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Guided Walking Tour of Durham & its Infamous Characters: Discover a City Steeped in History
5.0
139 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
(139 Ratings)
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Philipjc4075qm
Aug 16, 2024
Guided tour meets story-telling. Don't miss it! - We really enjoyed this tour from start to finish. The places and people of Durham were brought to life with an entertaining mixture of fact and story telling, presented with infectious enthusiasm. Thank you so much - a brilliant experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bigerch25
Aug 12, 2024
Excellent walking tour - The tour guide was brilliant. Gave us lots of historical information and interesting stories. An excellent way to learn about the history of how Durham got it's name.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas_e
Aug 8, 2024
Don't miss this tour - well worth the effort to go on. - This was an extremely enjoyable tour of Durham and the stories of the people that had lived there. The guide was excellent and really brought the city to life with his encyclopaedic memory and knowledge of the famous and infamous characters that had lived there. The pace was just right and not too hurried - well recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Josephine_a
Aug 7, 2024
Tom was an excellent... - Tom was an excellent guide and was very passionate in telling the history of St Cuthbert and Durham. The history of the town as it was then, the famous and the infamous
Review provided by Viator
Gill_l
Aug 4, 2024
Most enjoyable! - We really enjoyed finding areas off the beaten track and learning about some of the characters that inhabitated them. And going over all the bridges! Well worth the money.
Review provided by Viator
593carolg
Aug 4, 2024
Perfect guided walk - Tom was at the meeting place as agreed and had a friendly welcome.
We covered the whole of the city with animated stories along the way. Our daughter (8) was engaged and really enjoyed the walk.
The walk seemed well planned and Tom was able to answer questions along the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deb131517
Aug 1, 2024
Durham walking tour - must do - Best walking tour I have done in years. Tom was engaging, enthusiastic and well informed.
Third visit to Durham but now I have a much better appreciation of the city, its history and present day character.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Howard_r
Jul 28, 2024
Brought Durham to life. - Extremely knowledgeable guide. Great sense of humour. Can highly recommend this guided walk. Brought Durham to life.
Review provided by Viator
Stephenbs2211oe
Jul 27, 2024
Great tour experience. - Really enjoyed this thank you. Very knowledgeable about the area and the past and he made it fun. Great personality and very friendly. Would recommend this to any one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey_r
Jul 26, 2024
Learn Durham's History from Tom! - We were a family group of four ranging in age from 12 to 86 and Tom managed to keep us all interested during his excellent tour of Durham. We learned a lot about Durham and were amused/horrified by his stories of some of the colourful inhabitants over the centuries. The tour covered all the important parts of Durham but was not too tiring and there was no information overload.
Review provided by Viator