Durham, England

Durham (also known as Durham City to differentiate it from the county of the same name) is a Cathedral City in County Durham in north-east England.

Name[edit]

The city's Old English name was Dunholm, derived from the elements dun meaning "hill" and holm meaning "islet".

Details[edit]

Th earliest settlement in the Durham area dates to at least 2000 BC, with the present city being traceable to c. 995 AD or before.

The Maiden Castle area of Durham is the site of an Iron Age hillfort located on a promontory overlooking the River Wear behind Whinney Hill.

It has been an important ecclesiastical centre since the late tenth century when the body of St. Cuthbert was brought here and a cathedral erected above the shrine. The cathedral - and the castle erected after the Norman Conquest to house the politically - and militarily-powerful Prince Bishops of Durham - are located on a tight loop in the River Wear and form a natural fortress. Outside this fortress developed the medieval civilian city of Durham, divided into five manorial 'boroughs' belonging to the Bishop, to the Abbot of the monastery attached to the cathedral, and to the Kepier Hospital. The Bishops were given quasi-royal powers by the Norman kings of England - they had their own courts, their own tax-raising powers and their own mints , for example. This was partly because the crown wanted to establish a power base in the north equivalent to that of the earls of Northumberland, whose loyalty was doubtful; bishops, being (ostensibly) celibate, would produce no hereditary threat. A rich and powerful bishopric was also able to maintain powerful castles - such as Norham, on the River Tweed - and armed forces to counter any threat to Northern England from Scotland.

The city of Durham benefited economically from the ecclesiastical presence in its midst, and as a local market centre, but it was not fitted to prosper once the powers of the Prince Bishops waned from the 16th century onwards. Although it was at the centre of a major coalfield, Newcastle rather than Durham was the chief commercial centre for the industry, and the River Wear was too shallow here to allow Durham any role in coal export. However, the abolition of the final special privileges of the bishopric in 1836 prompted the then bishop, van Mildert, to give his palace in the city's castle to a new university, only the third to be founded in England (after Oxford and Cambridge). Durham University is a major UK academic institution, and, along with the tourist industry, plays a major role in the city's economy.

Architecture and landmarks[edit]

Durham Cathedral can be traced in its present form to around 1093 AD during the early Norman period. Its central tower has a height of 218 ft (66 meters) and the building is considered one of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in Europe.

Durham Castle sits opposite the cathedral on Palace Green. Its construction began in the 1070s under the order of William I of England to as a projection of Norman authority in the rebellious north of England.

Sport[edit]

Association football[edit]

The main association football (soccer) team in the area is Durham AFC who were founded in 1918 and, as of 2022, play in the Wearside Football League.

Hockey[edit]

Durham has an active field hockey team, Durham City Hockey Club, who train at Maiden Castle.

Durham Wasps historically were one of the UK's most successful ice hockey teams until the team moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1996.

Rowing[edit]

Rowing is popular in the Durham area as the River Wear provides over 1800m of water suitable for rowing. Numerous rowing clubs operate on the river.

Rugby Union[edit]

Durham City RFC is the second oldest rugby union team in the county.^[1]

Swimming[edit]

Durham is home to England's second oldest swimming club, Durham City Aquatics, who were established in 1861 and are housed at Durham's Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre.

Tennis[edit]

The city has several tennis clubs including the Archery Lawn and Durham Moor.

Education[edit]

Durham City is served by four main state secondary schools; Belmont School, Durham Johnston, Framwellgate School and St Leonards. There are also two secondary independent schools; Durham School, which traces its origins back over 600 years as the city's oldest educational facility, and Durham High School for Girls.

Durham is globally renown for its university, which regularly ranks within the top 150 worldwide and, as of 2022, is currently ranked 6th in the UK.

Transport[edit]

Durham Station is located on the 400-mile long East Coast Mainline, which links London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington and Newcastle.

The A1(M), part of the modern incarnation of the Great North Road between London and Edinburgh, passes east of the city. Other key roads in the area are the A167, which is west of the city centre and was the old route of the Great North Road, and the A690, which links Durham with the nearest city Sunderland.

Teesside Airport (formerly Durham Tees Valley Airport) and Newcastle Airport are both located around 20 miles from the city.

Notable people[edit]

• Alexander Armstrong (b. 1970), actor, television host, comedian, radio personality and singer. Educated in Durham.
• Rowan Atkinson, (b. 1955)
• Tony Blair, (b. 1953), former UK Prime Minister. Attended Chorister School 1961-1966
• Dominic Cummings, (b. 1971), former Chief Adviser to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, born in the city and educated at Durham School.

International relations[edit]

Twin towns[edit]

The City of Durham is twinned with several towns and cities in the USA so-named:

• Durham, Connecticut
• Durham, New Hampshire
• Durham, North Carolina - 4th most populous city in North Carolina

References[edit]

1. ↑ About Durham City Rugby Club