Durham is a lovely place to live and study. In my opinion, the city is a great middle ground between having things to do, whilst also being small and easily navigated with plenty of green spaces. However, it’s good to have a change of scenery now and then. There’s great access from Durham to plenty of fun destinations in the North East, whether you want to experience activities in a bigger city, explore the countryside, or the coast.
Less than 15 mins on the train
One of my favourite trips to take out of Durham is to head to the nearby city, Newcastle! It’s got plenty of things to do, and the best bit is that it takes less than fifteen minutes on the train to get there!
Here’s what one of those days looks like…
8.30 wake up and get ready to go!
9.50 walking through Durham in glorious sunshine!
9.55 the station – like most things in Durham – is on top of a hill. I choose the stairs, but you can always walk on the path by the road, or take the bus.
10.50 hopping on a train to Newcastle after a reading break at the station – with a rail card the round trip works out to be a complete bargain!
11.10 leaving Newcastle Train Station on foot (no, really. It takes less than 15 minutes to get to Newcastle, it’s great)
11.45 after a scenic walk past the castle and the river, I reach the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. There are so many fun things to do in Newcastle no matter where your interests lie, but I always enjoy checking out the local galleries and museums. The Baltic is ideal as it is lovely to wander up to by the river and entrance is free.
13.00 after a look around, it’s time for lunch. Although Newcastle has plenty of choice in restaurants and cafés, it was a nice enough day to have a stroll back over the river across Gateshead Millennium Bridge and sit outside with some good views and a sandwich.
14.00 before heading home, I like to make the most of the variety of shops in Newcastle. Although I love Durham for the fact that it is small and familiar, the proximity of Newcastle and its shopping centres makes it a great place for getting presents for friends and family!
15.15 back in the train station to head home, and with just enough time to get back to a 4pm contact hour if you have one, or to relax (which, after all that walking, is the first thing I want to do)
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