Everything about Durham totally explained
Durham (in
RP, locally ) is a small
city and main settlement of the
City of Durham district of
County Durham,
England.
It is well-known for its
Norman Cathedral and
Castle, and is home to
Durham University.
HM Prison Durham is also located close to the city centre.
History
Toponymy
The name "Durham" comes from
Old English "
dun-
holm", meaning "hill-island". It was given this name due to its steep, hilly embankments .
Early history
Archeological evidence suggests a history of settlement at Durham since roughly 2000 BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to 995 AD, when a group of monks from
Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of
Saint Cuthbert, that had previously lain in
Chester-le-Street, founding a church there. (Legend says that the monks were led to the location by a milk maid who had lost her
dun cow, which was found resting on this spot.) The present
Durham Cathedral was built from 1093, and still contains the remains of
St Cuthbert as well as The
Venerable Bede. It is regarded by many - such as travel writer
Bill Bryson -- as the finest
cathedral in the world .
Facing the cathedral across
Palace Green is
Durham Castle, originally built by the
Normans from 1071, on William the Conqueror's return from campaigning in Scotland. Some of the present structure is more recent, notably
Anthony Salvin's Victorian restorations. The two buildings are jointly designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site- one of the original seven in the
United Kingdom.
(External Link
) Since 1837 the castle has been home to
University College, the first college of the
University.
In the three centuries following the construction of the Castle, Durham was regularly besieged by the
Scots, with the notable
Battle of Neville's Cross (1346) occurring just one mile west of the city.
In medieval times Durham was a major centre of both political and ecclesiastical power, mainly due to its strategic importance near the border with
Scotland. County Durham was a
palatinate, ruled by
Prince-Bishops who had secular authority and considerable autonomy from
Westminster, minting their own coinage, dispensing their own justice and with the right to maintain their own armies. Every
Bishop of Durham from 1071 to 1836 was a Prince Bishop except for the first Norman-appointed
bishop Walcher, who was an Earl-Bishop. (The term Prince Bishop, while a useful one, isn't one which the Durham Bishops themselves would have recognised.)
Henry VIII curtailed some of the Prince-Bishop's powers, and smashed the shrine of Cuthbert in 1538.
19th century onwards
Finally, the public climate surrounding the Great Reform Act of 1832 removed the Bishop's extraordinary powers.
In 1832 the
University of Durham was founded, which has several buildings on the peninsula and on
Elvet Hill on the other side of the river. The 19th century also saw Durham grow as a centre of the
coal mining industry. The first
Durham Miners' Gala was held in 1871, and remains a popular annual event.
Governance
The
municipal borough was formerly known as 'Durham and
Framwelgate', until it was merged with
Durham Rural District and
Brandon and Byshottles urban district to form the
City of Durham district. Durham's
MP is
Roberta Blackman-Woods (
Labour).
Geography
Durham is situated 13 miles (21 km) to the south west of
Sunderland,
England. The
River Wear flows north through the city, making an incised
meander which encloses the centre on three sides to create Durham's "peninsula". Durham is a hilly city, claiming to be built upon the symbolic seven hills. Upon the most central and prominent position high above the Wear, the
cathedral dominates the skyline. The steep riverbanks are densely wooded, adding to the picturesque beauty of the city. West of the city centre, another river, the
River Browney, drains south to join the Wear to the south of the city.
Durham won the Large Town award in the
Britain in Bloom awards of 2005.
The
county town of
County Durham, Durham is located in the
City of Durham local government district, which extends beyond the city, and has a total population of 87,656, and covers 186.68 square kilometres. The
unparished area of Durham had a population of 29,091, whilst the built-up area of Durham had a population of 42,939.
Areas of Durham
The centre of Durham sits on a
peninsula created by the
River Wear. At the base of the peninsula is the
market square, which still hosts regular markets; a permanent indoor market is also situated on the square. The square and surrounding streets are one of the main commercial and shopping areas of the city. From the market square,
The Bailey leads south past
Palace Green: The Bailey is almost entirely owned and occupied by the
University and
Cathedral.
There are three old roads out of the central Market Square. Saddler Street heads South-Easterly out of the square, towards
Elvet Bridge, The Bailey and
Prebends Bridge. Elvet Bridge leads to the
Elvet area of the city, Durham Prison and the South; Prebends Bridge is smaller and provides access from The Bailey to South Durham. Heading west, Silver Street leads out of the Market Square towards
Framwellgate Bridge and North Road, the other main shopping area of the city. From here, the city spreads out into the
Framwelgate,
Crossgate,
Neville's Crossand viaduct districts, the other main shopping area of the city. Beyond the viaduct lie the outlying districts of
Framwellgate Moor and
Neville's Cross. Heading north from the market place leads to
Claypath. The road curves back round to the east and beyond it lie
Gilesgate, Gilesgate Moor and
Dragonville.
Many of the inner city areas are now inhabited by students living in shared houses. In some roads as many as 70% of the dwellings are occupied by students.
Climate
Like the rest of the
United Kingdom, Durham has a
temperate climate. At the average annual rainfall is lower than the national average of . Equally there are only around 121.3 days || Agriculture || Industry || Services
|-
| 1995 ||
4,063 || 47 || 1,755 || 2,261
|-
| 2000 ||
4,783 || 40 || 1,840 || 2,904
|-
| 2003 ||
5,314 || 39 || 1,978 || 3,297
|}
Landmarks
