Durham

Durham ( in, locally ) is a small and main settlement of the  district of ,.

It is well known for its  and, and is home to. is also located close to the city centre.

Toponymy
The name "Durham" comes from "dun-holm", meaning "hill-island". It was given this name due to its steep, hilly embankments.

Early history
Archeological evidence suggests a history of settlement at Durham since roughly 2000 BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to 995 AD, when a group of monks from chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of, that had previously lain in , founding a church there. (Legend says that the monks were led to the location by a milk maid who had lost her, which was found resting on this spot.) The present was built from 1093, and still contains the remains of  as well as The. It is regarded by many - such as travel writer -- as the finest  in the world.



Facing the cathedral across is, originally built by the  from 1071, on William the Conqueror's return from campaigning in Scotland. Some of the present structure is more recent, notably 's Victorian restorations. The two buildings are jointly designated a - one of the original six in the. Since 1837 the castle has been home to, the first college of the.

In the three centuries following the construction of the Castle, Durham was regularly besieged by the, with the notable (1346) occurring just one mile west of the city.

In medieval times Durham was a major centre of both political and ecclesiastical power, mainly due to its strategic importance near the border with. County Durham was a, ruled by s who had secular authority and considerable autonomy from , minting their own coinage, dispensing their own justice and with the right to maintain their own armies. Every from 1071 to 1836 was a Prince Bishop except for the first Norman-appointed, who was an Earl-Bishop. (The term Prince Bishop, while a useful one, is not one which the Durham Bishops themselves would have recognised.)  curtailed some of the Prince-Bishop's powers, and smashed the shrine of Cuthbert in 1538.

19th Century onwards
Finally, the public climate surrounding the Great Reform Act of 1832 removed the Bishop's extraordinary powers.

In 1832 the was founded, which has several buildings on the peninsula and on  on the other side of the river. The 19th century also saw Durham grow as a centre of the industry. The first was held in 1871, and remains a popular annual event.

Governance
The was known as 'Durham and ', until it was merged with  and   to form the  district. Durham's is.

Geography
Durham is situated 13 miles (21 km) to the south west of,. The flows north through the city, enclosing the centre on three sides to create Durham's "peninsula". Durham is a hilly city, claiming to be built upon the symbolic seven hills. Upon the most central and prominent position high above the Wear, the dominates the skyline. The steep riverbanks are densely wooded, adding to the picturesque beauty of the city. West of the city centre, another river, the, drains south to join the Wear to the south of the city.

Durham won the Large Town award in the awards of 2005.

The of, Durham is located in the  local government district, which extends beyond the city, and has a total population of 87,656, and covers 186.68 square kilometres. The of Durham had a population of 29,091, whilst the built-up area of Durham had a population of 42,939.

Areas of Durham
The centre of Durham sits on a created by the. At the base of the peninsula is the, which still hosts regular markets; a permanent indoor market is also situated on the square. The square and surrounding streets are one of the main commercial and shopping areas of the city. From the market square, leads south past : The Bailey is almost entirely owned and occupied by the  and.

There are three old road bridges leading onto the peninsula, now all pedestrianised. Prebends Bridge is at the southern tip of the Bailey. Heading east from the square, leads to the  area of the city. Heading west, leads to the  district,  and North Road, the other main shopping area of the city. West of here is an area colloquially known as "The Viaduct" after the structure which dominates, now largely student-populated. Beyond The Viaduct lie the outlying districts of and. Heading north from the market place leads to. The road curves back round to the east and beyond it lie and Gilesgate Moor. You also have Dragonville. Towards the hospital lies Whitesmocks and Aykley Vale.

Climate
Like the rest of the, Durham has a climate. At 643.3 mm the average annual rainfall is lower than the national average of 1125 mm. Equally there are only around 121.3 days where more than 1 mm of rain falls compared to a national average of 154.4 days. The area sees on average 1374.6 hours of sunshine per year, compared to a national average of 1125.0 hours. There is an on 52 days compared to a national average of 55.6 days. Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are 12.5 °C and 5.2 °C compared to a national averages of 12.1 °C and 5.1 °C respectively.

The table below gives the average temperature and rainfall figures taken between 1971 and 2000 at the Met Office weather station in Durham:

Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of County Durham at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Landmarks
The whole of the centre of Durham is designated a. The conservation area was first designated on, and was extended on. In addition to the Cathedral and Castle, Durham contains over 630 s, 569 of which are located within the city centre conservation area. Particularly notable properties include:

Grade I listed

 * Crook Hall
 * Prebends Bridge
 * Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Crossgate
 * Church of St Mary-le-Bow (now Durham Heritage Centre)
 * Church of St Mary the Less
 * Prebends Bridge
 * Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Crossgate
 * Church of St Mary-le-Bow (now Durham Heritage Centre)
 * Church of St Mary the Less
 * Church of St Mary-le-Bow (now Durham Heritage Centre)
 * Church of St Mary the Less

Grade II* listed

 * House (now Bistro 21)
 * Bishop Cosin's Hall,
 * Cosin's Library (now part of University Library, Palace Green)
 * , Old Elvet
 * , 12 South Bailey
 * , 3 South Bailey
 * St Oswald's Church
 * , North Road
 * and, Market Place

Transport
is situated on the between  and ; rail travellers coming from the south enter Durham over a spectacular Victorian  high above the city. By road, the, the modern incarnation of the ancient , passes just to the east of the city. (Its previous incarnation, now numbered, passes just to the west.) lies to the north, and  to the south, both being approximately 25 miles away. The Market Place and peninsula form the UK's first (albeit small) area, introduced in 2002.

A park and ride service is also available.

Notable people

 * Guitarist with the band
 * Actor (attended the )
 * Novelist ('Regeneration' trilogy)
 * Elizabethan poet
 * former (attended the  )
 * Novelist ('Cuthbert Bede')
 * Celebrated dwarf
 * Poet
 * International footballer
 * International cricketer (born in, but lives in Durham)
 * Sir Director British Geological Survey
 * Hymnologist
 * Arms manufacturer and novelist (Moonfleet)
 * Journalist and poet (attended the )
 * Hermit and popular medieval saint
 * player
 * Poet
 * Antiquary
 * Pugilist
 * Novelist
 * Author of the 'Wells' ballet books
 * Novelist and 'new woman'
 * Philosopher and radio broadcaster
 * Manager of local Team
 * Poet
 * , Lord Justice Laws, Judge (attended the )
 * Watercolorist, Topographer
 * Novelist
 * Novelist
 * , the 100th, and once
 * Hagiographer
 * Historian
 * Poet
 * Literary memoirist
 * Poet
 * Historian and antiquarian
 * Novelist
 * 13th century painter
 * Astronomer Royal
 * (attended the )

Sister cities
Durham has one, as designated by the Sister Cities International, Inc.:


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