Guided Walking Tour of Durham & its Infamous Characters: Discover a City Steeped in History
5.0
100 Ratings
County Durham
Join our guided walking tour of Durham and uncover the fascinating stories of its infamous characters. From Narnia to mining, dragons to saints, and even a serial killer, this tour is a captivating journey through the city's rich history.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Durham Market Place - At the heart of Durham’s historic old town, your guide will tell the story of Lord Londonderry, whose statue dominates the scenery, and Durham’s mining heritage.
- Elvet Bridge - Situated on the winding River Wear, above the former dungeons of Durham, Elvet Bridge sets the scene for the story of Jimmy Allen, the People’s Piper, who had a nightclub named after him.
- Old Elvet - Home to the stunning Hotel Indigo and Prison Green, where convicts were executed in Durham, the historic street of Old Elvet is where travellers will hear about Britain’s first (and most notorious) female serial killer.
- Durham Castle - Part of the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durham’s impressive Norman castle is now home to students, but also allegedly to two mysterious ghosts…
- Durham Cathedral - Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site landmark is located opposite the castle. The Cathedral IS Durham’s skyline and your guide will tell you about one peculiar saint, who is buried there, and had a college named after him.
- Prebends Bridge - With a view once painted by none other than William Turner himself, Prebends Bridge leads the travellers to an inconspicuous object, which might have inspired a certain C.S. Lewis one cold winter…
- River Wear - Along the banks of the River Wear, a famous local legend was spun, involving a knight, a dragon, a witch and a curse. Here travellers can enjoy one of the postcard views of Durham Cathedral and the Old Corn Mill by the Riverside.
- Framwellgate Bridge - Leading up to Silver Street, your guide will tell the story of Durham’s own Dick Whittington and his shiny fortune. Just mind the seagulls!
What's Included
- Local history and folklore expertise
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
This excursion offers much more than a simple journey around Durham. It delves deeply into the narratives interwoven with its residents and their histories. From connections to the magical realm of Narnia to its traditions rooted in mining, from tales elicited by dragons and saints to accounts of a serial murderer, Durham offers a treasure trove of unforgettable tales. The tour ensures that everyone from explorers, scholars and natives will unearth something unprecedented about Durham, all while taking in magnificent vistas of the cathedral and the timeless city center. Designed to be accommodating, the tour is suitable for families and maintains a completely accessible route. Your tour leader is a passionate local inhabitant, a graduate of Durham University, and a connoisseur in everything pertaining to Durham’s history and current affairs.
Location
Gala Theatre & Cinema
Millennium Place
Coming from Market Place, cross the bridge towards the Gala Theatre, then turn left onto Millennium Place and you will see your guide wearing a beige coat, standing by the statue of pilgrims carrying St Cuthbert's coffin, in front of Clayport Library.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(100 Ratings)
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Michaella_y
Apr 14, 2024
Tons of fun exploring the... - Tons of fun exploring the city and hearing lots of interesting stories. Our guide was very friendly and engaging.
Review provided by Viator
Viviennem469
Mar 23, 2024
An excellent way to begin a stay in Durham - This walking tour was an excellent way to begin our 3 day visit to Durham. The guide gave an interesting, amusing and eclectic mix of Durham’s past. We walked up and down hills and steps with frequent stops to hear about something relevant to the particular place and to catch our breath.
By the end of the tour, apart from seeing the cathedral, castle, town square and various bridges we had a sense of direction for our own exploring over the rest of our stay. I’d thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gd5760
Mar 19, 2024
Excellent way to see Durham - What an amazing tour. Our guide was informative and witty, giving us tales of the many characters of Durham whilst showing us what this beautiful city had to offer. Would thoroughly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fionac304
Mar 17, 2024
Best walking tour we’ve done! - Do not hesitate to book this guided walking tour! Tom your guide is knowledgeable and full of interesting stories about characters who inhabited Durham in years gone by. The way he articulates the stories make the tour captivating and entertaining with the time flying by as you walk the streets of Durham learning as you go. The most enjoyable time spent in Durham on this tour. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philip_s
Mar 14, 2024
Great way to know Durham - This trip was informative entertaining and well worth doing Tom was brilliant we saw Durham in a way we couldn’t doing it on our own -the route the knowledge was great when we went into the cathedral on our own not included we had great knowledge to help us appreciate the cathedral visit
Review provided by Viator
Boogs2008
Mar 9, 2024
Get yourself booked on!! - What a treat this walking tour was, I’m so glad I came across it when researching things to do in Durham. Tom is a brilliant guide, offering lots of information and facts as well as intriguing and interesting stories. If this is your first time to Durham I’d 100% recommend getting booked on to this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Isabel_b
Mar 7, 2024
A great way to explore the city of Durham - Tom is a very good raconteur of historical stories, enhanced by showing us where events occurred. He gave us a fascinating insight into the history and characters of Durham and was very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Chandelmisspreetic
Mar 7, 2024
Lovely tour - Lovely tour of the city and its history at a leisurely pace. If you want to know more about Durham, how it was founded, and how the cathedral came about then this will be perfect for you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4856usruthb
Mar 3, 2024
A good tour - Enjoyed the tour. Our guide was very engaging and we saw and heard about parts of Durham we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Interesting history and content.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grahamfi4564jy
Feb 26, 2024
Superb guided walk - tell your friends - 4 friends over 60 thoroughly enjoyed this guided walk. Tom is a knowledgeable guide who shares interesting stories and facts along the way. He comfortably answered everyone's questions and even kept us on our toes with a few of his own unusual questions. Information shared about Durham's historic characters was fascinating plus Tom took us to his favorite view of the cathedral for a great photo opportunity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor