When we were invited by This Is Durham to spend some time in the area we jumped at the chance. As UK travel is where it’s at for the foreseeable future for many, Team ESLT included, it was a great opportunity for us to explore somewhere neither of us had ever been before. Plus, it also gave us the chance to have some family time away from our local area while creating memories with our girls. When planning a family holiday, their needs and wants must take centre stage. If you are a parent or a carer yourself you will know there is nothing worse than a bored child. It simply doesn’t make for a great time for anyone. Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic family attractions in Durham. We enjoyed visiting two of them during our stay.
Where Is Durham?
Durham is located in the North East of England. South-west of Sunderland, south of Newcastle upon Tyne and to the north of Darlington. When people hear ‘Durham’ many automatically think of the City of Durham with its magnificent cathedral and historic 11th-century castle which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site 1986. However, Durham is a County. It not only covers Durham City but also encompasses the Durham Dales, Vale of Durham and the Durham Coast.
From City to Countryside and Coast
Having never visited Durham before, we were excited to learn about what it offers. We found out it offers a lot. It has something to offer everyone regardless of your taste in a getaway. This is because it is made up of 3 distinct areas, each offering something different.
City
Durham City offers a lot for culture vultures and those who love a good city break. So much so The Independent named it as one of the best cities in the world to visit in 2020. As well as the Cathedral and castle mentioned above, there is also a range of accommodation, cafés, artisan workshops, boutiques, galleries, and museums. This old English university city, complete with cobbled streets, is a great place to spend a few days exploring.
Countryside
If strapping on your walking boots or jumping on your bike is more your thing then the Durham Dales (which also incorporates Teesdale and Weardale) have you covered. It is a great destination if you like getting back to nature and away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Here, you will find beautiful landscapes and meandering rivers. There are also postcard-worthy villages and market towns, perfect for a post explore pub lunch.
Coast
The Durham Heritage Coast has a 14km coastal path. It leads you through all the wonderful things this part of the world has to offer. These include grasslands, rare plants and wildlife. The area is also home to Castle Eden Dene, a National Nature Reserve which has 550 acres of natural woodland and hundreds of different species of plants and wildflowers. And if you are looking for a lively seaside resort or simply to relax on the beach, head to Seaham.
Also, Durham City is hoping to enter a bid to become the City of Culture 2025. As Hull is our hometown, which was the City of Culture 2017, we know what a prestigious title this is and the investment and tourism it brings. Good luck Durham!
Where Did We Visit?
As our time in Durham was short we did not get to explore as much as we would have liked to. However, that’s not to say we didn’t have the best time visiting two of the top family attractions in Durham. Both were perfect for our family – two adults, a seven and a three-year-old. There are of course several other attractions suitable for all ages, check out the This Is Durham’s website for further information and inspiration.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
Tickets and Admission
Beamish museum had been on our list of places to visit for a very long time. A visit had been recommended by friends and family more than once, especially since the kids came along. Therefore, we had high expectations and hoped we would not be disappointed (spoiler: we weren’t!). Beamish is an open-air museum and on the day that we visited, the weather gods were definitely smiling on us. However, that’s not to say we didn’t have waterproofs and a couple of extra layers with us just in case the weather turned.
Pre-booking a set date and time is essential. Not only because of our old nemesis ‘Rona, but also because it is one of the most popular family attractions in Durham that people flock to each year, especially during school holidays and the summer months. Once you have bought your tickets (under 5s free), you can then return to Beamish as many times as you like during the following 12 months, again you must pre-book a timeslot but it will not cost you a penny. Therefore, the more you visit the more value for money your ticket is.
You can book your tickets for this amazing attraction and many others, together with accommodation etc directly from the This Is Durham Website.
1900s Town
Beamish tells the story of life in North East England during the 1820s, 1900s & 1940s. With 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1900s Colliery and 1820s Pockerley there is a lot to see and discover. We headed straight to 1900s Town. Here we got to see how families lived and worked in the years leading up to the First World War. Stepping back in time gave us the opportunity to see how things were done pre modern technology and all the gizmos we have now. The girls were fascinated by the lady making bread using an Edwardian recipe in a traditional way at Herron’s Bakery. So much so a queue started to form behind us.
Other stores in 1900s Town include a Garage, Co-op Store, Printer, Stationer & Newspaper Branch Office, Bank, a Pub and a sweet shop. The pub – The Sun Inn is a real traditional pub that was moved to Beamish from Bishop Auckland. It is a great place and Mr ESLT and I stopped by for a bit of liquid refreshment. The kids however preferred Jubilee Confectioners which sells traditional treats. Deciding which ones to buy was an extremely tough decision. We chose to eat lunch in 1900s Town at the Tearooms. If sandwiches, spuds and scones (oh and delicious cakes!) are your thing, this is a great place to eat.
Getting Around
It’s important to remember that Beamish is an open-air museum. Therefore, if the weather is a bit rubbish, you will have to suck it up if you want to experience everything Beamish has to offer. As we mentioned before, we had fantastic weather. Therefore we had the Factor 50 at the ready in anticipation of walking around the whole museum. Mr ESLT and I had planned the route we were going to take and how long we were going to spend at each ‘area’. This was because our time at Beamish was limited and we wanted to make the most of our visit. The kids had other ideas.
As soon as we walked through the entrance they both saw it and let out an audible squeal – a big shiny double-decker! That was it, their day had been made and it went without saying that we had to go on it. It was not the last bus we would hop on that day. In fact, every time we saw one (there are several different types), we had to jump on board. Luckily they run throughout the museum regularly and the price to ride on them is included in the admission fee. If you do fancy walking it, as we had originally planned, the entire route is approximately 3 miles with plenty to do and see along the way.
Beamish is a great attraction to visit if you are interested in the history of the North East, especially its coal mining roots. Generations of families worked down the North East’s pits and were paid quite well for it. You can learn all about their stories at the 1900s Colliery. You can take a guided tour of the Mahogany Drift Mine to experience the dark, wet, and often cramped working conditions the miners had to work in. The colliery is also home to the Lamp Cabin, Winding Engine House, Heapstead and the Colliery railway.
Next to the 1900s Colliery is the 1900s Pit Village which gave us the opportunity to see how a mining community lived during the time of peak coal production in the North East. Here we found original cottages, a chapel and a school. However, seeing the pit ponies (and shouting ‘hello horsey’ repeatedly) was by far Junior and Mini ESLT’s favourite thing. We do have one regret about our visit to Beamish. That is that we never got to try the famous fish and chips on offer. They are cooked the traditional way in coal-fired ranges using beef dripping and are served up at Davy’s Fried Fish Shop. Davy’s is extremely popular. Therefore we recommend you get there well before noon otherwise you may face a long queue.
Would We Return?
We had a great time at Beamish and would return in a heartbeat. If anything we didn’t have enough time and barely scratched the surface of what’s on offer. The fact that it keeps the kids engaged and entertained all day means it gets a big thumbs up from us. Plus, it’s not only educational but super fun too. Also, it’s important to note that even though Beamish is billed as one of the top family attractions in Durham, it is in fact suitable for all ages. It is not a ‘kids only’ attraction, it is a great place for all ages to experience.
Adventure Valley
Indoor/Outdoor Fun
However, if you are looking for something out and out kid-friendly, look no further than Adventure Valley. Again, Adventure Valley is one of the top family attractions in Durham and having visited, it’s easy to see why. With 6 huge play zones consisting of over 50 attractions, it is the biggest adventure park in the North East. As the weather was fantastic when we visited, we opted to stay outside. Allowing us to experience all the great outdoor equipment available.
However, if it had been raining, Adventure Valley would have still been a great option. This is because it has a lot of indoor activities too. These include Indoor Play Town (soft play), Undercover Farmyard, Wild West Play Town & Cannon Saloon, Creature Corner (yup, creepy crawlies) & Bertie (the Guinness World record-holding fastest tortoise). The Showtime Theatre is also open during school holidays adding something extra for the little ones to see.
Something For All Ages
Junior and Mini ESLT were seven and three respectively at the time of our visit and we found that there was enough to occupy both of them for hours. We particularly liked that there was a specific area for under 5s which we thought Mini ESLT would love. Unfortunately, it was a little too tame for her (she is a wild one!) but for smaller and less adventurous kids this area is perfect. There are also different sized jumping pillows. This means they could bounce with roughly the same sized children without us as parents worrying they would get trampled on, or worse still, they would be the trampler.
New Attractions for 2021
New this year to complement the existing pedal go-karts, Dragon Swing, slides, frames, giant sandpits, inflatable rings, zip-line, Forty Towers and tractor rides to name a few, are 3 great attractions. These are a 3D net climb, train ride and aqua blaster. All of which are awesome additions to this great adventure park. Adventure Valley is extremely popular and becoming more so all the time especially because of its ever-increasing number of attractions. Therefore, booking in advance is essential. Again you can book tickets for this attraction and many others in Durham, together with accommodation direct on the This Is Durham Website.
Would We Return?
A place that you can let kids run free, that they have a great time at and that makes them so tired they sleep for 12 hours. Would we return? We would visit every single day if we could. With acres of land and lots of things to see and do, we don’t think the kids (or us) would ever get bored. It’s obvious why it is one of the most visited family attractions in Durham. Also, it has definitely made a big impression on the girls. They ask frequently if they ‘can go back to that big park where we had all the fun and the blue drink (Slush Puppy)’. I just wish we lived closer so we could.
Our ‘Return To Durham’ Bucket List
Now we have had a taste of what Durham has to offer we are eager to return and explore more. Top of our list is definitely Beamish Museum. I feel like we could have spent a week there we loved it that much. However, looking at This Is Durham’s website which highlights all of the great things to do in Durham, here are a few other family attractions in Durham that also sound perfect for Team ESLT.
- The Bowes Museum
- Raby Castle
- Hall Hill Farm
- Diggerland
- Seaham Beach
- Locomotion
- Durham University’s Botanic Garden
- Grassholme Observatory
- Teesdale Alpacas
- High Force Waterfall
Have you visited Durham? Maybe you could suggest some other attractions to add to our list?
- AD – Press Trip. All opions are of course our own.
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