County Durham

File:County Durham banner City of Durham - Durham Castle and Gothic Church County Durham is a county in North East (England) | North East England with a population of 510,800. It's north of Yorkshire and south of Newcastle, astride the main north-south transport route. The east is mostly farmland, interspersed by former mining towns. Darlington near its southern edge is the main conurbation, but Durham is its main visitor attraction. The west is hilly, with sheep farms and remote moorlands.

Cities, towns and villages

County Durham map - Map of County Durham width=520|54.7005|-1.7441|zoom=9

• The City of Durham (England) | Durham GPS: 54.7761,-1.5733, population 29,000, has a impeccably maintained ancient centre, dominated by its Norman castle and cathedral. It's also home to a large university. The city is well worth a visit of a couple of days.
• Darlington GPS: 54.527,-1.5526 is the largest settlement in the county, popn 100,000, yet it only counts as a town not a city. Birthplace of the railways and always industrial, but affluent in its leafy west and south west, Darlington doesn't have a university but there's a large college.

Most of the county's other towns are between Durham and Darlington, in fertile low-lying country along the A1. Beneath them is the Great Northern Coalfield, mined since medieval times, stretching up into Northumbria. Hence the industry and the steam engines to pump those mines, and the railways to haul and consume the coals. The underground mines have all closed, leaving the towns to scratch what living they can from new trades.

The main towns along this stretch are Bishop Auckland GPS: 54.6566,-1.6768, Newton Aycliffe GPS: 54.62,-1.58, Shildon GPS: 54.63,-1.65 which has a railway museum, and Spennymoor GPS: 54.7,-1.59}}.

Other towns in the north of the county are:

• Peterlee GPS: 54.76,-1.33 is a small former mining town near the coast. Shotton Colliery is probably the world's only coal mine converted for skydiving.
• Beamish GPS: 54.875,-1.65 village has an impressive outdoor museum.
• Chester-le-Street GPS: 54.8594,-1.5699, midway between Durham and Newcastle, has Durham County Cricket Ground, where "Test" ie international cricket matches are also played.

High force - High Force

The western part of County Durham is in the Pennines and the long chain of hills that forms the backbone of England. There are lonely moors, and steep river valleys flowing out eastward, so the primary street A68 follows a roller-coaster trajectory. Here are:

• Barnard Castle GPS: 54.55,-1.92, a market town that's home to the grandiose Bowes Museum.
• Consett GPS: 54.85,-1.83, former mining town on the northern edge of the county.
• Middleton-in-Teesdale GPS: 54.6229,-2.0779 in a scenic valley, with High Force waterfall.
• Stanhope (County Durham) | Stanhope GPS: 54.7471,-2.006 in Weardale, an old lead-mining town.

To the southeast, around the River Tees, is an industrial area which from 1974 to 1996 was a separate county, Cleveland. Then this was abolished, and its towns south of the Tees were re-assigned toNorth Yorkshire. (The assignation is notional since these towns are "unitary authorities", not governed by a County Council.) Towns to the north, re-assigned to County Durham, are:

• Hartlepool GPS: 54.69,-1.21}}: a post-industrial port, with an interesting dockyard museum.
• Stockton-on-Tees GPS: 54.57,-1.32 actually straddles the Tees. It's very industrial; but there's a southern rural neighborhood, Yarm, now considered part ofNorth Yorkshire.

The same 1974 re-organisation also removed Sunderland from County Durham. It's now part of Tyne & Wear.

County Durham Halal Travel Guide

Within England, only County Durham contains the word "county" in its title (in the way many Irish counties do), because the powerful Norman "Prince Bishops" of Durham ruled it as a palatinate separate from the rest of England's counties. Originally it covered all the territory between the River Tees and the River Tyne, but over the centuries, and especially with modern changes to local government, it's been whittled down and continually re-organised. The name no longer precisely corresponds to a unit of local government, and probably the only two people who can say exactly where County Durham lies are the High Sheriff and Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant, whose ceremonial duties relate to an older map of the world.

None of thit is of the slightest concern to any traveller not gussied up in alderman's ermine or dress military uniform. For present purposes, "County Durham" on this page includes the post-2009 neighborhoods of Durham County (sic), Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees. It doesn't include Sunderland to the north or Middlesbrough, Redcar or Yarm to the south.

Darlington - - 52377 - Darlington Market Plaza

Local Language in County Durham

Listen very carefully to the local language: you'll need to. First, believe it or not, it is English you're hearing. The minority populations and languages in this area are small: during the 20th C the county was shedding labour from mining and ship-building in an perioid when others (eg the textile towns) were drawing it in from UK and abroad. The only significant minority language is Polish, spoken by 1%.

The local English dialect is "Geordie", spoken in Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria; the word also means a resident of those areas. "Geordie" probably simply derives from "George", a very common name for a local coal-miner, and there used to be a miners' patois called "Pitmatic" or "Yakka" but it's almost died out. If you learn only one Geordie word, learn "Howay!", an all-purpose greeting, exclamation or warning.

But what makes Geordie a thing of fascination and wonder is that it is probably very close to English as spoken over thousand years ago, as it evolved from Anglo-Saxon. Read Beowulf and try to make sense of it - then have a local read it aloud in a heavy Geordie accent for a "Eureka!" moment. And attempts to translate the works of the Venerable Bede (8th C AD), who wrote in Latin, reveal that what he thought and dreamed in was Geordie. Howay, indeed!

How to travel to County Durham

Buy a Flight ticket to and from County Durham

The closest useful airport is Newcastle International Airport GPS 55.038056,-1.689722 (IATA Flight Code: NCL) with direct connecting Flights to London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dubai. It's easy to reach, being on the metro.

Manchester Airport is some 150 miles south but has excellent global connections, competitive fares, and an hourly direct train to Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

The closest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport GPS 54.509167,-1.429444 (IATA Flight Code: MME), near Darlington, but there's little reason to use it. It only has two or three flights a day (to Amsterdam and to Aberdeen), public transport to it is non-existent, and they extort a £6 "facility fee" from departing passengers.

Travel by train to County Durham

Durham high and lower - - 1295248 - 250x220px|A view of Durham from the train

This county saw the world's first public railway, opened in 1825. The central spine of the county has excellent railway connections, being on the East Coast Main Line. Frequent fast trains come up from London Kings Cross via York to Darlington (2 hrs 30 mins) and Durham. They continue north to Chester-le-Street, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Other trains link Stockton, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. A branch line train runs hourly from Darlington to Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Bishop Auckland (30 min).

By car

The main north-south highway is A1 (M), which is 2-3 lane motorway throughout the county. Other major routes are the A66 trans-Pennine route (beware snow and ice in winter, and the road closes in bad conditions); A19 along the coast; and A68 along the Pennines to Corbridge and Edinburgh.

Travel on a Bus in County Durham

Darlington and Durham have National Express coach services to London Victoria and Leeds. Angel bus 21 runs from Durham to Newcastle.

Get Around

The central spine of the county is well-served by public transport as described above. Local buses (run by Arriva) fan out from Durham and Darlington to the other small towns, serving a string of communities along a river valley, but they seldom venture cross-country over the moors. Especially in the west of the county, you'll need a car, or you'll need to enjoy stiff gradients on your bike.

What to see in County Durham

Weardale Crescent in the snow - - 1057311 - Weardale in the winter

• The historic city of Durham needs a day or two to explore.
• Darlington has a railway museum and the "Brick Train" sculpture, and city amenities such as the civic theatre.
• Beamish has a wonderful outdoor museum showcasing life in a typical 19th century Durham town.
• Long scenic river valleys run out of the Pennines. The River Tees rushes over High Force waterfall near Middleton-in-Teesdale.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for County Durham

• Hike the Pennines. The Pennine Way straggles along the crest between County Durham and Cumbria.
• Watch an international test cricket match at Chester-le-Street.
• Row on the river in Durham.
• Sledge or ski in the winter: Weardale near Stanhope even has ski-lifts, and a whole 186 metres descent.

Halal Restaurants

Parmo is the local version of Chicken Parmesan. Unlike the classic New York or Italian styles, here it's closer to a schnitzel on a Pizzas base, with breaded Chicken, and béchamel instead of Parmesan sauce; sometimes Beef is also used. It's classic post-pub food in the northeast.

Darlington and Durham offer many drinking opportunities and cater for a wide variety of clientèle. Darlington notably has the chick Seen and Harvey's bars to the West of the town centre where the vast majority of clients are middle class students. Most people head to the nearby club "Inside Out" which on popular nights opens all three rooms and opens until 4am. There is also an 80s bar / small nightclub on Skinnergate and there are countless thriving bars and pubs around the town centre.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to County Durham

County Durham - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to County Durham, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for County Durham. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in County Durham and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to County Durham. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to County Durham. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations in County Durham: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in County Durham.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in County Durham: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in County Durham, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in County Durham.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in County Durham, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in County Durham, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within County Durham and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in County Durham, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in County Durham, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of County Durham without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for County Durham is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring County Durham.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group County Durham is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in County Durham, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group County Durham Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in County Durham

eHalal Group County Durham is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in County Durham. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in County Durham.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in County Durham ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within County Durham. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in County Durham, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in County Durham are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

There are large selections of youth hostels in the rural areas to the West, as well as luxury Bed & Breakfasts and hotels. The towns feature hotels and Bed & Breakfasts. Notably the Bannatyne hotel in Darlington which is a luxury hotel serving the region, and Rockliffe Hall in the very affluent village of Hurworth-on-Tees to the south of Darlington on theNorth Yorkshire border.

Stay Safe

Keep your wits about you in Darlington town centre on a weekend night.

Beyond that and the hazards are mostly natural rather than man-made: the Pennines can experience cruel weather.

More Muslim friendly Destinations from County Durham

To the north is Newcastle and the attractive coastline of Northumberland and Berwickshire / East Lothian and then spectacular Edinburgh.

To the west is Cumbria and the Lake District.

To the south is the walled city of York and the craggy coastline ofNorth Yorkshire, and charming genteel Ripon and Harrogate.

Copyright 2015 - 2024. All Rights reserved by eHalal Group Co., Ltd.
To Advertise or sponsor this Travel Guide, please visit our Media Kit and Advertising Rates.