Durham- Land of the Prince Bishops- is a magnificent city. The meander of the river Wear houses the cathedral and across the Green from the sanctuary knocker on the Cathedral door lies Durham Castle; what a defensive site!
Durham's collegiate University occupies the Castle on the neck of the meander- which is probably how the Scottish army were kept securely imprisoned in the ecclesiastical stronghold- check out the fire marks on the cathedral floor! That is what they got for siding with Cromwell's Parliamentarians against the King!
We walked through the cloister which was 'snowed in' so Harry Potter & friends could attend lessons at Hogwarts in winter.
Out the back is another green with an old, tower bakery and lots of symmetrically built, Georgian houses. Such a shame that many Georgian multi fenstrated houses had to fill their windows in to avoid the 'daylight robbery' of the Window Tax.
Round the corner lie the monastic alms houses near the renowned Durham choir school.
Cut through a ginnel (tiny arched alleyway-we still speak Anglo Saxon and Viking up here!) and along past the city walls;
cross Prebends Bridge to look back at the river and the spires of the Cathedral above the treetops; listen out for the splash of students' skulling- preparing for the Durham Regatta.
One of the spires was replaced but the original has been resurrected as a monument on the bank. The ancient churchyard site above leads on to more monastic lands and a superb tythe barn (up near the prison!)
Ooh! Before I forget- I recommend to you a visit to the Hearth- a craft centre (& tearoom of course!)in Horsley; try the pea and ham broth! We went to the Hearth again for an evening at the Hexham Gathering- so much musical folk talent- and the cloggy was brilliant; I have a notion to try learning clogging- it's like hard shoe Irish dancing and infectious. Do I have to admit that for tea we had the best wrap there I have ever had?!
I need my beauty sleep so Good Night all.
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