Durham Cathedral
Details
Accessibility
https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/accessibility
"With the exception of the Chapter House and The Historic Library, the building is wheelchair friendly. Please note that there are three steps down into the Chapter House but a lift is being installed in November 2021 which will make the Chapter House fully accessible. We have a wheelchair available and there are large-print guides, braille guides and a loop hearing system. The north and south doors can be opened electronically, by low-level touch pads.
There is a self-operating lift in the Archbishop’s Palace enabling visitor to access the State Chamber. If you require any assistance in using the lift please ask a member of the team.
Whilst we make every effort to ensure all our visitor are able to get the most from their visit, the nature of this Grade 1 listed building means that not all spaces are accessible to everyone and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Disabled parking: There is no general public parking close to the Cathedral. We have very limited parking behind the Cathedral which may be available to single vehicles displaying a disabled badge.
We are unable to reserve the disabled parking and the space is available on a first come, first serve basis. On arrival, please contact the duty porter who will try to accommodate people with disabilities. The Cathedral is situated at the top of a steep hill. Durham City Shopmobility provides battery-operated scooters and a minibus service - contact 0191 386 8556 to find out more.
Visitors with a hearing impairment: The information desks at the West End of the Cathedral and in Open Treasure are both fitted with induction loops.
Accessibility within the Cathedral Church
There are ramps set up around the Cathedral Church. However the following are only accessible via stairs:
The Shrine of St Cuthbert - via stairs
Chapel of Nine Altars - via stairs
Gregory Chapel - via stairs
Durham Light Infantry Chapel - via stairs
North West Tower - via stairs
Access to the Cathedral Shop, Undercroft Restaurant and toilets is by an enclosed platform lift or steps. A level route is also available, although this requires leaving the Cloister and following a route outside the main building. If you need any help or directions, please ask one of our stewards or staff.
Accessible toilets are available near the Cathedral Shop and Undercroft Restaurant and half-way round the Open Treasure exhibition. There is one accessible toilet within Durham Cathedral Museum. The main cathedral toilet block, near the Shop and Restaurant, also has accessible toilets.
Visitors with a hearing impairment: The information desks at the West End of the Cathedral and in Open Treasure are both fitted with induction loops.
Assistance dogs: Guide dogs, hearing dogs and support dogs are welcome in the Cathedral including our Open Treasure exhibition.
The entrance to Durham Cathedral Museum is via stairs from the Cloister up to the Monks’ Dormitory. There is an enclosed platform lift to access the first floor and the starting point for the museum exhibitions.
If you have specific needs and would like some advice before your visit, please email enquiries@durhamcathedral.co.uk "
Brief description
https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/inside-durham-cathedral
"The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham,[1][2][4] commonly known as Durham Cathedral[5][6][7] and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert,[8] is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Durham, the fourth-ranked bishop in the Church of England hierarchy.
The present Norman era cathedral had started to be built in 1093, replacing the city's previous 'White Church'.[9] In 1986 the cathedral and Durham Castle were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[10] Durham Cathedral's relics include: Saint Cuthbert's, transported to Durham by Lindisfarne monks in the 800s; Saint Oswald's head and the Venerable Bede's remains.
The Durham Dean and Chapter Library contains: sets of early printed books, some of the most complete in England; the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts and three copies of Magna Carta.
From 1080 until 1836, the Bishop of Durham held the powers of an Earl Palatine. In order to protect the Anglo-Scottish border, powers of an earl included exercising military, civil, and religious leadership. The cathedral walls formed part of Durham Castle, the chief seat of the Bishop of Durham.[11]
There are daily Church of England services at the cathedral, Durham Cathedral Choir sing daily except Mondays and holidays, receiving 727,367 visitors in 2019.[12]"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Cathedral
Address
The Cathedral Office
The College
Durham DH1 3EH
enquiries@durhamcathedral.co.uk. Enquiry about visiting, tickets or events? Email visitor.desk@durhamcathedral.co.uk
Phone
Website
https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Cathedral
Directions
Durham lies west of the A1(M) and east of the A167. Our narrow, medieval streets mean there is no parking at the Cathedral itself or nearby. There is also a congestion charge if you drive onto the Durham City peninsula.
Congestion charge:
If you do access the City Centre peninsula by car you will need to pay the Durham County Council daily congestion charge to use the roads between 10am - 4pm. All vehicles that enter or exit the clearly defined zone during its hours of operation must pay the charge unless they qualify for an exemption.
Please visit the Durham County Council congestion charge web page for more information.
Park and Ride scheme: Why not park your car for free then take a bus into the city centre? It’s open from 7am – 7pm Monday to Saturday, excluding Bank Holidays, all year round from:
Belmont car park - DH1 1SR
Sniperley car park - DH1 5RA
Howlands car park - DH1 3TQ
The buses run to the City Centre where your ticket allows you to transfer to the Cathedral Bus if you don’t wish to walk up the hill. Find out more at Park and Ride – Durham County Council
City centre car parks: For a list and a map, please take a look at https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/3486/Durham-City-car-parks "
Please note the Durham Peninsula charging zone:
The zone is on the Durham City peninsula, near Durham Cathedral and Castle, Durham Market Place, Durham Chorister School, Durham University colleges and a variety of shops and businesses.
The zone helps to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and improves air quality in the area. It is also encourages out-of-hours use of the area, creating safer and more attractive streets for everyone.
Using the zone:
An Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system at the junction of Saddler Street and Claypath, on the Market Square, records any vehicles entering or leaving the zone. In 2022 there is a daily charge of £2 for entering the zone between 10.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Saturday. There is no charge on Sundays or bank holidays.
Please see https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/3437/Durham-Peninsula-charging-zone
Automatic exemptions: Vehicles that are automatically exempt from the charge include: two wheeled motorbikes (and sidecars), mopeds and bicycles, powered wheelchairs or scooters used by a disabled person.
Blue badge holders may register up to two vehicles that they normally use to travel. This could be their vehicle, or one they travel in. Registered vehicles will be recognised by the ANPR system as being exempt from the charge. These vehicles will remain registered until expiry of the blue badge. It will be necessary to re-register upon receipt of the new Blue Badge.
Applicants must provide a completed application form along with a copy of a valid blue badge.
To apply for an exemption, contact:
Suite 1
Forster House
Forster Business Centre
Finchale Road
Framwellgate Moor
Durham
DH1 5HL
0191 384 6633
permits.durham@nslservices.co.uk
Opening Times
Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change
https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/opening-times
Transport
"The Cathedral is situated at the top of a steep hill. Durham City Shopmobility provides battery-operated scooters and a minibus service - contact 0191 386 8556 to find out more. Durham Cathedral Bus offers a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ service between the bus station, railway station, the city centre and here every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday (not on a Sunday).
For further information try the Traveline website or call 0871 200 2223. You may also find the Durham County Council's Cathedral Bus page useful.
Amenities
Cathedral Shop, Undercroft Restaurant and toilets https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/restaurant-cafe
Sharp Library Browse & Borrow: https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/heritage/cathedral-library
Durham Cathedral Museum https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/museum
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
Location
Nearest Venues
Durham Heritage Centre and Museum, Durham
124 metres*
Durham Castle, Palace Green, Durham
213 metres*
350 metres*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.