For those who’re seeking to make some unimaginable household recollections and have a weekend break with the children that features a mixture of:
- A wonderful 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 an extended weekend break to Durham with my husband and our three youngsters and we had such a good time.
This journey was in collaboration with That is Durham and I’ve made some quick movies from our attractive weekend in Durham. For those who’d wish to see them you possibly can examine them out on the That is Durham Memorable Moments web page.
My mum is from Durham so it’s an space I’m acquainted with and I used to be actually excited to move as much as the north east with my circle of relatives.
This was our first city-based break as a household of 5 and it felt like we have been broaching a brand new period of household life. We’d beforehand caught to straightforward seashore holidays or cottage breaks, however right here we have been, in a metropolis centre lodge, going out for dinner, tiptoeing round cathedrals and even studying concerning the previous at academic museums! It’s positively a brand new fashion of household journey for us and we liked it.
We had a improbable, bespoke itinerary created for us by That is Durham, so I’m going to share that with you immediately as a result of it’s such a improbable 3-day Durham itinerary for households!
The place to remain in Durham with youngsters
Radisson Blu Durham – Finest for metropolis centre comfort
Quantity 9 in Lanchester – Laidback luxurious and self catering
Derecroft Glamping – Finest for summer time 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 the town centre and there’s loads of parking too.
The swimming pool was a large bonus for us. It made the children really feel like they have 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 excellent, relaxed choice to set us up for the day.
For those who plan to be out and about exploring for a lot of the day then I extremely suggest the Radisson Blu Durham. It’s easy and simple and offered an excellent 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 be taught 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.
For those who’ve received little prepare lovers with you then you possibly can’t miss this!
We additionally had lunch on the Locomotion cafe the place we may sit in prepare seats with a prepare 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 a very good possibility to your first cease in Durham as a result of the kids can run round when you’ve had an extended automobile journey.
Entrance and parking at Locomotion are free and the cafe is small however has every little thing you’d need comparable to sandwiches and salads, soups, muffins and scorching 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 have 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 comparable to mountain biking, strolling trails, wildlife watching and stargazing.
We did the Gruffalo Path which is a brief, toddler-friendly stroll with numerous play parks alongside the best way. Truthfully, I don’t assume 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 calm down and absorb that peaceable forest environment.
The Meals Pit
After our journey within the forest we made our manner 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 Fireplace 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 Residing 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 stay there! It’s like time journey for nosy individuals!
You’ll be able to 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’ll be able to 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, Forties and Nineteen Fifties. It’s unfold out over 300 acres so it’s huge and you may take classic buses, trams and different automobiles to get round. Every space is sort of a mini village the place costumed folks 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 fireplace or crafting on the kitchen desk.
We may have spent a full weekend simply at Beamish Museum and there may be truly a Beamish Corridor Resort close by when you needed 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 comfy environment, however was conveniently situated close to our lodge!
All of us loved a hearty meal after such a busy day and headed again to our lodge for our ultimate swim.
Day Three in Durham with youngsters
On our ultimate morning we had an extended and leisurely breakfast. We’re a 3-course breakfast form of household so it was nice to have an enormous buffet to select from.
We then had a ultimate stroll across the metropolis, stopping at cute espresso outlets and making our option to Durham Cathedral.
Durham Cathedral
The kids have been notably excited to go to Durham Cathedral as a result of areas of it had been used to movie blockbuster movies comparable 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 Web site and it’s an exquisite place to go to. Visitors really feel very welcome and there’s such a peaceable environment as you wander by means of the cloisters, admire the stained glass home windows and look as much as the vaulted ceilings.
Ushaw Historic Home Chapels and Gardens
Our ultimate cease earlier than heading residence 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 a powerful lunch within the Refectory Cafe.
Ushaw is a former seminary for Catholic Clergymen 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 stay.
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 numerous occasions and exhibitions to often convey individuals in, whether or not it’s infants visiting for Singing Bunnies, younger youngsters having fun with the forest faculty, adults becoming a member of the choir, artwork lovers practising their abilities with skilled artists, book-lovers becoming a member of a library tour or just mates assembly for a espresso within the spectacular cafe.
There’s heaps happening and loads of seasonal actions for kids so positively examine the web site earlier than you go to!
Earlier than leaving, we headed again by means of the forest for a ultimate take a look at the picket animal sculptures (and for one more pre-car run round!) earlier than we reluctantly left Durham after an unimaginable weekend.
Helpful information to your weekend in Durham
I’d wish to say a large thanks to That is Durham for creating such a improbable household itinerary for us. I made some movies throughout my journey which you’ll be able to see right here. You’ll be able to 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 at liberty to avoid wasting this into your telephone:
Listed here are some helpful hyperlinks when you plan to observe this itinerary:
