Tourists in Durham

[shewhomust]

We spent Thursday being tourists in our home town, thanks to lamentables and abrinsky, who generously provided us with an excuse. We weighed up a number of options: should we use the car to relocate from the station to the furthest point of our route? Or should we start by walking up to Wharton Park, for an overview of the city? And that would bring us along the North Road... What about Redhills? in the light of what we might want to see, and how far we might be comfortable walking, we did the obvious thing: caught the shuttle bus from the station to Palace Green and began by visiting the Cathedral.

abrinsky was quite shocked that photography is not allowed in the Cathedral; or rather, it is allowed, but for a fee which is high enough (last time I checked it was £10) to deter casual photography. One of these days I will cough up, and spend a day photographing the stacks of searing (all those chrome legs knit into such intricate patterns) and the way the sun splashed the colours of the Millennium window onto the stonework. Not this time, though. abrinsky made do with photographing the Lego model of the cathedral (the Rose window opens, so you can shoot right down the nave) and we moved on, through the College and out onto the riverbanks.

I'd planned to visit the Count's House, but the footpath was closed for works of some kind, so that will have to wait for next time (we have all promised there will be a next time). Instead we headed back up the Bailey, detouring into St Mary the Less, which was open for the Heritage Open Days:

Time for lunch, and we chose Bill's as having the most promising menu for the avoidance of gluten, and were very satisfied with our choice. durham_rambler and I had eaten there when it was quite new, and not been impressed: we had been in a hurry before a concert, and had found the burgers nothing special and the service off-hand. On this occasion the staff were charming and the haloumi fries irresistible. I'd cheerfully go back. Next, a quick visit to the market, and since the Town Hall was open, a visit there, too:

Photograph chosen not so much as a variation on a theme (them Bowes get everywhere!) as for the extraordinary face on that cherub. This visit wasn't quite as quick, as durham_rambler was pounced upon by a fellow visitor: "I voted for you..." but eventually we were on the move again, over Elvet Bridge without going into the Oxfam bookshop, and onto Old Elvet. We admired Old Shire Hall, and agreed that while turning municipal buildings into fancy hotels isn't ideal, it stops them falling down in a way that retains some chance we can get inside them.

Onward. Getting tired now, but we have a cunning plan. Cutting through the hotel car park and then round the old police station - now flats - we ignored the prison, and emerged onto New Elvet opposite - ta-daah! - Dunelm House. (Goodness, it's in a terrible state! The metal reinforcing shows through the concrete in several places. You'd think the University hadn't been maintaining it properly, or something.) We walked across Kingsgate Bridge, which give you the best view of Dunelm House anyway, and then it's just up the steps and - "Oh, I know where I am now!" said abrinsky - up Dun Cow Lane to Palace Green and the bus back to the station.

Comments

[cmcmck]

That kind of stupidity makes sure only the professionals pay the fee and we all know how that works out! It means the church signs away its image rights for peanuts while amateurs and tourists lose out.

[shewhomust]

Hmm... Not sure. I think if they wanted only professionals, it would be a lot more! This deters casual photographers, but serious hobbyists can probably afford it.

It's old fashioned, though - I wonder how long they'll be able to keep it up?

[cmcmck]

Especially with phones- it's those of us who use real cameras who lose out every time.