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For decades, County Durham has seen millions of travellers speed by on the A1 or East Coast Main Line, their sights firmly set on York‘s medieval streets, Edinburgh‘s Royal Mile, or even the Lake District‘s famous fells.
But that dynamic is shifting. Today, Durham’s spectacular Norman cathedral, its medieval fortress, along with countless other attractions spread across the county, are increasingly on the radar of curious travellers looking for something new (yet really old!) to see.
And 21 million visitors can’t be wrong. Especially those of them booking overnight (or longer) stays.
Next Stop? Durham, of Course!
Positioned between Newcastle upon Tyne to the north and Yorkshire to the south, Durham is served by direct trains from London King’s Cross in under three hours, making it an extremely accessible must-visit destination.
Now, This Is Durham, the county’s tourism service, has launched its most ambitious marketing campaign to date. Running through to the spring of 2026, Next Stop, Durham aims to convince even more travellers that Durham itself deserves to be the British destination to visit and explore.
Need convincing? Pay a visit to the county’s top attraction, and you’ll see for yourself. From the newly opened New Hallat Locomotion, which houses Europe‘s largest “undercover” collection of vintage trains, to Raby Castle‘s newly opened historic buildings, and even the continued expansion of the award-winning Beamish Museum, County Durham just keeps getting better.
County Durham Pulls Out the Stops
Many other Durham attractions are getting in on the act, too. The Auckland Project (centered around things to do in Bishop Auckland), Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, The Bowes Museum, and retail destination Dalton Park are all in to ensure the success of the initiative.
So, too, are area accommodation partners. Lumley Castle, Seaham Hall Hotel, and Radisson Blu Durham will be promoting overnight stays, a key driver of tourism expenditure.
Things To Do in County Durham
To get a better idea of everything that County Durham has to offer, here’s a little more detail about a few of our favorite things to see and do Cunty Durham.
Durham Cathedral
The centrepiece of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durham Cathedral, was constructed between 1093 and 1133 to house the relics of St Cuthbert, who evangelised Northumbria, and the Venerable Bede, the seventh-century scholar considered the father of English history. Considered one of England’s most important examples of Norman architecture, it’s worth spending at least a few hours exploring it.
The cathedral’s nave ceiling represents the earliest surviving example of a pointed rib vault, a technical achievement that made possible the soaring Gothic cathedrals that would follow across Europe. The Durham peninsula, where the cathedral and adjacent castle sit above a dramatic loop in the River Wear, has been in continuous religious use for nearly a millennium. Neighboring Durham Castle, which served as a residence of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, now houses University College, Durham.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
The open-air Beamish Museum spans 350 acres of County Durham countryside, recreating English life across four distinct periods: the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s, and 1950s. Visitors can ride period trams, purchase sweets from a working Edwardian sweet shop, and watch craftspeople demonstrating trades that have largely vanished from daily life.
The recently completed 1950s Town includes a cinema, toy shop, and electrical store, while Georgian-themed overnight accommodation allows guests to extend their immersion beyond normal visiting hours.
Locomotion
The town of Shildon‘s claim to fame arose on September 27, 1825, when George Stephenson‘s legendary Locomotion No. 1 departed from outside the Mason’s Arms pub, making it the first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The town became the world’s first true railway community, eventually housing an engineering works that employed thousands before closing in 1984.
The impressive Locomotion museum houses a total of 99 railway cars, carriages, and engines, including locomotives built at the original Shildon Works. Also on display are the world’s oldest oil tanker and Gaunless Bridge, one of the first railway bridges constructed of iron.
Bishop Auckland
The Auckland Project represents one of Britain‘s most ambitious cultural regeneration programmes, Centered around Auckland Palace, positioned above the River Wear and the residence of the Prince-Bishops for over 800 years, the attraction now houses significant artwork collections, most notably the Zurbarán paintings depicting Jacob and his 12 sons and acquired in 1756.
The Spanish Gallery, the first of its kind in the UK, is dedicated to the arts and culture of the Spanish world, while the Faith Museum chronicles 6,000 years of religious practice in Britain and Ireland. Auckland Tower, opened in 2018, provides a 15-metre-high viewing platform overlooking the 150-acre Deer Park, home to deer herds since the Prince-Bishops created it over 800 years ago.
The town’s summer highlight is Kynren: An Epic Tale of England, a 90-minute live-action spectacle that takes audiences through 2,000 years of history on a seven-and-a-half-acre stage. The production, which marked its tenth anniversary in 2025, employs a cast and crew of 1,000 volunteers performing alongside horses, geese, and period vehicles. Composer Nathan Stornetta, who has collaborated with Hans Zimmer on films including Gladiator and The Dark Knight Rises, created the score.
Raby Castle
Raby Castle, a medieval fortress in the Durham Dales that has remained home to Lord and Lady Barnard’s family for centuries, completed its largest development in generations with The Rising project in 2024.
This ambitious undertaking restored heritage buildings, including the Dutch Barn and Riding School, remodelled five acres of 300-year-old walled gardens, and added the 200-seat Vinery Restaurant showcasing estate produce.
The Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle offers a different architectural experience entirely. Built between 1869 and 1892 in the style of a classic French château, the museum was purpose-built to house the art collection assembled by John Bowes and his wife.
The collection spans five centuries and includes paintings by El Greco, Goya, and Canaletto, as well as a collection of Sèvres porcelain. A highlight is the famous Silver Swan automaton, an eighteenth-century marvel that preens itself and appears to catch and swallow a fish during daily demonstrations at 2 pm.
Where to Stay: Heritage Meets Hospitality
County Durham’s accommodation sector has worked hard to match the quality of its attractions.
Lumley Castle
This 14th-century quadrangular fortress near Chester-le-Street, has operated as a hotel since 1976 while remaining the property of the Earl of Scarbrough. Sir Ralph Lumley converted his family manor house into a castle in 1389 after returning from wars in Scotland
The castle’s King James Suite commemorates the monarch’s 1603 visit en route from Edinburgh to his English coronation. Medieval banquets in the candlelit great hall and themed murder mystery evenings complement more conventional fine dining in the Knights Restaurant.
Seaham Hall
A Georgian country house overlooking Durham’s Heritage Coast, Seaham Hall has earned inclusion in La Liste, a prestigious global ranking of the world’s finest hotels. Dating to 1791, the property where Lord Byron married Annabella Milbanke sits on 37 acres of clifftop grounds.
Its 44,000 square foot Serenity Spa draws on Far Eastern wellness traditions, while The Dining Room restaurant sources ingredients from local fishing boats and nearby farms.
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To find out more about these attractions and unique accommodations, as well as other fun things to do in County Durham, visit Thisisdurham.com.
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TMA Howe is LuxuryUK’s Automotive Editor and an avid traveller.
