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Durham is in the North East of England, about 15 miles south of Newcastle. The City and surrounding County itself is filled with stunning architecture, scenic walking routes and plenty of things to do to keep the whole family entertained.

NB| This is a paid campaign with This is Durham

At the beginning of the Summer we were invited by This is Durham to spend a few days in Durham to explore what the city and the surrounding area had to offer. These are just some of the things we didn’t manage to do this time round.

You can also watch our Instagram stories which I’ve saved as a highlight or read 5 Things to do in Durham with Kids.

You can also visit This is Durham’s website to find even more incredible things to see and do when planning a trip to Durham.

Beamish Museum

Beamish Museum is one of my favourite Northern attractions. It’s a world famous open air museum that transports you back in time. It has so many different areas, including a 1940’s farm, a 1900’s town and they’re currently expanding to include a 1950’s town and a Georgian coaching in.

I love how you get a true museum experience without being stuck in a boring building. Beamish is also perfect for picnics and walks in the Sunshine, tram rides and you can even take the dog!

It’s a complete bargain too, once you’ve paid your initial entry fee, your ticket becomes an annual pass which allows you re-entry as many times as you like for a full year.

For some additional reviews of Beamish please do read these.

Beamish, Durham – Trams, Buses and even a Carousel.

Beamish with Kids

Escomb Church

Escomb Church is a place that will always have a special place in our hearts, as my Father in Law was the vicar here for a very long time. But for those without an affiliation to the place the reason you want to visit is because of how old it is.  

The church was built around 675 AD with stone probably from the Roman Fort at Binchester. It was originally thought that the church was an offshoot of one of the local monasteries in Whitby or Hartlepool but this is only one of several possibilities as there are no known written records until 990 AD.

The Church key can be found outside a local house. Do check out the website. You can also pick up a small treasure hunt for children in the church.

http://www.escombsaxonchurch.co.uk

Roman Fort at Binchester

A trip to Binchester Fort with children isn’t going to last a very long time, but there is definitely more than you might think!  

The Fort has a dedicated activity hut for children though and when we visited we spent over half an hour, making a mosaic and digging for buried treasure. There was also a table with colouring on and some armour they could wear.

You can read our full review of Binchester Fort here.

Take a walk in the Dales

Durham is home to miles and miles of beautiful countryside. You can visit the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope for inspiration on which walking route to take, learn about local history or even enjoy a slab of cake in the café.

Take a walk on the Coast

If you prefer a sea breeze, why note take a visit to the coast. Durham has 11 miles of coastal footpaths from Seaham to Crimdon. You’ll probably want to take a picture next to Ray Lonsdale’s, iconic Tommy statue, watch out for the internationally recognised plants and wildlife or just take a bucket and spade and spend the afternoon on one of the beautiful beaches.

https://www.thisisdurham.com/things-to-do/durham-heritage-coast-p558531

Diggerland

Perhaps one for the digger enthusiasts, Diggerland is just over 5 miles from Durham City centre and is an action packed day out for the whole family. You can take a ride on a dumper truck, play skittles with an excavator or have a go on the SUV safari.

You can read a review of Diggerland here.

Killhope Lead Mining museum

Set in The North Pennines, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Killhope Lead Mining Museum is famous for its working water wheel and is the most complete lead mining site in Britain.

Visitors can take an underground tour of the mine, try on Victorian clothing or get an insight into the lives of miners.

You might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a red squirrel if you take a walk in the beautiful countryside around the museum.

Thanks also to Cat from Rock and Roll Pussycat for some of the ideas in this post.