Click here to see how the property market in Durham is doing

HOW IT RATES

After the Norman invasion, hilly Durham came to the defence of Northumbria against the Scots, and work on the castle and cathedral began. The prosperity of the city grew with the fame of the cathedral; St Cuthbert’s shrine attracted many pilgrims. The university was founded in 1832. Coalmining began in the county as early as the 12th century, and with Britain’s industrialisation Durham became a huge provider of coal. Today, with coalmining almost extinct in the North, Durham is a compact university city.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

The Norman architecture of the cathedral is superb. The Galilee Chapel contains 12th-century paintings and the Venerable Bede’s tomb. Both the cathedral and castle are designated World Heritage sites.

WHAT’S NEW

Two miles from Durham is St Leonard’s, where Barratt has three and four-bedroom townhouses for sale from £272,000. 0191-383 9421.

QUALITY OF LIFE

The Wear encloses the city on three sides with wooded, steep riverbanks. There are some great gardens, including the university’s Botanic Garden on the southern outskirts of the city and at the medieval manor of Crook Hall.

TRAVEL

The railway station is on the main line between Edinburgh and London. Trains from the South enter Durham over a spectacular Victorian viaduct. The A1(M) passes just outside the city to the east. Newcastle airport and Durham Tees Valley airport are about 25 miles north and south of the city respectively.

POPULATION

The City of Durham district comprises the city and 26 surrounding villages. According to the 2001 census, the district’s population is 88,000. Of those, 11,000 are students.

SMARTEST STREETS

South Street is the top address in the city. Opposite the cathedral, the great views come at a premium, and house prices top £1 million. Shincliffe and Brancepeth are the best of the villages on the city’s outskirts.

BEST RESTAURANTS

Thanks to the students, cheap eats are plentiful. More ambitious restaurants are thin on the ground. The Almshouses is a vegetarian restaurant on Palace Green that attracts tourists and students alike. Another favourite for students is Brown Sugar, a trendy coffee shop and bar. On the outskirts of town, the Pump House serves up some mean seafood and steaks.

TOP NIGHTLIFE

The Gala Theatre at Millennium Place has programmes of music, theatre, comedy and dance. The quality and quantity of nightlife pale against that of Newcastle. Cheesy clubs are the norm: Klute is the oldest club, Studio is a little bigger but no less cheesy and DH1 (formerly Rixy’s) attempts For a quiet pint, try Shakespeare, a perfect local boozer, or the Swan and Three Cygnets by the river.

WORKING LIFE

Education comes out top with 19.2 per cent of the workforce; shops employ 12.6 per cent.

EDUCATION

Although it does not have the prestige of Oxford or Cambridge, the university does have a similar college system and has a very good academic reputation. Topping the fee-paying schools are Durham School and Durham High School for Girls. Durham Johnston secondary is the best of the state schools.

UPSIDE

The proud traditions of the area’s mining heritage and community spirit are still evident. The Durham Miners’ Gala still takes place on the second Saturday in July. The city introduced a congestion charge in 2002: drivers have to pay £2 to enter a small part of the city centre between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday.

DOWNSIDE

Once you have visited the cathedral and castle and walked the cobbled street, there is really not much to do: a day trip would suffice.

£156,800 The average property price in Durham
Source: Hometrack

1% The increase in property prices in Durham over the past year
Source: Halifax

156% The increase in property prices in Durham over the past ten years
Source: Halifax

42 The number of years it took to build Durham Cathedral
Source: Durham Tourism

Explore Property

• Buying & Selling

• New Homes

• Overseas

• Interiors

• Investment

• Gardens

• Cool In Your Code

• Specials

• First-time buyer

Times recommends

• Second homes: credit crunch casualty or money-spinner?
• How I built my own sliding house
• Top 10 incentives for house buyers