnt lots about Durham. If you want to learn a lot about Durham and it’s history, try this tour with Ken.
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Anngq2620qe
Jun 1, 2023
Super city tour of Durham - Ken is the most informative, amusing and knowledgeable guide I've ever come across.
Absolutely amazing. Can't recommend highly enough.
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Aeg240
May 26, 2023
Brilliant - So knowledgeable, friendly, courteous, funny, great company - couldn't have asked for a better companion.
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Sweetorange34
Apr 13, 2023
Fantastic Tour - A wonderful two hours. Ken is exceptionally knowledgable and goes at a good pace, allowing for a lot of questions and history to be included from whatever angle takes your fancy. There is a beautiful part of the walk along the riverbank which made Durham really very special. Strongly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor