While Durham isn't on the tourist radar for most, the Durham Cathedral is most definitely worth a detour for those visiting northern England. The cathedral and castle sit perched atop the city along the river. We took the somewhat steep riverside route up to the cathedral, and while it was quite a bit of a hike, the views along the river were fabulous. After exiting, we went via the city streets, which was also a treat as we were able to admire the unique city architecture and cobblestone streets. The cathedral is alongside the university campus, with the adjacent castle being part of the school. There is no fee to visit the cathedral, but there is a suggested donation, with optional paid tours. There's also a gift shop and a place to grab food (architecture is amazing here). Durham Cathedral was used for filming scenes for Harry Potter movies and Avengers Endgame. The cloisters and main cathedral chambers are very picturesque. I'd recommend a visit to the city of Durham and its cathedral if you find yourself looking for things to do in Northern England. read more

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We visited Durham Cathedral in September 2024 on our way from York up to Bamburgh. I had wanted to explore Durham as it is another ancient city with Saxon, Viking and Norman history. We chose not to visit the castle, due to time, but that gave us more time at the Cathedral. It was well worth it. We took the self-guided audio tour and it was excellent. It was a relatively busy day - all the new students were moving in - but it didn't feel too crowded. There are many interesting points of interest inside this magnificent building, of course St Cuthbert and The Venerable Bead are the hilights for me. There are lots of beautiful stained glass windows, of course the stunning rose window. There is a great looking cafe, but we did not have time to stop and eat. It looks like a great option for refreshments after a few hours on your feet. We parked at the Riverwalk Mall parking lot and walked over the Framwelgate Bridge to Market Square. Its a short but moderately steep walk up the top of the hill where the castle and cathedral are. Well worth exploring. read more

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**June 2022: Monday Afternoon Visit** I was MOST excited to visit this Cathedral because several scenes from the first two Harry Potter movies were filmed here. If you love Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or if you're American "the Sorcerer's Stone") and The Chamber of Secrets you will probably die seeing the courtyard scenes and you WILL feel like a Hogwarts student. There are just some things that is hard to match the rich history of an actual old building that I don't think a green screen can do justice. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the portion of the building where they filmed McGongal's classroom, but was told that faculty and professors had used it during graduation ceremonies. I was also informed that in Avengers: Infinity War also shot several scenes inside the main part of the Cathedral. It's when Thor and Rocket went back to Asgard to retrieve the Reality Stone and Thor runs into his mom; however, there are pews in the center so it looks different than how the movie used it. Regardless, I loved getting to visit this beautiful building! Definitely don't miss this if you're a Potterhead and/or love seeing where famous where shot in person. Also it's FREE to enter, but £5 donation suggested. read more

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Far too focused on touting for donations and totally ruins the experience. The staff come out of everywhere and are only interested in getting your money. Such a shame as is should be an experience of peace and serenity. read more

Beautiful cathedral! Well worth the visit! And they filmed some scenes from some of the Harry Potter movies here (some of the quidditch matches in the courtyard and other scenes...search it on google)! You have to park in town but it's affordable (about 3gbp I think). It's a short walk from there and you get to walk through the cute town and pass shops and restaurants. A must see for any die-hard Potterhead! read more

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Durham Cathedral is surely one of the best and most impressive cathedrals outside of London, built in the late 1000's going into the early 1100s, it is a Grade I listed building and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While it is free entry, they do seem to pressure you highly to donate money, obviously, I get that but Cathedrals/Churches shouldn't give you that sort of vibe in my opinion and I do agree with some of the more negative reviews that the staff seemed a little pushy and arrogant, which puts a slight dampener but not too much on a rather beautiful, strong Cathedral with multiple towers which puts Durham on the map: you even get great views of the Cathedral from certain parts of the nearby railway station too. They do have some events going on too so it's always worth taking a look when you can, planning your visit ahead to get the most out of it. Durham Cathedral makes an already cool, historic city a little bit better. 4* read more

Excellent! I'm not Christian, but I am fascinated by churches. Durham Cathedral is my favorite that I have visited. The architecture is absolutely stunning. Durham is a beautiful town to begin with, and the cathedral only adds to the town's beauty. There are amazing historical artwork, statues, and overall architectural beauty. They also have a wonderful WWII memorial outside of the cathedral entrance where you can create a memorial marker for fallen soldiers. They offered different faith symbols for soldiers who were not Christian as well. Such a respectful and wonderful Church that does the faith and community well. I look forward to returning once uni resumes! read more

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I'm not usually a cathedral kind of person, but this one is absolutely beautiful. What I love most is how many different points in the city you can see it from, in particular the view when arriving by train into Durham is spectacular. The architecture is incredible and the gardens as well as the insides of the cathedral are immaculately kept. Entrance is free, but we paid an extra £3 to climb the tower. This was a lot of fun, and we bumped into a man who worked there en route who showed us into the room where they wind up the clock. The views from the top are incredible. My favourite bit was of course the cloisters where parts of Harry Potter were filmed! read more

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This is the finest Romanesque cathedral in England and amongst the best cathedrals in the world. It is spectacularly situated on a high plateau above a bend on the River Wear. Impressively build around 900 years ago and has been maintained structurally sound until now. The surviving monastic buildings are more complete than any others. There are free guided tours. They ask for a contribution of £3 which is astonishingly good value for what you get. Most recently it was famous for its use in the Harry Potter films for both interior and exterior views of Hogwarts. Superb experience. read more

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If you're in Durham and you didn't notice the Cathedral you're blind. It's imposing place in the cities skyline is well deserved as it should be viewed as the primary attraction. The inside is as impressive as the outside, and while I was bummed Durham Castle was closed when I went, the sheer magnitude of this UNESCO site made the side trip worth it. Just be advised they don't allow pictures... so be very discreet or just enjoy it and leave your camera behind. read more

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Christmas fair in the grounds of the cathedral. A large marquee on the palace green selling all sorts of Christmas gifts. A tad on the expensive side for something that is home made in most cases but if you are looking for that Xmas gift that is unique then have a look here. The smell of mulled wine & roasted chestnuts creates the scene. Inside the cathedral a number of stalls were selling cakes, game pies & general Xmas food. At 2pm an informal carol service took place, you were able to come & go or stay & sing a few well known Christmas carols. It was very busy but with the snow laying around outside made a nice start to the Christmas shopping. read more

Durham Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Durham, DUR

Visited April 2015: "Tricky Cathedral" We checked out Durham Cathedral, and the lego building of the cathedral. You can purchase one for a pound, and place it on there yourself. It was hard to find parking for this local, and the signs getting there weren't that helpful read more

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This is my favourite place in the world - there are spots for quiet contemplation and prayer as well as some wonderful artefacts in the Trreasury, including antique embrdoiery. The books are all fabulous as is the restaurant. Even though this is a Norman Cathedral disabled access is good and if you visit at the right time you can park outside. The guides are knowledgeable and helpful making every visit a great experience read more

Durham Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Durham, DUR

Beautiful piece of history that is only an 11 train ride from my home in Newcastle. Definitely a must see! Astounding historical significance, with amazing architectural foundations. The inside is just as amazing as the outside! It also has a gift store and a small cafe to choose food from. Right next to the cathedral is also the Castle, so you can easily plan a full day just with these two activities. Tickets will need to be bought in advance to see the castle, as it is only shown by tour. read more

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Lovely place is Durham city. loads of restaurants,pubs,clubs and shopping but cathedral and castle make the day out worth while. read more

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I was in Newcastle as an invited speaker at an architectural conference, and it was suggested that one should at least spend a day visiting Durham Castle, so I did. The experience was amazing. My favourite part of the visit was seeing the amazing Durham Castle "Sanctuary Knocker", which was beautiful. Plus, the meaning behind the knocker was great too. But before walking around the castle, I would highly suggest walking to the castle's information corner, which is a shop that's just on the alley heading towards the castle, which offered complimentary one hour long architectural tours, and other tours. The day I was there was the commemorative day of the World War One Soliders, therefore, the festivities were high, and there were also people dressed from the Beamish Museum on location, giving up free classical bicycle rides and old school soup. The overall experience of the castle was peaceful, and I also bought some clotted cream candy, that I am still hoping to have bought more of. The train ride of around 7 GBP between Newcastle and Durham was short and was entirely worth it. The walking distance between the Durham Train station to the Castle was approximately 30 - 45 minutes. But when heading there on a well weathered day, would be a leisurely and beautiful walk. Overall experience: B+ read more

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No words. Amazing. OK, I do have words... Every single person can find something they love about Durham Cathedral. The architecture. The religion. The history. The sheer amazingness of the place. Taking a walk around inside during Sunday service (while being quiet and mindful of the church-goers) is a special experience. If you close your eyes you can imagine yourself back in time. At night they turn on massive spotlights which only enhance the magnificence of the exterior of the cathedral. This is a do-not-miss sight at night! read more

This is the crown jewel of northern England. it is just breathtaking. There are 3 Saints interned there, Sts. Cuthbert, Bede, and Oswald. Cuthberts tomb is beautiful, as kind of hidden at the back, up a small stair. We were hoping to see some catacombs, but alas, the church is built upon stone - although there were covered trenches around the base of the cathedral for defense purposes...we were told that most of these have been filled in over the years. Just a few steps from the Cathedral, you can get a very nice tour of Durham Castle, for just a few pounds. read more

Absolutely gorgous . This norman cathedral the heart of the Prince Bidhops of Durham is superb . Best seen from the river alongside the castle . read more

Durham Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Durham, DUR

This place is absolutely beautiful, and makes you want to live in Durham! Bede's chapel, i think the oldest part of the cathedral and the one most in danger of falling in the river, has an air of history and tranquility about it , even when it is full of tourists and photographs. The pillars are enormous, beaten only by notre dame, paris. There are still little touches of paint on the walls here and there that make you remember this place was originally highly decorated, which says a lot about the thinking of christianity back in those days and the monks! Opulence! Show! Splendour! The library has to be seen to be believed as well, the joists in the roof are each made from huge pieces of timber, with one that is a bit special (bifurcated). There is a superb exhibition in the crypt of treasures and clothes from various bishops dating back thousands of years which is well worth a look as well. After the cathedral i suggest a walk round the loop of the river, perfect for picnics on sunny days. read more

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This has always been the place that I wanted to get married and am quite sad now I realise that is not going to happen Its a lovely church with a musuem The Treasures of St Cuthbert which it costs to enter but they dont charge for going into the cathedral itself unlike some. The tower is worth a visit if you dont mind heights as the views are great and you can get something nice to eat in the undercroft Very peaceful place to visit a must see if your in the city read more

They do not allow photographs of the interior, which completely ruins the visit. Stupid policy, very disappointed.

I've been to Durham Cathedral twice in my life: once as a child and once as an adult. Both times the most memorable bit was going on the roof. I don't know what it is about climbing to the top of a cathedral and emerging into gusty wind that sticks with me, but there you have it. There is a great view from up there and it's not an excruciating number of stairs to get to the top. The inside of the cathedral is also quite nice. If your ever in Durham, I definitely recommend stopping here for a look. read more

This cathedral is so beautiful you can easily while away hours just looking around and the stunning architecture. It is quiet and peaceful and even if you are not religious you can still feel a sort of stillness and calm as soon as you walk through the doors. The cafe is also very nice and a good place to go after praying in the cathedral, looking around it for the first time or even just after a hard days shopping. Durham Cathedral is such a calming place and is not to be missed! read more

The most stunning cathedral in the country, Durham is best viewed for the first time from the railway station. By night the Cathedral in greenish light contrasts with the Castle in warmer yellow to make an awe-inspiring site. Once inside, admire the carved pillars and look for the place where the vaulting was squashed to fit the space. There are some fine modern glass windows, and an interesting library. Durham has two saints, St Cuthbert (who rested first on Lindisfarne) and St Bede (historian, and father of the footnote). The Cathedral has been the location for films as diverse as Elizabeth, Harry Potter (I and II), and Jude. If you visit the Cathedral towards 5pm, why not decide to stay for Evensong. This is particularly lovely in winter when the lights are low and it is dark outside. read more

Durham Cathedral makes this city. It is large and dominating in a good way. It is a stunning piece of architecture and I made me proud to live there whilst I studied. At night it is lit up and it reflects onto the river. A few scenes from Harry Potter were also filmed here. read more

Yes, I saved review #400 for this amazing cathedral! Durham Cathedral would be in my top 5 personal favourites. I love Romanesque (not to be confused with the Romans... sorry this is something we had to remind our students often, otherwise on the exam, Durham and Lincoln Cathedrals would have been built by the Romans) architecture! I don't know what it is and don't get me wrong, but there is just something about the Romanesque style that appeals to me. Our visit to Durham Cathedrals happens right after their field trip to Lincoln Cathedral, so I can actually use it to help them draw connections and spot the differences and similarities between the two. One of my students said, "They weren't joking when they said that the Normans wanted to demonstrate their power." If you have seen the cathedrals and castles of Lincoln or Durham, high upon the hill, dominating all that surround them, you'll understand the concept. While Gothic architecture is certainly striking, to me, it has a daintiness that Romanesque architecture does not have. Everything is massive. As Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor grunted, "More power!" It is free to go in, which is great if you are a poor college student living on Nutella, bread, and cheese, but if you do have some spare change to donate, I do encourage it because it does take a lot to keep up these amazing structures. As you make your way up the hill, it is right across from the entrance to the castle, so if you are there on the right day, at the right time, you could visit the castle as well. For me, the sad part of the cathedral is that you cannot walk in front to view the massive front. I know I'd never be able to get all of the front in a picture, standing that close, but just to see it would be... one of the best things ever. I don't know of very many cathedrals where I didn't stand in awe of their West Fronts, but I could just tell that this one would be at the top of the list for speechlessness. You also cannot take pictures inside the cathedral... I know. Major bummer. If you do not have a lot of time... here is usually how I suggested my students do this in two hours (the amount of time we stop here on our way back from Edinburgh via Hadrian's Wall). Go up to the cathedral (it is uphill on a cobble stone street... appropriate footwear folks) first and have a wander about. Head back down the hill, either grab fish and chips at the corner shop (used to be Bimbi's not sure what it is now) or a sandwich at one of the stores on the way to the river. Then make your way across the bridge to find a place where you can eat your lunch/take pictures from below the cathedral. You have to go and see it... you have to! No wonder Turner painted this cathedral... it is spectacular! read more

This is the one thing that stands out when you arrive at the train station in Durham this wonderful Cathedral which has been in several movies. read more

My international finance course was held at a school near Durham Cathedral. I would walk by it every day on the way to class. It is really something else. My religion professor scheduled a tour of the Cathedral for our group. We were invited to visit with the bell ringers. The bell tower was interesting for about 5 seconds. The rest of the church was more interesting to look at. read more

So much to see inside, definitely worth trekking up the hill for. Some amazing artwork and unique stained glass windows. Entry is free though a donation is appreciated. A great little afternoon trip. read more

not to be missed. this is the best-preserved old cathedral I've ever visited. the stonework and stained glass are breathtaking. the grounds are beautiful. and the admission is free! definitely the best attraction in Durham for me. I'd love to attend a service here. read more

This place is beautiful. I admit that I only went inside for a minute but it's just breathtaking. I have been all over and seen a million churches. There are a few that are worth seeing. I wouldn't put this one in my top 5 but it's a beauty! read more

One of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in the country, Durham Cathedral seamlessly combines a vibrant modern community with a history which dates back to the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon era. Entrance to the cathedral requires only a small suggested donation, but be aware that to climb the tower will cost an extra £3 and you are required to wear appropriate footwear. For the full experience, come to a choral evensong during term time. read more

Durham cathedral is a part of a beautiful little town!! The university has colleges spread across the castle and cathedral! It's simply breathtaking! read more

Very nice place to go, a great way to spend a day in Durham. recommend while your in durham to go to the castle after which is opposite but beware that both of these cost and they are not cheap! read more

Lovely building, steeped in history. Well worth a visit. Free to enter (suggested donation of £5). Everyone was friendly and it was nice to be able to walk around freely. read more

A magnificent building with a long history. We have little to compare nowadays.The staff are very helpful and informative. There is much to see and the views of the cathedral from the rear courtyard are equally impressive. The bookshop in the old Bakery is worth a visit read more

Durham Cathedral is a really nice place to go and visit. It's enormous and quite overwhelming. It's age is evident and it's hard to comprehend how on earth they built it. It is quite high up and you can get a good view of Durham from up there. It's very tranquil and a nice place just to have a think. It's beautiful inside and even I can appreciate the architecture. There is also the obligatory gift shop to visit and get your Durham cathedral souvenirs. It is just a short walk from the city centre and is definitely well worth a visit. read more

Durham Cathedral is absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit. Even if you don't go inside you should definitely go to palace green and see the outside in all its glory, although it is fairly hard to miss from anywhere in the city really! It's free to enter, but they do ask for a donation of £4 to help with its upkeep as it is run by charity. You can pay to go up the tower, which is well worth it on a clear day for the views it provides of the city. The stained glass windows are really beautiful, with some more modern ones interspersing the old; there's one of the last supper and one from the milennium. There is also some interesting artwork and sculpture displayed at the end of the cathedral. Durham Cathedral is important historically as the final resting place of St Cuthbert. The cloisters were used to film scenes from Harry Potter, so it's famous in the film world too, and children will love to act out their favourite scenes from the books. read more

The most peaceful and inspiring place I know.