In case you’re trying to make some unimaginable household reminiscences and have a weekend break with the children that features a mixture of:
- A gorgeous metropolis
- Out of doors enjoyable
- Avisit to the UK’s first railway city and an unimaginable rail museum
- Filming areas from blockbuster films
- Nice locations to eat
- A world-famous dwelling museum
- Stunning, historic buildings with actions to maintain the children busy
Then look no additional than Durham….
I’ve simply returned from a protracted weekend break to Durham with my husband and our three kids and we had such a good time.
This journey was in collaboration with That is Durham and I’ve made some brief movies from our attractive weekend in Durham. In case you’d prefer to see them you may verify them out on the That is Durham Memorable Moments web page.
My mum is from Durham so it’s an space I’m aware of and I used to be actually excited to move as much as the north east with my family.
This was our first city-based break as a household of 5 and it felt like we had been broaching a brand new period of household life. We’d beforehand caught to straightforward seashore holidays or cottage breaks, however right here we had been, in a metropolis centre lodge, going out for dinner, tiptoeing round cathedrals and even studying concerning the previous at instructional museums! It’s positively a brand new model of household journey for us and we liked it.
We had a implausible, bespoke itinerary created for us by That is Durham, so I’m going to share that with you as we speak as a result of it’s such a implausible 3-day Durham itinerary for households!
The place to remain in Durham with youngsters
Radisson Blu Durham – Greatest for metropolis centre comfort
Quantity 9 in Lanchester – Laidback luxurious and self catering
Derecroft Glamping – Greatest for summer season enjoyable
We stayed on the Radisson Blu Durham and it was nice. We had a spacious household room and there’s an enormous swimming pool. The lodge overlooks the River Put on and it’s a 5 minute stroll into town centre and there’s loads of parking too.
The swimming pool was an enormous bonus for us. It made the children really feel like they had been on vacation and gave them someplace to let off steam (and tire them out earlier than mattress!)
The buffet breakfast was additionally scrumptious and an important, relaxed choice to set us up for the day.
In case you plan to be out and about exploring for many of the day then I extremely advocate the Radisson Blu Durham. It’s easy and simple and offered an important base to discover Durham Metropolis and the broader county.
Day One in Durham with youngsters
Locomotion
We started our weekend in Durham at Locomotion, an unimaginable rail museum in Shildon.
There are over 70 rail automobiles within the museum and it’s arrange completely for households so youngsters can discover and study in a enjoyable setting.
Shildon was the world’s first railway city so it’s solely proper to have such an enormous and superb rail museum right here.
In case you’ve received little practice lovers with you then you may’t miss this!
We additionally had lunch on the Locomotion cafe the place we might sit in practice seats with a practice desk. This clearly made lunch much more thrilling!
There’s an enormous outside play space at Locomotion too. Sadly it was pouring with rain so we didn’t get an opportunity to make use of it.
Journey Hack Tip: The play space makes Locomotion possibility in your first cease in Durham as a result of the youngsters can run round in the event you’ve had a protracted automobile journey.
Entrance and parking at Locomotion are free and the cafe is small however has all the things you’d need corresponding to sandwiches and salads, soups, truffles and sizzling meals like chips, pies and sausage rolls.
Hamsterley Forest
Our second cease was Hamsterley Forest within the Durham Dales, a 2,000 hectare forest and the most important in Durham.
There’s one thing magical a few forest of this measurement and we had been fortunate sufficient to reach between bouts of rain so it was very quiet and felt like we had the entire forest to ourselves.
There’s heaps to do within the forest corresponding to mountain biking, strolling trails, wildlife watching and stargazing.
We did the Gruffalo Path which is a brief, toddler-friendly stroll with a lot of play parks alongside the best way. Actually, I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen so many play parks throughout a brief stroll!
So the children liked it and my husband and I loved the chance to seize a espresso from the cafe, take a deep breath and loosen up and take in that peaceable forest ambiance.
The Meals Pit
After our journey within the forest we made our method into Durham Metropolis Centre and checked into the lodge.
We had a fast cuppa earlier than heading again out to The Meals Pit for dinner.
The Hearth Pit is Durham’s first road meals market and it has six bars and eating places inside it.
There’s:
Sam and I had Mexican meals from Holy Guacamoley whereas the children had hen nuggets and chips (predictable a lot?) from Style & Feast adopted by ice lotions from Bubble Waffle Society.
We then headed again to the lodge for a fast swim earlier than getting everybody prepared for mattress and to have a glass of wine whereas watching Strictly!
So far as Saturdays go, that was an ideal household Saturday.
Day Two in Durham with youngsters
Beamish, The Dwelling Museum of the North
Our second day in Durham was all about Beamish, a world-famous dwelling, working museum. Visiting Beamish Museum is like stepping again in time and visiting actual villages. Not solely do you time journey however you’re given permission to go inside the homes and companies, outlets and cafes and speak to all of the individuals who reside there! It’s like time journey for nosy individuals!
You possibly can ask about their geese and chickens, go to their vegetable gardens, see individuals working within the coal mines and learn how all of it works. You possibly can go inside a dentist and discover out some gory particulars about dental care within the 1900s!
The completely different areas of Beamish present what life was like within the North East within the 1820s, 1900s, Nineteen Forties and Nineteen Fifties. It’s unfold out over 300 acres so it’s huge and you’ll take classic buses, trams and different automobiles to get round. Every space is sort of a mini village the place costumed people are going about their enterprise, whether or not that’s cleansing out the geese, checking on the newly born piglets, tending to their gardens, stoking the hearth or crafting on the kitchen desk.
We might have spent a full weekend simply at Beamish Museum and there’s truly a Beamish Corridor Lodge close by in the event you wished to make the museum the principle focus of your go to.
Kingslodge Inn
That night we had a stroll across the metropolis earlier than strolling to The Kingslodge Inn.
The Kingslodge Inn is a family-friendly restaurant/gastro pub 10 minutes from Durham metropolis centre. It’s set in a woodland and had nation pub vibes and a comfortable ambiance, however was conveniently positioned close to our lodge!
All of us loved a hearty meal after such a busy day and headed again to our lodge for our last swim.
Day Three in Durham with youngsters
On our last morning we had a protracted and leisurely breakfast. We’re a 3-course breakfast sort of household so it was nice to have an enormous buffet to select from.
We then had a last stroll across the metropolis, stopping at cute espresso outlets and making our method to Durham Cathedral.
Durham Cathedral
The youngsters had been significantly excited to go to Durham Cathedral as a result of areas of it had been used to movie blockbuster movies corresponding to Avengers Endgame, Harry Potter and the Thinker’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and techniques!
The cathedral is a part of the Durham UNESCO World Heritage Website and it’s an attractive place to go to. Friends really feel very welcome and there’s such a peaceable ambiance as you wander by the cloisters, admire the stained glass home windows and look as much as the vaulted ceilings.
Ushaw Historic Home Chapels and Gardens
Our last cease earlier than heading dwelling was Ushaw Historic Home Chapels and Gardens on the outskirts of Durham Metropolis. The children had a run across the gardens, we learnt concerning the historical past of the constructing inside after which had an impressive lunch within the Refectory Cafe.
Ushaw is a former seminary for Catholic Monks and two of my uncles truly attended boarding faculty right here, so it felt additional particular to wander round the home and chapels and see the place they used to reside.
They do an excellent job at Ushaw at utilizing these spectacular buildings to coach individuals concerning the previous whereas nonetheless utilizing them for contemporary actions. They’ve a lot of occasions and exhibitions to repeatedly convey individuals in, whether or not it’s infants visiting for Singing Bunnies, younger kids having fun with the forest faculty, adults becoming a member of the choir, artwork lovers practising their expertise with skilled artists, book-lovers becoming a member of a library tour or just associates assembly for a espresso within the spectacular cafe.
There’s heaps happening and loads of seasonal actions for kids so positively verify the web site earlier than you go to!
Earlier than leaving, we headed again by the forest for a last take a look at the picket animal sculptures (and for an additional pre-car run round!) earlier than we reluctantly left Durham after an unimaginable weekend.
Helpful information in your weekend in Durham
I’d prefer to say an enormous thanks to That is Durham for creating such a implausible household itinerary for us. I made some movies throughout my journey which you’ll be able to see right here. You possibly can see different movies on Memorable Moments web page that different bloggers and creators have made too!
Right here’s a Google Map with all of the locations we visited. Be happy to avoid wasting this into your cellphone:
Listed here are some helpful hyperlinks in the event you plan to comply with this itinerary:
